Warning: Please be aware this entry contains upsetting and harmful language.
The gaming world today is male dominated and in the UK, women face unique levels of misogynistic abuse whilst playing online.
Sky Broadband believes that everyone should be free to enjoy gaming, yet 3 out of 4 women under 25 experience abuse every day whilst gaming online.
Daily abuse like: “Kill yourself. Honestly, go kill yourself.” And: “Nobody would care if you died tomorrow.”
With Sky Broadband, official sponsor of Guild Esports, we were determined to do something about it.
Sky Broadband and Guild invited men to train in a new immersive gaming room at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre in Shoreditch. They experienced first-hand the abusive language women gamers experience whilst gaming online every day.
The campaign reached 8.9 million mid and hardcore gamers with 84% of gamers considering the activation authentic. The activity proved hugely successful with a strong combination of engagement with the campaign video and the interest to click through to find out more. Sky YouTube gained +1K new subscribers : +3% women; 56% under 35 and 57% male.
As part of one of the mutual commitments of our partnership, Guild has since hosted a series of events with Sky Broadband creating a safe place for women in gaming. This includes ‘The Lobby Live’, a fortnightly networking initiative for women gamers and their allies plus a women’s only Rocket League tournament, Boost Championship.
Together, we can put a stop to online abuse.