XSET Player Opens Up About Hate in the VALORANT Community
XSET player Bob recently spoke out about the hate that she and her team have been receiving from the VALORANT community. This hate started after they played with substitute player Soto, who recently came out as non-binary, in a co-ed tournament.
In a tweet from June 29, Bob expressed the backlash they faced after the match with Soto. She wrote, “This scene has never been a safe space for me. This type of hatred I do not align with, and it’s just one of many factors that pushes me further from wanting to be associated with this community.”
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Soto joined XSET as a last-minute substitute player to compete in the amateur co-ed tournament, Knights. This tournament was outside of the Game Changers circuit.
However, Soto faced criticism as some fans claimed that they shouldn’t be considered from a marginalized gender and shouldn’t have joined the female team XSET. This misinformation was spread about the tournament they played in, and the fact that they used playing with XSET to announce their non-binary identity.
The controversy seemed to backfire on both Soto and Bob. Bob, a transgender player, has been repeatedly targeted by transphobic comments since she started competing in the Game Changers circuit in 2021.
The VCT Game Changers circuit aims to create new opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders, including non-binary individuals and transgender women. However, these individuals are often targeted with hate from the community, making it difficult for the circuit to become a safe space for them, as Bob pointed out.
“I believe that a lot of the community are not genuinely inclusive of non-cis-women,” she wrote, “and are happy to consistently shut down people who open up about their identity and assume the worst about their intentions.”
XSET, VALORANT, community, hate, substitute player, non-binary, co-ed tournament, Game Changers circuit, backlash, safe space, transgender, transphobic comments, marginalized genders.