The #E-Too Movement: Fighting Back Against Sexual Harassment in Electronic Sports

Abstract

Competitive video gaming or esports has captured the attention of hundreds of millions of people across the globe. With that attention has come billions of dollars worth of investment and promotion. But, it has also exposed an underlying toxic environment that features widespread sexual and gender harassment. This pervasive culture of harassment threatens to derail the esports industry, and mars the promise of gender equity in one of the few competitive “sports” where physical strength, agility and body size do not dictate success. In this Article we examine the rise of competitive gaming, and provide an in-depth analysis of the pervasive issue of harassment that permeates esports. We then propose a series of tangible reforms that would hold harassers and their corporate accomplices accountable for their harassing behavior.

Keywords: esports, harassment, sports law, gaming

JEL Classification: K00, K23, K31, K3, Z1, Z2, Z21, Z22, J4, J47, J48, J5, J51, J58, J8, J83, J88, I00, I1, I2, I3, J00