Female E-Sport Players in Sweden Face Financial Hardships
Female e-sport players in Sweden face significant financial challenges, often needing full-time jobs to support their gaming careers.
Key Points
- • Female e-sport players in Sweden struggle financially while preparing for the European Championship.
- • Many players, like Jennica Sjögren, work full-time jobs to support their gaming careers.
- • Tilde Byström calls for increased investment in women's e-sport to address pay gaps.
- • ESL Impact is the only major league for female players, with limited competition opportunities.
As Sweden gears up for the European Championship in e-sports, female players are confronting severe financial hurdles. Many, including national team player Jennica Sjögren, have to juggle full-time jobs to sustain their gaming aspirations. Sjögren candidly states, "It's impossible to survive without a full-time job," highlighting the challenges of living in a city like Stockholm on an e-sport salary.
Tilde "7licious" Byström, another prominent player, points to job insecurity and inadequate salaries as prevalent issues in the women's e-sport scene. While there have been notable improvements, such as increased participation and competitive opportunities, the landscape for female athletes still pales in comparison to that for their male counterparts. Currently, the primary competition available for women is ESL Impact, supplemented by a handful of smaller tournaments and international events.
Both Sjögren and Byström are advocating for greater investment in women's e-sport to rectify the disparities in opportunities and earnings. These financial struggles underscore an urgent need for change to ensure that talented female players can thrive without sacrificing their stability in pursuit of their passion.