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New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
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A new study by Currys PC World investigating diversity in the gaming industry has found that, while the representation of race, gender and disabilities has improved in games since the nineties, there is still a distinct bias in favour of the young, white, straight male.
Using a bespoke scoring system (please see methodology for breakdown), they analysed games that have made a mark at E3 and The Game Awards over the last 20 years. Games were awarded points for: female characters in prominent positions; for exploring LGBTQ+ plot points or themes; for mixed race characters prominently placed in the story; and for disabled characters or references. Their key findings are below:
Ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in games, but things are (slowly) improving
Despite efforts being made in recent years to improve the ethnic diversity of characters in games, an analysis of all games nominated for a Game Award from 2003 to 2018 unearthed that black and ethnic minorities are still severely underrepresented.
While RPGs (role-playing games) sometimes offer a choice of playable characters, their default characters are often white. When other ethnicities are represented, it’s also common for them to be type-cast.
“The diversity that is applied to white characters is something that is often missing when other races are depicted in games.” Adam Campbell, co-founder of POC in Play. “Representation still feels incomplete and inconsistent. We’re still also hard pushed to find those protagonists that are not the stereotypical Indiana Jones or the tough, bald, male type, so ‘diversity’ is the exception rather than the rule.”
· Proper ethnic diversity is still lacking. Only 3% of Game Award nominees (2003-2018) have featured a person of colour as a default protagonist.
· Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Walking Dead are the only games where a playable person of colour is baked into the story from start to finish.
· Fallout 4 doesn’t feature a specific character on the cover, but the player creator screen serves a generic white male/female face as the first thing you see.
· Canada is by far the best at getting representation right. Edmonton’s Bioware has put an emphasis on freedom of choice of character, and Ubisoft Montreal consistently tells diverse stories (e.g. Assassin’s Creed).
Representation of women in games is on the rise, yet the characters are often hyper-sexualised
With as many as 42% of gamers in the UK being female (and that number rising to 52% in France[1]) it only makes sense that women are represented equally in games. This doesn’t appear to be the case, however. While the last decade has seen a 189% increase in games featuring playable female characters, fewer than a third of game covers feature a woman in a prominent position. When women are featured, they’re often sexualised. For example, the cover of San Andreas sports a blonde-haired woman in a come-hither pose.
“Female characters have historically been hyper-sexualised for the male gaze in gaming,” says Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers. “You can observe this with the various representations of Lara Croft. I do not believe there is an inherent problem with women being viewed as sexy. However, when it is the only version of women shown, it strips us of our depth and limits us to serving as purely visual objects. Still, there are more and more holistic and nuanced female characters appearing within games.”
· Game covers continue to put men first. Only 11% of covers have women as the focal point, or with a share of the focus.
· From 2012 onwards, diversity has markedly improved. The Walking Dead release that year starred a black man (Lee) and a young mixed-race girl (Clementine) and was a critical and commercial hit.
The notion that people with disabilities need to be “fixed” is rife in the gaming industry
On the rare occasions that disabilities are represented in games, they are more likely to be physical ailments than mental. Mental health has only been tackled in the last few years as awareness rises. Plus, characters with a physical disability are often “fixed”.
Accessibility expert Ian Hamilton says: “This notion that people with disabilities are broken and need to be fixed – a concept known as the medical model of disability – was rejected and abandoned in the 1970s, yet still persists in media and in games, often through the trope of medical conditions being replaced by superhuman powers or superhuman prosthetics. Moreover, games are often guilty of furthering the myth that a disability is rare, with all the impact that has on broader prejudice and discrimination.”
· Deadly Premonition shows protagonist Francis York Morgan talking to an imaginary character, Zach. What starts off as a curious subplot turns into a fascinating exploration of mental health.
· The Joker, ace pilot of Mass Effect’s SS Normandy, suffers from Vrolik syndrome (brittleness of the bones), while Lester, the sardonic sidekick in Grand Theft Auto V, has an unnamed wasting disease. Yet both men are fiercely independent in spite of the challenges they face and are not defined by their disabilities.
