TNC: reviving the female Dota 2 scene, making jobs for girl gamers

TNC Pro Team, winners of last month’s TI7 SEA Qualifier, are creating their first all-female Dota 2 team. The official TNC Pro Team Twitter account shared the news just three days before the audition yesterday. Results have not yet been made public, but be on the lookout. I’m sure to have a word on that when the time comes because the implication this has for the female Dota 2 scene are great. For now, let’s focus on the new jobs for girl gamers. Five professional opportunities are open

What does TNC’s move do for the female Dota 2 scene?

Signing an all-ladies team adds life to a scene that’s arguably dead at the moment. Thus, I see the move as a revival attempt and I love it. I love all-things “girl gamer” because the esports community (in this case meaning individuals chosen to become professionals) leans heavily towards men across all games. There are many reasons for this, but correct me if I’m wrong — @SheenSah.

Best of all, the move comes at a great time. TNC, arguably responsible for Team Faceless disbanding, are the leaders of Southeast Asia in-game; signing an all-female roster hints at their desire to be a leader of SEA from a much larger, macro perspective.

Of course, the ball falls into the court of other top teams.

If other teams (particularly the other 17 TI7 participants) decide not to provide TNC with competition, the female Dota 2 scene will suffer long term. The audition adds hype to the female Dota 2 scene at a time when more eyes will be on the game than ever. The International is the biggest tournament in esports, particularly from the perspective of player earnings. I applaud TNC Pro Team for encouraging other teams to do the same. After which, Valve becomes incentivized to host majors and the mission is complete.

With League of Legends viewership down and its NA playerbase shrinking relative to Europe, Korea, etc., now is the time for Dota 2 to steal some spotlight. I encourage all ladies of Dota 2 to put in some extra practice. Get out there on Twitch, and show what you’re made of because big organizations will be watching. It’s only a matter of time until other teams with previous experience in the female Dota 2 scene look to recreate jobs for girl gamers. Virtus.pro, LGD Gaming, Newbee, and Na’Vi have each done it before. Prepare yourselves to go pro.

Thanks for reading. Find me on Twitter. Share your thoughts. Disagree? Agree? #LetsTalkDota has daily topics to tweet about. Connect with the author. While you do that, check out TNC’s male team below.