Game Design & Gender Disparity

Gender Disparity: Inside & Outside the Game

Moreover, the historical myth that male players exceedingly dominate gaming communities is no longer relevant in today’s technological society, yet continues to be used as a prime explanation for toxicity. For the year 2023 in the United States alone, 45 percent of gamers are women while 55 percent are men (Howarth 2023). Although gamer demographics indicate that female participation is nearly on par with males, the mere 30 percent of women among industry professionals suggest otherwise (Clement 2023). As a consequence of unequal treatment, discrimination, and stereotypes ingrained in a workplace context, the lack of female representation inadvertently mirrors gaming platforms. An examination of gender disparity in LoL reveals that female players often find themselves relegated to specific roles by male friends and partners, reinforcing traditional gender norms of dominant men and submissive women (Ratan et al. 2015, 444). They are most frequently confined to the role of "support" rather than more progressive roles like "ADC (attack damage carry)," which overall influences a female gamer’s perception of her own capabilities. Male gamers are not the only ones who encourage this phenomenon; in LoL’s 2021 roster of 154 champions, 37.5 percent of female champions had distinct roles of “support” in contrast to only 12.77 percent of male champions (Leo 2021). For an opposite analysis, the designated role of “fighter” was associated with 53.19 percent of male champions, and only 26.79 percent of female champions (Leo 2021). Although 2023’s roster increased to 162 champions, with Riot Games regularly releasing three to five new ones each year, the vast gap has yet to subside as 99 are male and 63 are female. To validate the substantial amount of male characters, gamers on web forums such as Reddit and Twitter emphasize how LoL constantly releases new skins for female characters, which they claim “levels” out the field for even representation. However, nearly every concept art for female skins overly sexualizes the character, thus, Riot Games monetarily exploits their female representations, specifically body images, for commercialization. Along with the overrepresentation of female champions in the "weaker" category and the underrepresentation in “dominant” roles reflects a systemic bias within the game's design. Regarding future releases and reworks of champions, Riot Games must shift its focus to establishing moral representations that go beyond perpetuating traditional gender norms, creating a gaming environment that is inclusive and reflective of the diverse talents and abilities of all players.

In addition, the stark gender disparity evident in the gaming industry itself poses more reasons as to why LoL’s platform is a prevailing outlet for toxicity. The lack of representation extends beyond the gaming screen into the development side of the industry, where female professionals are alarmingly underrepresented and suppressed. Statistics from 2022 emphasize that the pool of game developers worldwide only has around 30 percent of women, whereas the rest of the industry is run by predominantly white men (Lamensch 2023). In comparison to earlier years, more female employees have been gradually integrated into the gaming industry, yet their mere existence in these work settings seemingly “provokes” irrational and dehumanizing behaviors from male colleagues and bosses. A common occurrence involves hiring women, not because of their extensive qualifications and innovative skills, but for the sole purpose of looking pretty and satisfying male employees, designating them as trophies rather than humans (deWinter and Kocurek 2017, 65). A woman’s mere existence, which also depends on her scale of beauty according to the stereotypical male gaze, indirectly provides an outlet for pleasuring them. How are female employees expected to work in an environment where everyone perceives her in the same manner wolves look at their prey? Not only is sexism prevalent in terms of bodily objectification and the face value of women in professional spaces but also the idea that their abilities can never reach the same potential as men. Regardless of their promising educational backgrounds and experience, the majority of females seeking jobs within the gaming industry are denied primarily based on gender discrimination, and on the rare occasion they are accepted, they are immediately pushed towards (conceptualized “female-oriented”) fields of art and design rather than programming or marketing (deWinter and Kocurek 2017, 57). Stigmatized as less competent workers from the start, most women willingly set aside their passion for video games, and are likely to reconsider working for this industry as they understand that the integrated biases, objectification, and male ignorance will only result in mental turmoil. The toxic masculinity trait of men maintaining liberating forces of power reverses society’s development of equal rights and all feminist movements as it reinstates traditional hierarchies back into corporate settings. The embedded fear of another human being, one with breasts and a vagina, taking over their positions and exhibiting more competent skills may ultimately lead to men maximizing hostile behaviors.

Focusing on the specific case of unequal employee dynamics in the gaming companies, Riot Games, a successful developer of both League of Legends and Valorant, was involved in a high-profile lawsuit in 2018. Taking place in Los Angeles, legal action was initiated by current and former employees who alleged a toxic work culture marked by gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and unequal pay. The plaintiffs contended that the company fostered an environment where women faced systemic obstacles in their professional advancement, with a prime example where female employees were to temporarily fulfill roles (above their titled jobs and pay grades) until a man was permanently hired to replace them (Shepherd 2023). They further discussed the company’s preference for uplifting male employees, such as assigning them more compensating jobs, frequent promotions, and overall greater pay (Shepherd 2023). The behaviors male employees frequently exhibited include sexual jokes on rape, masturbation, and body parts, maintaining a list of “Riot Games Hottest Women Employees,” sharing inappropriate and nonconsensual images of genitalia, and more (Shepherd 2023). The lawsuit shed light on the pervasive gender disparity and foul play within the gaming industry and prompted a need for investigation into workplace practices and inclusivity. Riot Games paid $100 million to settle the lawsuit with large compensations (estimated average of $49,709) for all 1,548 female employees and temporary contractors (Shepherd 2023). To address their workplace misconduct, the company agreed to invest $18 million into funding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for the following three years (Shepherd 2023). Prevalent harassment of women in the industry, including verbal and psychological abuse, misogyny, and sexual aggression, explains the vast gender disparity. The lack of female representation among industry professionals perpetuates the cycle of toxicity seen in gaming environments as the absence of diverse voices within the development process inadvertently reinforces harmful stereotypes and fails to address the unique needs and experiences of female participants. The lawsuit underscores how toxic gaming communities may inherently stem from the industry itself, thus reflecting the consequences of a lack of workplace inclusion. While Riot Games might have only implemented corrective measures due to this extreme situation, many other game companies also need to reflect on their work environment dynamics, habits, and diversity.