In the past decade, esports has become a central emerging form of game-based business and entertainment, and it’s expected to reach a global value of 5.48 billion U.S. dollars in 2029 and an audience of over 640 million viewers in 2025. As esports is gaining economic, cultural, and societal impact, it is becoming increasingly important to examine this phenomenon from the perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This talk will address what DEI means and how it matters in esports – from existing barriers to potential solutions.
Usva Friman is a game culture researcher whose work is focused on the themes of equity, cultural participation, and cultural agency in digital gaming and esports, particularly from the perspective of women and other marginalised participants. She is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies and Game Research Lab at Tampere University.