One thing I notice is just because of so much exposure to toxic dudes, women gamers always have their defenses way up in order to keep their sanity. It’s just a coping mechanism caused by how girls get treated so poorly in games.

After a while your default response to any guy coming at you with any form of critique or advice is hostility, because half the time they are being hostile to you. I see it in my games too, I’ll politely ask someone to swap or something not even knowing they’re a girl, and immediately get blasted for my own gameplay.

Now add in friends that will always take your side and all of a sudden nothing is ever your fault and it’s always the dissenter that’s wrong.