Several top executives are leaving Faze Clan to form Xset, a new esports organization with a focus on being more inclusive. Xset won’t be the first organization to challenge the male-dominated status quo in esports; for example, the first Fortnite team composed entirely of women launched last year.
The lack of diversity in esports is well established, if not always openly discussed. Despite statistics from the ESA showing that 41 percent of U.S. gamers are women, most esports organizations are still made up predominantly of men. Similarly, Black and Latinx players are underrepresented in most esports teams. While the reasons for that are likely a complicated mix of factors, the often sexist and racist environment of competitive gaming is a major barrier to many people entering or staying in the esports community. Then there’s the fact that even when they do get into professional esports, women are paid less than men by a shockingly large margin.
The founders of Xset say they’re trying to fix some of those problems, actively seeking women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community. Xset was started by Wil Eddins, Marco Mereu, Greg Selkoe, and Clinton Sparks. They recently told The New York Times that their organization will focus on diversity and social justice rather than just trying to sign players who already draw the biggest crowds to play the most popular games of the moment. Along with its focus on recruiting a diverse group of players, Xset will support Black Lives Matter, environmental responsibility, and mental health awareness, the latter issue becoming an especially pressing concern in gaming communities recently after multiple high-profile streamers committed suicide within just a few weeks. As far as its diversity goals go, Xset still has a lot of work ahead of it, with only three women on its current roster, which includes Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Valorant players.
Its stated goal of greater inclusivity still sets Xset apart from most other esports organizations, even if it isn’t meeting it from the start. Faze Clan, for instance, gained its first female member and its first deaf member when it signed Ewok last year. The organization has also faced controversy in the past over its exploitative contracts and accusations that it fired its co-owner for publicly going through a troubling mental health episode.
Any attempt to support diversity in esports is as welcome as it is overdue, and Xset’s public support of social justice will hopefully be met with other organizations doing the same. However, it has a lot of work to do to make more than just lip service, starting with its own recruiting.
Source: The New York Times
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