Europe, Middle East, and Africa VALORANT Game Changers Tournament Excludes Certain Genders
According to sources familiar with the organization of the tournament, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa VALORANT Game Changers tournament will not allow certain marginalized genders, including non-binary individuals, to compete. However, transgender women will still be able to participate in the event. This differs from the North American version of the tournament, which includes all marginalized genders.
The Rulebook and the Decision
In the rulebook for the EMEA Game Changers tournament, it states that all players on a team’s roster must be women players, excluding non-binary, genderqueer, agender, and bigender individuals. This decision was made for legal and safety reasons, possibly due to anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the countries where the VALORANT competitors reside.
Restrictive Laws
The countries of Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, whose residents are eligible to compete in the EMEA Game Changers events, have laws that punish transgender and other LGBTQ+ individuals. These laws prohibit dressing or imitating the opposite sex and can result in fines, imprisonment, or even physical punishments like beatings or chemical castrations.
Tournament Details and Riot’s Program
The EMEA Game Changers events will take place over a three-month period, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, Oct. 25 to 31, and Nov. 15 to 21. Notably, the Oct. 25 to 31 event will feature both men and women competing. Riot’s initial post introducing the VCT Game Changers program mentioned creating opportunities and exposure for women and other marginalized genders within VALORANT esports, but did not indicate different rules for each region.
The wording in the EMEA Game Changers posts has been specific, emphasizing inclusivity and creating safe opportunities for women to compete without fear of harassment based on identity or gender. Marginalized genders, as defined by Women for Political Change, include transgender women, cisgender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, and all gender identities that have been historically oppressed by those in power.
Riot has been expanding VALORANT in the MENA region with initiatives like a data center in Bahrain and a local office in Dubai. However, the company has faced criticism in the past for its ties to Saudi Arabia, leading to the termination of a partnership with NEOM in response to the country’s LGBTQ+ laws and punishments.
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