Being a Female Gamer on CSGO

Being a female in the PC gaming community is an interesting experience, especially when it's in very male centred games such as CSGO. I have been playing CSGO for nearly two years. Around my college and later uni days, it is the game that I usually play in the evenings. But I usually face similar responses when I enter a game:

"Are you a girl?", "Wow is that a girl?", "Marry me!", "Oh we're f***ed, we have a girl."

These are common responses I receive when I say, "Hello team" after warmup has ended. It's rather unfortunate because I am treated differently within a game just because of my gender. Don't mistake this as a post claiming that women are oppressed through games. To be honest, I have received positive discrimination through games multiple times. Numerous times I am guarded, dropped whatever weapons I want and teammates easily forgive mistakes made. I know a lot of female gamers don't have this experience. I have been kicked at the beginning of games just because my team noticed my gender. So which is it? Is it sexist in a discriminatory way or is it trying to encourage more female player?

Well, it all depends on who you end up with through matchmaking. The community varies too much to determine whether or not is one or the other. Unfortunately, CSGO is a very male-dominated game. Having a girl in a game is like finding Atlantis and having more than one is like finding a unicorn. I remember my first game with another girl. I was being quiet and at first, I thought it was another 12-year-old. It wasn't until a teammate asked if they were a girl that she said very reluctantly, "Yes I am a girl, gril, however you want to say it." From that point, I pretty much freaked out, cause I suddenly noticed how every guy I had played with had felt. It's an odd feeling being excited that there is another one of you gender there.

For things to change in games such as CSGO, more girls need to get involved in the game. Unfortunately, many girls are put off by the community and studies show that girls are more likely to play games like RPGs rather than FPSs. This is what many new female players to the CSGO gaming community needs to remember before they claim sexism and straight up discrimination.

All experiences differ. Mine has been very mixed. I encourage more to share their personal experiences on the matter. Whether it is another girl's experience or guys meeting girls in game. Please share.