Version1 Game Changers IGL Melanie “meL” Capone has responded to reports she was denied trials with co-ed VALORANT teams, confirming that the stories are true while expressing her disappointment at the reports becoming public.
On Sept. 19, a clip went viral where esports reporter Rod “Slasher” Breslau spoke about meL’s situation to Sean Gares, stating that the 23-year-old had been denied trials with tier one VALORANT teams because a number of male players didn’t want to compete with a woman.
In an elaborate Twitter post on Sept. 19, meL confirmed that she has indeed been denied trials in co-ed teams because of her gender.
“There was at least one situation where I was being considered, but it was soon communicated back to me from a T1 team that a player was not comfortable playing with a woman,” she revealed. “I let it rest and have not spoken about it so as not to risk being viewed as a liability to other teams.”
She also revealed that some co-ed teams “with a handful of talented co-ed rosters” refused to pay a buyout for her, and they had weird reasons as to why. “I was viewed as, and I quote, ‘too valuable of an asset to release this close to partnership selection when I’m so pivotal to my org’s application,’” she said.
MeL admitted she wasn’t happy that this information was made public without her consent, but she didn’t want to be “unfair” to those who also experienced the industry’s worst. Addressing the fact that some fans were refusing to believe that something like this could happen, she said: “I have no choice other than to share this because I see people saying this could never happen, and it’s impossible.”
“I also don’t want to be unfair to a lot of individuals who have experienced something similar and deserve validation,” she continued. “Rather than me taking this opportunity to pretend it didn’t happen now that it’s been shared publicly, albeit without my consent.”
MeL also opened up about the consequences of having such information out in the public, writing: “I just want to play the game and grind to improve with my teammates. It’s so distracting.” With the third series of VCT Game Changers knocking on their doors, this is an unhelpful distraction from her preparation.
The talented player also took the opportunity to show her gratitude for the opportunities she has received so far, and said that despite being denied opportunities, she’ll continue to “focus on improving as an individual and helping my teammates succeed.”
Esports has always been bumpy for women to thrive in, and meL’s experience only cements the belief that this industry, like many others, is equally biased based on gender. While Riot’s efforts can definitely help dissipate this gap by encouraging co-ed rosters in VCT, there’s still a long way to go.
