Some people assume that a women-only tournament is about excluding men. Or that women are limiting themselves by only competing with each other. This cannot be further from the truth.

Friendly competition brings out the best in us. Having a rival to compete with, and also to encourage you, is incredibly beneficial in all aspects of life. Instead of aimlessly picking songs to play, playing the same songs over and over, or staying within your own comfort zone won’t improve your game. Sometimes, having a competition is a great reason to play things you’ve never tried before. It’s a reason to aim higher and push your own limits.

Women could enter any competition and have the benefits of competition. So why have a women’s tournament when they could simply enter anything?
The truth is that an “all are welcome” sign doesn’t make everyone feel welcome. Yes, women could enter any other online or in-person tournament. But, many don’t. The reasons for this are going to be different for each person. But, it’s clear that the competitive scene for some games isn’t very friendly towards women. Whether it’s a subconscious feeling of not belonging in that space, a bad encounter with someone in the past, or the feeling that they’d never do well, something is holding them back.

With the appearance Valkyrie Dimension, suddenly we have women from all over the world competing together. When the invitation is more specific, the more people join. Some women feel more comfortable in this environment. Some are fine going to any in-person tournament and competing. Everyone is different, and that’s ok.

Well, aren’t you limiting yourselves by only competing in your bubble?
For many, Valkyrie Dimension was their first tournament experience ever. For some, it might be the only tournament they ever compete in. For others, it sparked their interest in competitive play. If the women participating in Valkyrie Dimension also compete in other tournaments, then that is wonderful and certainly encouraged. If they don’t want to branch out, then that’s ok too. At the end of the day, this is a video game. It’s meant for enjoyment. If someone is only comfortable competing in women’s tournaments, that’s perfectly fine.

We are starting to see a rise in the number of women entering large, in-person tournaments. Many participants do decide that they love the community and competing, and decide to enter other things.