Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa, both 30, are among the pioneers making a name for themselves in esports, often seen as a “hardcore boys club.”
Female gamers are leveling up as they overcome difficult challenges to break down barriers and achieve success in the world of esports, a space traditionally dominated by men.
Londoners Grete Lajal and Mariam Musa, both 30, are among the pioneers, making a name for themselves in what has often been seen as a hardcore boys' club.
The pair's recent victory in the UK's first women's esports initiative, a partnership between Sky Broadband and Guild Esports and Gaming, highlights the opportunities that are emerging for women.
And her success is testament to the growing impact women are having in esports.
And it comes not too soon; Research shows that just 5% of professional gamers in the UK are women, despite making up almost half (47%) of the country's gamers.
Mariam, who streams under the name Futheda on gaming platform Twitch, made her mark by winning Football Eseries after dominating the field at EA Sports FC 25.
Reflecting on his journey, he admitted there were initial hesitation entering competitive gaming.
She said: “I was nervous about doing the tournaments in person because I thought they would say 'oh, I didn't think you were a girl' and not take me seriously.”
But after seeing success in her first tournament, Mariam gained confidence and encouragement to continue and sign up for more.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged the challenges. “It's hard to be a woman and a person of color in video games,” Mariam said.
“Comments and negativity can be difficult, especially when you are broadcasting and showing your face.
“But you have to focus on your game, ignore the comments and not let them get to you.”
For her, creating a more welcoming and supportive environment for women in esports is key to long-term change.
Grete, on the other hand, is new to esports.
But he may have discovered a latent talent for racing after reaching the podium to win Racers Eseries, a competition based on sim racing.
Explaining that his family has been involved in motorsport, while his brother is a tennis player, he said: “I think that's where I got my competitive side from.
“I had some influence from my partner, because he has experience in real-life racing and also in sim racing.
“So it was a big support for me in preparing for the final after I qualified.
“Within our group, there were women similar to me who had just arrived from the street.
“They were invited and they just tried it, and in the six months beforehand they put all their effort into training for the final.”
Both Grete and Mariam hope to see more women-only competitions in the future.
“It's about representation and inspiration from women who might never have thought about competing before,” Grete said.
These two are already helping on that front as they play their part in changing the game for the next generation of female esports players.
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