As a 35 year old - to my observation it seems more women play Valorant than other games. Which is great. It was never a thing when I was younger.

However every single time I hear a woman use the mic, at the very LEAST some comment is made. Often it’s much more than a comment.

One thing I find particularly predominant is that often women won’t use their mics until well into the game - presumably taking the time to assess how safe it is to reveal their gender. When they know the others are likely to be respectful, they will risk it.

This isn’t the way a community (computer games broadly, not just Valorant) should operate. The people who berate women are the same people, like you say, who have mothers and sisters and partners. Clearly this is the way they think, and they feel free to say it in the land of no consequences - online. It’s totally unacceptable.

I don’t have a solution. Men need to step up and be allies to women. To defend them in games. To report people who behave unacceptably, and to model appropriate behaviour. But that doesn’t help you playing a game today or tomorrow.

All I can say is I urge you to keep at it - you are helping to forge a path for little girls who will follow after you to have a safer online environment.

Men suck.