Esports organizer ESL Gaming announced the first women’s league for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), which it’s launching in partnership with Intel and DHL. The competitive circuit aims to “increase awareness, provide new opportunities, and improve representation for all women CS:GO players.” Additionally, it will also kick off ESL’s new #GGFORALL program, which wants to make gaming and esports “an inclusive, respectful, and all-empowering space”.
The organizers are also planning a women players council that will “aid in defining further details around the CS:GO ecosystem for women, and that provides women a platform for consolidated feedback towards ESL Gaming and other tournament organizers.” ESL also hopes to increase the representation of women in esports broadcasting by launching a talent development program to create these opportunities.
“By providing an infrastructure equal to their male counterparts, we are thrilled to create more visibility and opportunities for women in the esports space, as well as to support them in their professional development and to help make their dreams come true,” said Roberta Hernandez, SVP of People and Culture at ESL Gaming. “This is only the first part of a number of #GGFORALL initiatives we are currently working on and we can’t wait to tell you more about what is yet to come.”
The circuit will offer a combined prize pool of $500,000, split across regions and various events. The new league will feature eight European and eight North American teams battling it out for a combined prize pool of $150,000. Three teams from each bracket, plus a South American team and Asia-Pacific team – each determined through open qualifiers – will then compete in the Global League Finals.
These finals will be held at DreamHack Dallas from June 3rd to the 5th, 2022, and DreamHack Winter from November 25th to the 27th, 2022. These and other DreamHack events throughout the year will offer all-women teams to compete in standalone events, with a $100,000 prize pool, while smaller ESL Cash Cup competitions will run from January 2022, with a $4,000 pool.
(All information was provided by NME)
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