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The International Esports Federation announced that the tournament will expand from four teams to ten teams for the women’s CS:GO competition at the 2023 World Esports Championships finals in Iasi, Romania, which takes place between August 24 and September 4. The expansion follows the success of 2022 WE Championships Finals, which took place in Bali, Indonesia.
The 2022 WE Championships were a historical moment for female gamers. The introduction of the women’s CS:GO competition attracted large crowds, and marked a major step towards greater inclusion in esports. IESF aims at empowering female gamers across all competitions. The women’s CS:GO tourney allows more of the best all-female world teams to compete on the highest level.
Vlad Marinescu, President of the IESF, said: “We’re thrilled to announce that the World Esports Championships will include a women’s CS:GO event this year. This is a reflection of the progress that we have made to make esports inclusive for everyone. We are excited to see the incredible teams that will be competing in this year’s event. IESF believes that removing barriers for female gamers and giving them more opportunities to shine is a priority.
Colin Webster, MSSA president and IESF former president, stated that “Since the year 2012, IESF has introduced tournaments for women – often with stiff opposition from certain sectors of gaming community. Initially, only MSSA would send all of its female teams to IESF. I, as well as MSSA, welcomes the action of IESF. We hope that IESF expands on its programme so there are more opportunities for many more games titles.”
Webster went on to say, “MSSA is proud that fourteen (14) women officially represented South Africa as Protea members at various IESF World Esports Championships. Gabriella Isaacs, one of these athletes, even placed second in the StarCraft II competition in 2012.
Ana Karakolevska, Chief Marketing Officer of IESF, said: “I’m proud that IESF is leading the charge to make esports inclusive for everyone. We’ve made great progress in a short time and IESF wants to continue to provide opportunities to promote equality for women in the World Esports Family. “We can’t wait for 10 of the best teams in the world to battle in fast-paced CS:GO in Iasi!”
The regional qualifiers of the IESF for the WE Championships begin in May and will continue through June. The top ten female CS:GO team will qualify for the Finals in August. IESF works with several organizations including Women in Games, Girl Gamer Esports Festival and Women in Games to promote a safe, equitable and inclusive environment for women in esports.
