The all-female team of G2 Esports, G2 Hel, has won the 5v5 women’s League of Legends tournament, Rising Stars. In the Grand Finals of the Double Elimination bracket, G2 Hel soundly defeated QLASH Midnight.
In early November, Riot Games announced the creation of a female-only League of Legends tournament in Northern Europe: Rising Stars. The free-to-enter initiative aimed to promote diversity and inclusion in esports by providing new opportunities for female gamers. From November 26-27, the standalone tournament was hosted by UK esports organizer NUEL and technology company GGTech. Rising Stars was broadcast live on NUEL’s Twitch.
In the Grand Finals, G2 Hel faced QLASH Midnight, seeking redemption after defeat in the Upper Finals. After 27 minutes of intense action in the ultimate match, G2 Hel destroyed the Ride Side’s Nexus and emerged victorious. G2 Hel finished strong with 14 kills and 52.4k in gold, in comparison to QLASH Midnight’s 3 kills and 39.6k in gold. Jungler G2 Karina blazed the way for G2 Hel, securing half of the team’s total kills as Gwen: The Hallowed Seamstress.
The top four competing teams of Rising Stars split a £3,000 prize pool. As the first place winner, G2 Hel was awarded £1,750. QLASH Midnight received £750 for second place. Zerolag Female, based in Greece, nabbed a third place finish and £350, while SK Avarosa, based in Germany, placed fourth and earned £150.
Some League of Legends players hope the success of Rising Stars will lead to its expansion from a two-day regional event to a full-fledged global women’s circuit. While it may take a while for this to materialize, viewers online appeared to enjoy Rising Stars. NUEL’s livestream for the second day of the tournament garnered more than 18,000 views. At the tournament’s conclusion, some fans took to social media to thank Rising Stars for giving female gamers a platform in esports.
Prior to a global women’s circuit, Riot Games may build on the success of Rising Stars by facilitating another standalone tournament, but nothing has been confirmed. On Twitter, Rising Stars’ organizers shared their gratitude after the event. “This community is incredible and we’re so grateful for the teams, players and spectators who have been involved,” the organizers stated. “GGWP!”
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