'Overwatch' League To Get Its First Female Player
For a game with characters that come from every race, gender, and even species, the professional "Overwatch" scene has a surprisingly lack of diversity. However, the Shanghai Dragons could put that notion to rest by acquiring the League's first female pro player.
According to ESPN, the team has signed in South Korean player Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon who is best known for playing Zarya. Having played at the "Overwatch" Apex tournament in her home country last year, she has set her eyes on the big leagues, adding a bit of girl power to the male-dominated world of esports.
While the team hasn't confirmed the reports, Geguri, together with the Shanghai Dragons' other Korean recruits will provide the team a much needed boost. This will be necessary after the team's poor performance during the "Overwatch" League inaugural season. The Shanghai Dragons currently have an 0-8 record, the worst in the league as of this moment.
Geguri will not only be the first female player to play in the league, she also holds the distinction of being "one of only a few women competing professionally in e-Sports at the highest level of their respective game." And in a world where skills mean everything, there's probably no greater recognition one can get.
However, it wasn't always smooth sailing for Geguri. Prior to signing up with the Shanghai Dragons, she was previously accused of using cheats in game. This allegation was later dropped after livestreaming a game to prove her critics wrong. Now she's taking her skills to a much bigger stage.
Geguri has refuted criticisms against the League's lack of gender diversity, saying that gender is not a factor as to why she was not signed in earlier. While e-sports has had a number of female professional players, it is still largely male-dominated. Hopefully, Geguri's entry to the "Overwatch" League will set a precedence to other tournaments accepting more female players.
