TL;DR
- Cloud9 signed MAJKL, an all-female Valorant team that won Spectator Gaming’s tournament
- The team will compete in mainstream tournaments alongside male rosters
- Cloud9 plans eventual player integration between their Blue and White teams
- AT&T sponsors Cloud9 White as part of their gender equality initiatives
- Riot Games is praised for early inclusion of women in Valorant competition
Cloud9 has made esports history by signing a groundbreaking all-female Valorant roster. This strategic move represents a significant step toward gender inclusivity in professional gaming.
While maintaining two existing Valorant lineups, the organization acquired MAJKL, the championship-winning team from Spectator Gaming’s all-women Valorant tournament. The newly signed squad will compete under the banner Cloud9 White, while their established roster transitions to the Cloud9 Blue identity.
Who run the World?
We are excited to announce alongside @ATT our newest @PlayVALORANT roster who’s ready to take over. Please welcome #C9WHITE to the C9 family! #C9WIN
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— Cloud9 (@Cloud9) October 25, 2020
While women’s teams have existed in esports previously, Cloud9’s approach marks a revolutionary departure. Senior general manager Gaylen Malone confirmed Cloud9 White will participate in mainstream Valorant competitions directly against all-male squads. This represents a monumental advancement for female representation in competitive gaming.
Counter Logic Gaming veteran Stephanie “missharvey” Harvey articulated the limitations of segregated competitions in her WIN.gg interview, describing women-only tournaments as temporary solutions while advocating for integrated competition as the ultimate objective.
Alongside both Cloud9 Blue and Cloud9 White, the organization maintains a Korean roster designated Cloud9 Korea. All three teams share the common goal of qualifying for First Strike, Valorant’s inaugural official championship event.
Cloud9 exec discusses plans for women’s Valorant roster
Malone revealed Cloud9’s strategic blueprint draws inspiration from early Korean League of Legends organizational models. During 2010, Korean esports entities frequently maintained ten-player rosters divided between two competitive lineups.
These parallel squads would regularly scrimmage against each other, occasionally swapping players between teams to optimize performance and development.
“While immediate weekly player exchanges aren’t anticipated, I fully expect Cloud9 Blue’s coaching staff to eventually consider integrating select players from Cloud9 White into their primary roster,” Malone elaborated regarding long-term planning.
Malone emphasized that signing MAJKL transcended mere gender representation. The team had already established competitive cohesion and demonstrated tournament success. Recognized as elite within women’s competition, they now pursue global Valorant dominance.
“When assembling this talented group, I believed we could accomplish unprecedented achievements. Our ambition targets competition at the absolute highest competitive tier,” stated in-game leader Melanie “Mel” Capone regarding team objectives.
The roster expressed confidence in their previous tournament victory while eagerly anticipating challenges against the world’s premier Valorant organizations.
The squad’s exceptional talent attracted AT&T’s attention, resulting in a swift partnership agreement. Shizuka Suzuki, head of sponsorship and experiential marketing, explained their corporate mission to advance women in gaming. Their commitment extends to Unlocked Games, a developer-focused gender equality program.
“We maintain profound dedication to gender equity across all sponsorship initiatives,” Suzuki informed Esports Observer regarding their strategic philosophy.
AT&T envisions Cloud9 White establishing pathways for additional female teams entering professional esports. Malone observed similar inclusive efforts emerging throughout the broader Valorant competitive landscape.
“Riot Games implemented early competitive framework decisions to include female participants while ensuring adequate support infrastructure. Other game publishers could replicate this success through comparable resource allocation and deliberate inclusion strategies,” Malone concluded regarding industry-wide implications.
Action Checklist
- Research successful multi-roster models from Korean esports history
- Analyze tournament structures for gender-inclusive opportunities
- Develop player integration pathways between competitive rosters
- Establish corporate partnership criteria aligned with diversity objectives
- Create support systems for underrepresented players in mainstream competitions
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Cloud9 signs all-woman Valorant team, its third Valorant roster Cloud9's groundbreaking all-female Valorant team aims to compete at the highest level of professional esports