Image source: Female Agent Skins (si.com)
Esports is typically considered to be a male-specific industry. Indeed, until relatively recently it was hard for people to imagine women getting involved at all, much less playing any kind of significant role.
But this is all changing quickly. And particularly with regard to CS2, where they are plowing ahead full-steam. This is having an interesting impact on various aspects of the game, including the skin market and CS2 trading.
What is CS2?
For those who aren’t familiar with it, we should first of all start off by explaining what CS2 is. Counter-Strike 2 is a tactical first-person shooter game that was released in 2023 and is free to play. It is rapidly becoming the most popular game in the entire esports world. In fact, by 2024 it had already taken over 60% of the market.
Why so few women?
If you think about the fundamental nature of esports, it is pretty easy to see why they have typically been seen as a male-exclusive realm. Shooting games in general have never been considered to be particularly feminine. But times are a-changin, and more and more powerhouse female players are quickly blowing these stereotypes out of the water.
The fact is, women have always been just as competitive as men. They have simply not been allowed to take part in many competitive activities over the years because laws and social norms have prohibited them from doing so. But as in other areas, women have eventually broken their way in. Studies with female players have shown that women have suffered from harassment from male players, and have historically suffered from lack of support in the gaming community.
Image source: Pley.gg, "Imperial Fe Overview" (pley.gg)
Big names are making a big difference
Several star players are taking the lead in changing the norms. Take a look at ANa, for example. Romanian superstar Ana Dumbrava, better known by her player name ANa, has taken the Counter Strike world by storm. Although still a university student in her hometown of Iasi, ANa recently earned her third consecutive title as Best Counter-Strike Player in the World” with her team, Imperial Fe. Indeed, even male players have been humbled and forced to bow before her greatness.
31-year-old Swedish superstar Julia Kiran (otherwise known as “Juliano”) has also proven her worth many times over. As the in-game leader for Eco Warriors, she has led her teams to numerous successive victories in recent years and become an idol for many around the world.
We could go on and on. The fact is, the girls are hitting the scene hard, and anyone who has doubts had better think again.
Impact on skins
The popularity of the game has had a major impact on the skins that are associated with the game. When certain teams start to dominate the game, the prices of the skins they use tends to go up sharply. There could be different reasons for the increase in skin prices, including:
A connection to a star player. If ANa, for example, uses a particular skin, that skin will almost immediately gain popularity worldwide. And its value will increase manifold.
Limited-edition items. With every tournament, there are limited-edition stickers and capsules for each team. Fans rush to collect these items as fast as possible as they tend to run out very quickly. For teams like Imperial and Eco Warriors, this has amounted to a lot of fanfare.
Particular matches. There are certain games that have earned worldwide renown simply because they were so memorable. For example, earlier this year Imperial Fe set a new record for the highest number of viewers ever in their match against NAVI. With over 400,000 viewers, this made their skins invaluable for fans.
How does the skin trade work?
There are particular methods that fans use to decide how to trade skins following a major tournament and overall. The timing is critical, and people generally watch for certain things. Which girls and teams are on the rise leading up to a major tournament is important. In this case, fans sometimes buy right before the tournament as they know prices will quickly increase afterwards.
People also have to think critically about how long they should hold onto skins before they trade again. While it could be the case that a particular player or team will become legendary, this isn’t given. And as we are still in the early stages of CS2 for women, these standards are still being established.
The future is bright
Again, we are only just beginning to see what the world has to offer in CS2 for women, and in female esports in general. If the current trends continue, there is no telling how far it can go. Yet another glass ceiling broken for the ladies.