- As part of its CSR strategy, Team Vitality and its partner ALDI denounce the harassment and omnipresent sexism in the world of gaming and esports with a shocking testimonial video entitled Des Failles dans La Faille.
- The video features Team Vitality's League of Legends players: the Rising Bees, as well as TV Host Marie Palot and Shoutcaster Nox.
- Team Vitality and ALDI (accompanied by its agency Seven) show the impact of sexist and moral violence against female players. Together, the two entities campaign for the deconstruction of stereotypes and the development of diversity in esports.
Team Vitality and ALDI aim to change the way women are viewed in esports and gaming. Through the video Des Failles dans La Faille, the two brands want to raise awareness about the violent messages received by female players and their impact on their daily lives. With their testimonies, these women working in the world of gaming explain that certain messages attack their confidence, their mental well-being and also their performance.
As La Coupe des Étoiles, the largest French League of Legends competition for women and marginalized genders, takes place right now, it is essential to remember that online harassment and sexism are holding back the development of the women's scene. Indeed, 50% of people who play video games are women, but only 7% of them compete ( France Esport Barometer 2023 ). A 2022 Ipsos study indicates that 84% of people who are cyberbullied are women and 51% of them are under 30 years old.
Pro esports players respond to hateful comments
Testimonies from women committed to combating online harassment and sexism
The video Rifts in the Rift focuses on the Rising Bees, Team Vitality's women's team on League of Legends. The title of the video refers to the online game League of Legends. The Summoner's Rift is the virtual battlefield on which players compete. And it is regularly on this playing field that players receive many hateful messages.
On screen to share their experiences:
- Velouria “Viki” Baty: French player and ADC for Team Vitality
- Madison “Crowmac” Coutelet: French player and toplaner for Team Vitality
- Alena “Tifa” Maurer: German player and midlaner for Team Vitality
- Marie Palot: TV Host
- Nox: Shoutcaster League of Legends
- Anne Banschbach: Esports Director of Team Vitality
Each in turn, they read and react to various messages found on other players' networks: body shaming, death threats, misogyny... They share their personal experiences and share their emotions ranging from sadness and anger, to isolation and discouragement. They describe the impact that these messages have on their daily lives and consequently, on their performances, even though they claim to be "used" to these misogynistic attacks.
In a second part, they discover messages filled with kindness and encouragement, which often fall by the wayside among the many messages of hate.
Real support is being given to them, and the players are finding their smiles again, not without emotion. Team Vitality and ALDI want to emphasize what a positive message does to morale in the midst of sometimes very violent messages in the esports sphere.
At the end, they show the messages they receive on a daily basis in the hope of raising awareness and reminding people of the importance of online kindness. They also want to send a strong message against harassment and in favor of diversity in the environment.
Team Vitality and ALDI, a sustainable partnership to create a mixed competitive sphere
For 4 years now, Team Vitality and ALDI have made the development of women's esports their hobbyhorse. The highlight of their fight: the creation of the women's team the French Bees in 2023, which became Rising Bees in 2024. Together, the two brands are participating in the creation of a fairer and more mixed esports ecosystem.
The short-term goal is for clubs to be able to form women's teams and offer them the same working conditions and resources as men's teams. In the medium term, the general level must increase and more female players must be able to become professionals. At the same time, Team Vitality is helping to raise awareness among esports fans on the subject. All year round, the esports club creates and broadcasts videos on the Rising Bees' journey and their interactions with the esports ecosystem. The goal is to deconstruct stereotypes and create inspiring role models for tomorrow.
In France, the esports community is growing rapidly. In 2023, 11.8 million French people aged 15 and over had already played or consumed video games competitively, an increase of 25% compared to 2021 ( France Esport Barometer 2023 ). Diversity is an opportunity for this growing, young and passionate community!
| If you are experiencing online harassment, you should act quickly.
Cyberbullying is punishable by law and resources are available to support you. If you feel concerned, do not hesitate to:
Resources :
In case of emergency:
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