Screen queens: Indian female gamers highlight how they beat stereotypes to win online

Indiarsquos gaming boom is not a boysrsquo club According to the Lumikai State of India Gaming Report 2023 India has approximately 568 million gamers with nearly 44 per cent of them women Data from the Niko Partners India Games Market Report estimates 260 million women gamersMobile gaming has dramatically increased the number of women playing games but the professional ecosystem is still skewed Women remain underrepresented in esports teams tournament desks talent management and gaming leadership rolesAnkkita Chauhan aka AnkkitaCGames Valorant WWE titles openworld gamesKnown for Skilled gameplay in PC and mobile gamesYet gamers like Ankkita Chauhan aka AnkkitaC Shagufta Iqbal aka Xyaa and Sakshi aka City Sushi are steadily building their place in the ecosystemEdited excerpts from the interviewWhy canrsquot female gamers afford to be averageAnkkita There is definitely added pressure to be consistent especially because women gamers are still not always taken seriously It often feels like you have to prove yourself repeatedly A single mistake can sometimes reinforce unfair stereotypes so therersquos an extra layer of responsibility to perform well and stay sharpShagufta Majority of the time if I play really well itrsquos often seen as just doing my job But if I have one bad game it suddenly becomes a big deal Therersquos a lot more scrutinyhellip Women have to consistently prove themselvesSakshi You cannot afford to be average If you are one of the few women in a lobby your mistakes are remembered longer than your winsSakshi aka City SushiGames Competitive shooters and esports titlesKnown for Competitive gaming with S8UL EsportsIf 44 per cent of Indiarsquos gamers are women does esports feel 44 per cent womenledAnkkita In terms of participation yes But when you look at competitive circuits talent management tournament desks or leadership roles the ecosystem does not feel evenly balanced yetShagufta Maybe not five years ago Back then the space felt a lot more maledominated But in the last few years gaming in India has grown massively especially mobile gamingSakshi In casual gaming circles you definitely see more women now But in structured competitive environments the percentage feels much lowerWhat kind of bias or harassment do you face onlineAnkkita Primarily in voice chat and comment sections where skill is questioned almost immediately sometimes even before I have played a full round There is often an assumption that if a woman is in the lobby she must be less experienced or less competitiveShagufta In the early dayshellip Most of it came through stream chats comments or DMs People are usually much braver behind a screen than they are in real lifeSakshi It starts the moment you unmute Sometimes itrsquos outright comments Other times itrsquos passive dismissalhellip Being tested more or being doubted before the round even beginsShagufta Iqbal aka XyaaGames Competitive gaming and streaming titlesKnown for Her pioneering role in the Indian gaming communityIf gaming is meritbased why are there still so few women at the topAnkkita Gaming may be meritbased inside the server but the journey to reaching the top depends on much more than just skill One of the biggest factors is family support and the willingness to accept gaming as a serious career When you are a female gamer that hesitation can be even strongerShagufta Access environment and opportunity also play a huge rolehellip Women enter the gaming space really late especially in India Itrsquos just because of social conditioning lack of representation and sometimes even discouragement at homeSakshi Historically fewer opportunities limitedvisibility and social expectations meant fewer women entered competitive or professional spacesShould esports have womenonly tournamentsAnkkita They help build confidence and create safer entry points especially at grassroots levels However the longterm goal should always be integrated competition based purely on meritShagufta I honestly donrsquot think womenonly tournaments help that much in the long runhellip Ideally competition should be equal and open to everyoneSakshi They help at the entry levelhellip But they should be stepping stones not ceilings The ultimate goal should always be open competitionWhat policy change do gaming platforms urgently needAnkkita There needs to be stronger and faster accountability Reporting systems should not feel symbolicShagufta When someone reports harassment the action should be quick There should be simple reporting tools and real consequences for repeat offendersSakshi Real consequences Not warnings or automated responses that disappear into a voidhellip Behaviour only changes when there is accountability