• ALDI will continue its support for the project for the second consecutive year, alongside official partner Crédit Agricole as to mark their commitment to propelling female esports players to new competitive heights.
  • Team Vitality presents its powerful lineup for the 2024 circuit, Rising Bees, evolving its French Bees into Rising Bees, to give them a more international dimension, in line with the club’s ambitions.
  • The Rising Bees will see the arrival of four up-and-coming players who will join the ADC Velouria “Viki” Baty.

Paris, January 4th, 2023 – Leading global esports organisation Team Vitality and its partners ALDI and Crédit Agricole, is proud to present its formidable lineup for the 2024 women’s circuit. Faithful to its mission, Team Vitality showcases once again its dedication to the development of talents in the esports scene and its commitment to the growth of the women’s scene in France and internationally.

Team Vitality’s all-female League of Legends roster, formerly known as the French Bees, has evolved into the Rising Bees and now stands as a powerful embodiment of the organisation’s unwavering commitment to women’s esports. The ‘rise’ concept not only signifies continuous improvement but serves as a beacon of empowerment, breaking barriers for female gamers. With a new international roster, the Rising Bees cultivates and provides a platform for diverse talent across Europe. Rooted in Paris, Team Vitality brand embodies the French spirit, intertwining with the vibrant esports culture in the country’s capital city. The Vitality Rising Bees will engage with the community, sharing their goals and challenges, and building meaningful relationships with fans through digital and physical activations and events. Beyond the realm of esports, the Rising Bees will challenge stereotypes and contribute to broader societal change, all while proudly representing the ethos of Team Vitality.

A NEW COMPETITIVE DIMENSION FOR TEAM VITALITY RISING BEES

In 2024, Team Vitality has set ambitious goals for all its League of Legends teams. The club is committed to developing the unique strengths of each of its players while cultivating a dynamic, inclusive and highly competitive environment.

Staying on for the Rising Bees, is ADC Velouria “Viki” Baty who brings a wealth of experience in leading and uniting her team even in the toughest matches. The team will see the arrival of four new upcoming players with both fire power, incredible talent and international dimension.

  • Madison “CrowMac” Coutelet, Toplaner – 29 years old – France: an experienced French player who has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. She is able to leverage their advantages to break through a solid defence and is known for her unyielding resistance and split-push dominance. She showed her great strategic skills upon joining BIG Chroma by helping them qualify for the Equal eSports Cup 2023 finals.
  • Agnė “Karina” Ivaškevičiūtė, Jungler – 23 years old -Lithuania: the Lithuanian jungler has an aggressive but measured playstyle who knows how to orchestrate smooth rotations between objectives and ganks, demonstrating exceptional decision-making under pressure. With her impressive track record, including the recent Coupe des étoiles championship with Team GO Aurora, Karina is currently the best jungler on the European scene.
  • Alena “Tifa” Maurer, Mid-laner – 30 years old – Germany: a seasoned German player also from G2 Hel, Alena brings unparalleled experience and winning mentality to the Rising Bess roster. Tifa is determined to chase victory utilising her unrivalled map knowledge and shot-calling. She has a collaborative synergy with Karina developed during their time at G2 Hel.
  • Victoria “Indifferent” de la Torre Serna, Support – 25 years old – Spain: hailing from Spain, the dynamic support player Indifferent joins Team Vitality as the support after cultivating a strong team dynamic to KOI Amethyst. Considered one of the best supports in Europe, Indifferent brings her fiery and aggressive style, while having impeccable control of the vision of the game, capable of disrupting the course of a match.

The team will be coached by the same staff of 2023:

  • Valentin “OneForOne” Ho-Coui-Youn – Coach
  • Olivier “NephaleM” Morizet – Team Manager

Together, the Rising Bees aim to reach the top 3 of the women’s scene. And to prove that they can dominate the mixed scene of the Mastercard Nexus Tour (MNT). Thanks to a new team composition, this new roster should reach the top.

“I thank the French Bees, our first generation of players, for having put in place the solid foundations of this team. We wish them the best in their new adventures and to be able to live from their passions as long as possible. From now on, we are entering this second phase with the Rising Bees: more international, more competitive. We managed to find original, combative and complementary profiles. We can’t wait for the first competitions to begin!” explains Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality.

CONTINUING TO CREATE PLACES FOR WOMEN IN ESPORTS WITH PARTNERS ALDI AND CRÉDIT AGRICOLE

As a leading esports club in France and internationally, Team Vitality will contribute to the development of diversity in esports. More than 50% of gamers in France today are women gamers, while there are only 6% of female players in esports. This is why Team Vitality is proud to continue developing its Rising Bees team with the support of its loyal partners.

ALDI closer than ever to support the women’s scene

Since 2021, ALDI with Team Vitality have been committed to supporting the esports scene. A true pioneer in helping to develop the French women’s scene, ALDI is committed for a second consecutive year alongside Team Vitality as a major partner of the Rising Bees. ALDI will support the team throughout the year and highlight the players through a series of content. Their logo will feature on the shoulders of the Rising Bees jersey.

This comes as part of ALDI’s goals to fight against its prejudices in gaming and esports with the launch of the ‘Place aux nouvelles gameuses’ program in 2023. Since then, the brand has been keen to demonstrate the means, strengthen awareness and training of players in order to support them in their development of skills. Through multiple activations with the partnership with Women In Gaming France, the ultimate goal for Team Vitality and its partners is to double the number of women and non-binary people in the industry in 10 years.

“The international evolution of the Rising Bees women’s team, marks a new phase in our commitment to gender diversity in esports. With this added dimension, the team will showcase the competitiveness of women in esports and, more broadly, in the gaming scene. We are convinced that every individual, regardless of gender, age, or status, has a place in this industry. To promote gender equality and combat biases within this industry, ALDI launched the “Place aux nouvelles gameuses” (Make way for gamers) program last year. As a popular past time for younger generations, esports can also contribute to progressing towards greater parity in society, and we are committed to supporting this movement!” – explains Anne-Marie Gaultier, Director of Marketing and Communication at ALDI France.

Crédit Agricole, supporting young people in their practice of esports

Crédit Agricole joined Team Vitality in 2022 to continue its support of young people by positioning itself as close as possible to their passion, on a digital and human level, which unites and gives a place to everyone. Two years later, Crédit Agricole became an Official Partner of the Rising Bees. The values ​​of equal opportunities and inclusion are an integral part of Crédit Agricole’s DNA.

It was therefore natural for them to support this women’s team and thus allow it to continue to have access to the same premium resources and structures of the club, including the Parisian premises (V.Hive) and the Stade de France (V .Performance) than the men’s teams. To illustrate this alliance, the Crédit Agricole logo will be present on the left sleeve of the Rising Bees 2024 jersey.

“While supporting the Rising Bees 2024 team, Crédit Agricole aims to enhance its involvement in the esports scene and its commitment to gender diversity and the promotion of inclusivity” – stated Irène Bloch, Head of Sponsorship and Partnerships for Crédit Agricole.