Weeks away from the VCT Game Changers Series 1 Open Qualifier TSM has signed an all-female roster.
Ahead of International Women’s Month, Riot and Galorants announced their partnership to change the game and set the foundation for the future of females in esports. VALORANT Champions Tour Game Changers is a tournament series designated for all-female rosters and rosters composed of marginalized genders.TSM is joining in on the action, picking up five talented ladies to represent them at VCT Game Changers 1 Series Open Qualifiers. Catherine “Cath” Leroux, Katherine “LunarKats” So, Emily “mle” Peters, Zoe “Zoe” Servais, and Mirna “Athxna” Noureldin have all joined TSM, adding to the growing number of professional female players in VALORANT.
“This team represents the core values of TSM,” said Andy “Reginald” Dinh, founder and CEO of TSM. “We wanted the best players to build out our competitive VALORANT presence - and we found them. Cath is a veteran leader who has shown clear dominance in various matches since 2017. Athxna shows real prowess as an in-game leader, and with the raw skill that LunarKats, mle, and Zoe possess, I see huge potential for this team.”
VCT Game Changers Series 1 Open Qualifiers begin on Mar. 19, and so far, Cloud9 White, Dignitas Female, Main I love Fwogs, Nameless, hellions, Nahps, Moon Raccoons Black, CLG Red, and TSM Female, of course, are all confirmed to play. Just last month, Gen.G and Galorants hosted Proving Grounds, a tournament to seek out the potential hidden talent in the VALORANT community ahead of Game Changers. One of the teams, Main I Love Fwogs, lost their first map in the single-elimination tournament and they were sent home in round 1. Last summer, FTW Summer Showdown was a taste of what the female talent in VALORANT is capable of. Team Majkl signed to Cloud9 as their White roster which competed in First Strike back in December.
More than anything, Riot is working to lay the groundwork for inclusion in VALORANT, developing the female esports scene alongside the “mainstream” scene. Teams like Evil Geniuses are experimenting with mixed rosters, and Game Changers will make it easier for the hidden stars to gain recognition.
