A Critical Review of Esports and Music From a Gender Perspective

Abstract

The role of women in Esports has been discussed in recent years regarding their underrepresentation (e.g. Darvin et al., 2021), consumption and involvement in different games (e.g. Yu et al., 2022), and their experiences in the industry (e.g. Rogstad, 2021). On the contrary, gender studies in music count with literature ranging from diverse genres and history periods (e.g. Hawkins, 2020). Nevertheless, the convergence of both industries has not yet been explored through gender-calibrated lenses, despite the issues that can be raised by popular music artists involved in esports by-products. This chapter opens a field for creating bridges between both industries. It specifically examines the role of female and feminised characters in League of Legends and how they are communicated through musical means. It specifically reviews bands K/DA and True Damage, which count with female game character components, and contrasts them with the perceived representation of women among users.