The State of Women’s Esports in 2024: A Year in Review
The women’s esports landscape experienced both challenges and triumphs in 2024, marking a year of significant developments despite some notable shifts in viewership metrics. Two games continued to dominate the female competitive scene: Valorant and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), both supported by robust developer-backed leagues designed specifically for women and marginalized genders.
Viewership Trends and Tournament Statistics
While 2024 saw a 25% decrease in total watch time compared to the previous year, this decline should be contextualized against a 20% reduction in the number of tournaments held. Despite this dip in viewership, the industry showed remarkable growth in other areas, particularly in prize pools, which approached $3 million for the year—a dramatic increase from the sub-$100,000 figures of 2018.
Major Tournament Highlights
The VCT 2024: Game Changers Championship emerged as the year’s premier women’s tournament, achieving an impressive peak viewership of 464,500 concurrent viewers. The event showcased Shopify Rebellion’s dominance as they secured their second world title without dropping a single map. A historic milestone followed the championship when Ava “Florescent” Eugene became the first Game Changers player to transition to the main Valorant Champions Tour, signing with Apeks.
Prize Pool Distribution and Event Formats
Approximately 73% of the total prize money was distributed through offline events, despite these tournaments representing only a quarter of all competitions. The correlation between prize pools and viewership was evident, with offline events commanding both higher stakes and larger audiences. Both Valorant and MLBB hosted tournaments with $500,000 prize pools, setting them apart from other competitive titles.
Team Performance and Viewership
Despite their competitive dominance, Shopify Rebellion found themselves outpaced in viewership metrics by teams like MIBR GC and G2 Gozen. In the MLBB scene, Team Vitality Female and Indonesia Female (featuring the same roster) emerged as viewership leaders, particularly after their groundbreaking participation in MDL Indonesia Season 10 alongside male competitors.
Platform and Language Demographics
The streaming landscape saw interesting shifts in 2024. While Twitch maintained its position as the leading platform for women’s esports content, YouTube experienced a 6% decline in market share. This shift was largely attributed to TikTok’s emergence as a significant broadcasting platform, particularly for mobile gaming events. English continued to lead broadcasting languages, followed by Indonesian and Portuguese.
Industry Progress and Future Outlook
Despite the temporary plateau in viewership growth, 2024 marked several milestone achievements for women’s esports. The industry demonstrated maturation through increasing prize pools, improved competitive infrastructure, and breakthrough moments like Florescent’s VCT signing and the integration of women’s teams into traditionally male-dominated leagues.
Impact of Game Developers
The success of women’s esports in 2024 largely stemmed from dedicated developer support, particularly evident in Valorant’s Game Changers program and MLBB’s comprehensive tournament structure. These initiatives have created sustainable competitive ecosystems that continue to elevate women’s participation in professional gaming.
Conclusion
While 2024 presented mixed metrics for women’s esports, the industry’s fundamental growth remains strong. The increasing prize pools, expanding competitive opportunities, and breakthrough achievements suggest a promising trajectory for women’s professional gaming, even as the sector navigates natural market fluctuations and evolving viewing habits.