- Women are embracing professional gaming scenes around the world today, consistently impressing fans on a global stage in all-female and mixed-gender tournaments.
- Sasha Hostyn currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest lifetime earnings by a female esports player.
- Rumay Wang is a full-time professional World of Warcraft and Hearthstone streamer.
- Nina Qual, formerly puCK, is a StarCraft II professional player.
- Ricki Ortiz is a transgender American woman who has worked in the fighting game industry since 2003.
While men still dominate gaming, it is no longer the man’s world it once was. Women are embracing professional gaming scenes around the world today, consistently impressing fans on a global stage in all-female and mixed-gender tournaments. From Joe Fortune’s jackpot slots to competitive video games like Fortnite and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, these female players have tried it all.
Table of Contents
Hostyn, Sasha (Scarlett)
Sasha Hostyn currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest lifetime earnings by a female esports player.
Her total lifetime earnings exceed $400,000, according to Esports Earnings, the same website that Guinness used to validate her record.
Hostyn is also a member of Canada’s Shopify Rebellion and primarily competes in StarCraft II, where he is a formidable Zerg force.
Xiaomeng Li (Liooon) rose to prominence in 2019 as the first female to win the Hearthstone Global Championship and the first female to receive a trophy at BlizzCon.
Li is Chinese and has earned over $240,000 in esports.
Following her BlizzCon victory, Xiaomen Li urged all female esports players to believe in themselves and disregard gender concerns. She is a truly inspiring female player to watch.
Gunn, Katherine (Mystik)
Prior to Sasha Hostyn’s reign, Katherine Gunn was the highest-paid female gamer.
She won the World Game Championships Ultimate Gamer Season 2 competition, a reality television show in which 12 gamers compete in various competitive games.
Gunn also worked as a cosplayer and video content developer for Team Envy and professionally played Dead or Alive.
She now streams on Twitch full-time and has earned more than $122,000 in esports.
Rumay Wang
Rumay Wang is a full-time professional World of Warcraft and Hearthstone streamer.
Rumay was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Gaming personalities in 2020, with her total earnings from esports exceeding $100,000.
Nina Qual’s (Nina)
Nina Qual, formerly puCK, is a StarCraft II professional player.
She’s made an incredible $86,000 in competitive gaming and has openly discussed what it’s like to be a transgender esports athlete.
Qual has competed in a number of North American tournaments and remains active on the scene and on Twitter.
Ortiz, Ricki Sophie (Ricki Ortiz)
Ricki Ortiz is a transgender American woman who has worked in the fighting game industry since 2003.
Ortiz rose to prominence in 2003, when she finished second in the Evolution Championship Series 2003 (Marvel versus Capcom 2) in Pomona, California, after competing in 61 events.
Ortiz has a long history of finishing second and first in fighting game competitions.
She finally broke through in 2016 when she finished second to fellow American NuckleDu in the Capcom Cup, earning her largest monetary reward.
Bartell, Marjorie (Kasumi Chan)
Kasumi Chan is the first of America’s ‘Big Three’ female gamers.
In San Francisco, California, Chan finished second in the Championship Gaming Invitational 2006 (Dead or Alive 4).
She was defeated by fellow American ‘Master,’ but she turned the tables in 2007 when she won the Championship Gaming Series Season (Dead or Alive 4) in Culver City, California, as part of the team ‘Chicago Chimera with Black Mamba.
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Mrs. Sarah Harrison (Sarah Lou)
Sarah Lou is a British professional female gamer who specializes in fighting games.
Sarah made her $50,000 fortune in a single event, unlike the other female video game players on this list.
Yes, another GLHuiHui scenario is in which a professional female player wins money in a tournament but is unable to compete globally.
The female British player competed in the 2008 Championship Gaming Series Season (Dead or Alive 4) as part of the squad ‘Birmingham Salvo,’ finishing first with fellow Brit, Messy.
Her absence from the esports scene in recent years has perplexed many, but she will not be forgotten as one of the world’s most prolific female action game players.
Elena Klyuenko (Vilga)
Ksenia Klyuenko is Russia’s top female video game player.
Vilga, like many other Russian female gamers, found her niche in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where she has won first place in 17 events since 2015.
That demonstrates her dedication and hard work.
Her most notable victory was in the Female category of the World Electronic Sports Games 2017 (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) in March 2018.
During the competition, Vilga won first place and a sizable prize pool alongside the Russian female pro gamers on team Russian Forces.
Rose, Janet ( Xchocobars)
Janet Rose, another Canadian esports player, has dabbled in everything from Teamfight Tactics to Fortnite.
Rose has won over $53,000 in her career, with her most notable accomplishment coming in 2019 when she won the Twitch Rivals League of Legends tournament.
Janet’s largest single payout came in week 6 of the Fortnite Fall Skirmish Series when she finished 15th and received $13,750.
Janet still streams her content on Twitch and has a sizable Twitter following of nearly 500,000 followers.
