This story is jointly published as part of the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah Tech University and Weber State University. The collaborative is an Amplify Utah project with support from PBS Utah and POV.
Behind the scenes of popular video games like “Valorant” and “League of Legends,” Jeniel Zimmerman ensures viewers see every shot and stunt as an esports replay operator. Graduating from the University of Utah, they worked tirelessly in the games program organizing events and being the head coach of the “Valorant” team to work in the industry that they love.
But since joining the industry in February 2020, Zimmerman said they have also witnessed gaming’s darker side. After hearing Zimmerman’s voice during a match, they said one male player abruptly declared, “I’m not playing with stupid b—–s.”
Women make up nearly half of the world’s gaming audience yet remain underrepresented in competitive gaming spaces. Zimmerman’s experience isn’t isolated, especially when working with Raidiant, a women-led company organizing tournaments for marginalized genders.
“I’ve definitely known people who have experienced all sorts of mistreatment because of their gender,” Zimmerman said. “I know that it does happen, so even though I feel very lucky, I don’t want to minimize those things that have happened.”
Zimmerman’s experience is not uncommon and reflects recent events in gaming, they said.
Blizzard faces allegations of denying promotion opportunities and paying women less than men for doing similar work, while Riot Games also had a similar settlement around 2018 for the same practices towards their female employees, according to California’s Civil Rights Department.
Gaming has grown tremendously over the past few years. It’s a genuine business with billions of dollars passing through the hands of consumers and viewers alike. Women have always been a part of that growing audience, with notable female players like VKLiooon and content creators like Pokimane contributing to gaming culture. Players like Eskay, a notable “Valorant” and “Overwatch” player, and Umisho, a fighting game champion in 2022 are winning in big tournaments and drawing in large audiences.
Even as women continue to play the number of female players has always been lower than male players, studies show. The 2024 report done by the ESA showed a male-to-female split of 53% to 46%. According to a 2024 report by Mackenzie Management Review, women in esports are often made to feel inferior to male gamers, asked invasive questions about their personal lives and are regularly approached and sometimes harassed by male players seeking an intimate relationship.
The study also found that women gamers frequently face inappropriate treatment. One participant described being accused of paying for her high rank in a game simply because others refused to believe a woman could achieve such skill legitimately.
Not all experiences are negative, however. Fernanda Pinaffi, a Brazilian international student majoring in film at the University of Utah, said she found acceptance within the campus esports production team.
“There are always people who are going to enjoy, who are going to appreciate you,” Pinaffi said. “I was very lucky that the esports scene here at the University of Utah was so welcoming to me.”
However, stories like Pinaffi’s can be few and far between. According to a study done by Jural Syntax Dmiration, one reason female players avoid using voice communication is due to fear of harassment, perpetuating gender stereotypes and further marginalizing women within the gaming community.
Heather Garozzo, founder of Raidiant and a former professional gamer, said she faced persistent skepticism about her abilities before becoming CEO.
“At my peak as a player, my brother was also considered like the top in-game leader in the world at the time,” Garozzo said. “Any time I had success online, there was a lot of like, ‘Oh, that’s her brother playing.’ I felt completely discredited. And, so, I had to work [harder] … I had to do more to prove myself.”
For Lucy Hernandez, a transgender student at the University of Utah working in esports productions, inappropriate behavior often goes unchecked in smaller competitive settings.
“There’s no HR or nothing for these small tournaments, so it’s very easy to develop an exclusionary mindset,” Hernandez said. “All you can do is just try your best to ignore it.”
Hernadez said she tries to take pride in her identity as a woman as well as being transgender.
“What I am, who I am, and regardless of if that gives me opportunities or not, it matters … that I stay true to myself and I don’t compromise who I am to move forward,” Hernandez said.
Jonnathan Yi reported and produced this story as communication student at University of Utah.