LGBTQ+ themes are being explored more in gaming narratives
LGBTQ+ themes are rarely explored in games, and that’s especially true of the biggest titles.
This being said, things are improving. Some of the biggest games to tackle homosexuality with grace in the last 20 years include:
· Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) and The Sims (2000) with both allowing you to enter a relationship with anyone you please
· The Last of Us (2013) boasting an expansion pack that portrays Ellie in a relationship with another girl,
· Fallout 3 that features a romanceable gay character, and
· Life is Strange (2015) that explores a number of well-written gay characters.
“Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator lets players be either a cis or trans man and captures a reality of the gay community I haven’t seen before in a game. Not every game can be Dream Daddy – and not every game has to be.” Alayna M. Cole, MD of Queerly Represent Me.
· Only 11% of GOTY nominees and E3 winners offer up significant LGBTQ+ storylines.
· From 2009-2018, there’s been a 300% rise in games featuring proper representation when compared to the preceding ten years (1999-2008).
Ultimately, things are getting better. Since 2012, nearly half of all games have featured diverse casts, LGBTQ+ themes or characters of colour – as opposed to 26% pre- 2012. Plus, The Last of Us II, one of the biggest PS4 games coming out in the next year, is set to feature a female LGBTQ+ lead. With time, here’s hoping that the enduring (and inaccurate) stereotype – that only young, white men play games – will fizzle out.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
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- Team Vitality kicks off the new season with renewed energy and strong ambitions, both on the European and international stage.
- With the addition of renowned players like Chronicle and an experienced coaching staff, the club is fielding an exceptional team.
- The young prodigy Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu will officially join the team after March 2026.
- All the stars are aligned to kick off this new year in VALORANT, starting with Project Blender 2025 on December 3rd.
Paris, 24th November 2025 – Team Vitality, an international esports club, is proud to present its new VALORANT roster for the 2026 season. While 2025 had started strongly with the VCT EMEA Kickoff title and a Top 4 finish at Masters Bangkok, the remainder of the journey did not meet the expected goals.
In 2026, VALORANT remains a priority for the club, with international events taking place across the globe. The integration of new talent also marks the beginning of a new chapter, highlighted by the highly anticipated addition of young prodigy Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu and Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov, one of the world’s top players, to the roster.
A STAR-STUDDED ROSTER READY TO DOMINATE
The VALORANT scene is ready, and Team Vitality returns more determined than ever. Centred around Derke, this team of exceptional talents promises to be a true powerhouse for the 2026 VCT season.
Roster composition
- Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov (Russian) – 23 years old: One of the leading figures on the circuit, Chronicle brings to Team Vitality his game intelligence, composure, and experience in major victories. He reunites with his former teammate Derke. After a 2025 marked by three consecutive international finals – Masters Toronto, Esports World Cup, and Champions Paris – finishing second in all three, he now aims for victory on every stage in 2026.
- Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen (Finnish) – 24 years old: The second Finnish star of the 2026 roster alongside Derke, Jamppi comes off an impressive 2025, narrowly missing qualification for Champions Paris. A key player in BBL Esports’ rise, he demonstrated both leadership and skill throughout the season. In 2026, Jamppi will take on the crucial role of In-Game Leader (IGL), tasked with guiding Team Vitality to victory.
- Dawid “PROFEK” Święć (Polish) – 21 years old: Alongside his former coach and teammate, PROFEK joins The Hive bringing his sharp game sense and calm, thoughtful playstyle—perfect for the role of Controller. Noticed as a rookie in 2025, he helped elevate BBL Esports from 6th to 3rd place between the Kickoff and Stage 2, delivering decisive performances against Fnatic and Team Heretics.
- Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu (Moldovan) – 17 years old: Sayonara has already made his mark in the Spanish Challengers League, becoming the youngest winner and MVP in the league’s history. His outstanding performances in Split 2 confirm his status as a must-watch young talent for 2026. Having already been a part of the organisation since early 2025, Sayonara has made a statement in the French Challengers League. He will make his official VCT EMEA debut after celebrating his 18th birthday in March.
- Nikita “Derke“ Sirmitev (Finnish-Russian) – 22 years old: A former Counter-Strike player turned VALORANT competitor, Derke is considered one of the top three duelists of all time, renowned for his exceptional skills and decisive impact in matches. After winning the VCT: 2023 LOCK//IN and the VCT Masters Tokyo in the same year—a feat never achieved before—Derke has been contributing his strategic vision and talent to the team since last season, leveraging his extensive international experience. Derke was also instrumental in Team Vitality’s VALORANT EMEA KICKOFF 2025 victory earlier this year.
Coaching staff
- Gregor “PAL” Morton (Scottish) – Head Coach: PAL joins after an impressive year leading BBL Esports, guiding the team to a Top 3 finish at VCT EMEA Stage 2. Renowned for his strategic vision and leadership, he arrives at Team Vitality alongside his two trusted allies, Jamppi and PROFEK, determined to unlock the full potential of the 2026 roster.
- Benjamin “Scuttt” Hutchinson (Irish) – Strategic Coach: A former member of the Fnatic VALORANT team, he brings solid experience and an impressive track record. In 2025, he contributed to Fnatic’s VCT EMEA Stage 1 title as well as three consecutive international finals—Masters Toronto, Esports World Cup, and Champions Paris—finishing in second place each time. A former collaborator of PAL at BBL Esports, they now reunite to form a formidable coaching duo.
This talented duo will bring a fresh strategic vision aimed at strengthening the team’s competitiveness and laying the foundation for a new chapter in VALORANT.
A familiar and experienced face will be stepping in to support Team Vitality through the opening stretch of the season, until Sayonara officially joins the team in March 2026. Fans can expect someone who already knows the scene well and will slot in seamlessly when the first matches begin.
”This team is built with a vision of collaboration between subject-matter experts in mind. Everyone is here to make everyone else’s lives easier, and it is the pre-existing trusting relationships we have that will let us build and build throughout the year, focusing on the everyday actions that compound over time and give us the best chances of success. We are here to achieve things that we are proud of, but ultimately, with the people we have involved, our goals for the team are as high as the standards we set for ourselves.” explains Gregor “PAL” Morton, Head Coach of the team.
ON THE ROAD TO 2026
In 2026, Team Vitality approaches the VALORANT scene with a clear ambition: to establish itself permanently at the top of the global esports landscape. The new roster embodies a renewed approach, placing team culture at the heart of the project. Guided by their coaching staff and a shared set of values: trust, high standards, and cohesion, the players are building a strong collective dynamic designed to last.
This stability is paired with a strong commitment to the development of Sayonara, a young prodigy on the scene, whom the organisation aims to support under the best conditions to unlock his full potential. Focused on performance development, Team Vitality has chosen an approach rooted in club culture, team cohesion, and long-term vision, with a single ambition in sight: to conquer the heights of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) and the VALORANT Champions.
“VALORANT is an essential scene for us. For 2026, we wanted to build a roster combining proven leaders and promising young talent, capable of performing at the highest level, and that’s exactly what we’ve achieved. All the stars are now aligned for us to perform. We also rely on an experienced coaching staff, among the best in the scene, with a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the challenges of performance: a solid theoretical approach inherited from their academic backgrounds, combined with practical experience demonstrated by the results achieved in recent years. All of this is perfectly consistent with Team Vitality’s DNA,” says Fabien ’Neo” Devide, President and co-founder of Team Vitality.
The new-look roster will compete together for the first time on December 3rd, for the 2025 Project Blender – kicking off a new season with renewed energy and strong ambitions.
The post TEAM VITALITY UNVEILS ITS NEW VALORANT ROSTER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The post Titan Series: FBMDS’ most recent slot collection that offers casino fans power to play appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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