ESWC was the main event for the female scene, it was an event where American and European teams were able to meet and fight each other in a huge, popular LAN event.

After the death of ESWC, a shadow seems to be hanging over female gaming, where the only real ladies tournament left is the online ESL Master series and a couple of local or not very well known tournaments. I got together with Bieke 'bieke' Nijs from PMS Clan Female and Jenny 'passi0n' Johansson from Unfinished Female to talk about how the death of ESWC has affected their gaming, how they are surviving and what could be in store for the future.

So, we all know ESWC was the main event for girl teams and we were all looking forward to it, has the fact that it is now canceled made you and your team a little less interested or less commited to counter-strike?

Bieke: When I heard ESWC was going to be canceled I just wanted to quit, we were playing 5 days a week starting from 18h untill 22h and it all seemed a bit pointless. PMS is a team I really like, my teammates are really motivated and even though there was nothing much to look forward to they convinced me to stay. Our training days went from 5 days to 3 days, until now, ESL started again and since are playing in it decided to train at least 4 days a week again.

So do you reckon the ESL Master Series, even though being online, has more or less replaced your ESWC experience?

Bieke: Well it hasn't replaced my eswc experience, it's one of a kind really but it boosted my motivation which is really something I need.

Has the crash of ESWC made you girls started playing in more mixed tournaments such as the normal ESL 5on5 ladder or such as the SK ladies with ESEA?

Bieke: We are currently playing in the SGL besides that we tried to join the esl ladder but for some reason it just stopped with 1 or 2 matches.

Do you think playing mixed tournaments is an advantage for your team seeing as there is more competition, and generally stronger too?

Bieke: Yes of course, the only way to get stronger is facing stronger enemies.

With girl gamers become stronger through mix tournaments, do you think there might be a chance for them to compete in, lets say, WCG in the future as a chance to represent their country? or is that too far fetched?

Bieke: I think it's a bit too far fetched.. honestly I just think, like many people, girls should stop the whole "female gaming" scene and just play with guys and girls they like to play with.. Why can't a team be mixed? Finding 5 good girls who like each other is already a tough quest but then those 5 have to be good too and willing to put a lot of their free time in it AND from one country...

Its impossible for a country like Belgium for instance, I know it sounds a bit hypocritical since I'm playing in this scene myself but I just like it and you'll never hear me say that we will be as good as guys.

Do you think the end of ESWC has demotivated your team?

passi0n: In a way it has since we were praccing really hard for ESWC but we love playing together and that's enough motivation for us.

So apart from, back then, ESWC, what other LANs do you have in mind to attend?

passi0n: We don't know yet but I guess we will attend some lans in the autumn even though there is no female tournaments.

So you're in favor of mixed events?

passi0n: Of course it's fun to play female tournaments because then you can measure yourself with other female teams but I have no problem with playing in male tournaments.

As you may have heard, ESWC might have found a buyer, are you hoping that perhaps a miracle resurection might bring back a female tournament?

passi0n: We're definitely hoping for a return of ESWC because I'm afraid that many clans will shut down if there aren't any female LAN tournaments.

Indeed, it also seems that with ESWC gone, the bridge between European female gamers and American female gamers has closed, is that something you've also noticed or do you get to play against American teams now and then?

passi0n: That's true. We can't play vs American teams etc because of the ping and that's sad because it's hard to know how on which level you are if you can't play matches versus all the good teams.

ESWC were good times for both male and female participants, I however, believe and hope that it will remain solely a memory. If ESWC was to re-open its doors, the chances of it living up to ESWC's previous reputation are low, and I would hate to think that it would ruin the joyful memories.

However, on the up side, this has pushed female gamers to search for new things and "mix in" with other male-orientated events which inevitably will provide them with a handful of new , higher skilled, opponents. Hopefully this will also give the girls the needed drive to continue playing the game and increase their skill to their maximum potential, giving a new face to "female gamers" and scrapping away the old saying "girls are noobs".