- The tournament organizer ESL has joined the fight for inclusivity by announcing a women’s CS:GO circuit
- The event will include regional tournaments in Europe and North America as well as two Global League Finals
- ESL will establish an all-women council that will help with the organization and guide the league on the right path
ESL has unveiled that it will host a whole women-oriented competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive season in 2022.
ESL to Host Women’s CS:GO Circuit
The famous esports event organizer ESL has revealed its intentions of hosting a whole women’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league in 2022.
Going by the tag GGFORALL, the initiative aims to provide women in esports with a dedicated league that will include regionals and an offline LAN final. Additionally, ESL has planned to host a women-oriented talent development program and establish a women’s council.
The meat of the GGFORALL initiative will be the 2022 CS:GO Women’s Circuit. It will have a prize pool of $500,000 and will host regional events in both Europe and North America. The culmination of the circuit will be two Global League Finals, set to take place in DreamHack Dallas and DreamHack Winter in June and November respectively.
The mainline circuit begins in March. It will be accompanied by various standalone tournaments and small-scale online events.
ESL Will Work Together With the Council to Improve the League
Outside of the competitive events themselves, ESL’s women’s council will direct a lot of the work. The council will be comprised of experienced female CS:GO players who will work alongside ESL to help steer the women’s league in the right direction. ESL has promised to heed the council’s points and collaborate with it in order to improve women’s CS:GO.
ESL’s long-term vision is to create a healthy esports scene that nurtures female talent and to provide women in Counter-Strike with growth opportunities that they might not otherwise have. ESL vowed to combat toxicity and allow girls to compete in a harassment-free environment.
The inclusivity towards women and other marginalized groups has been one of the hot topics in esports. Various organizations have launched all kinds of initiatives to help women succeed in the dynamic competitive gaming world. One of the most popular such initiatives is Riot’s Game Changers that helps female VALORANT gamers succeed both as players and as casters. Other major campaigns oriented towards women have included Women of Misfits and Women in Games.