In this talk, Dr Ying-Ying Law from Staffordshire University considers the representation of male and female gamers in competitive gaming – in particular, focussing on the issues of access to gaming communities and opportunities to compete competitively. Despite the steady increase in the number of competitive gamers, statistics show a significant gap between male and female gamers, which suggest a male dominated community and competition. Hence, this talk considers the gender stereotypes embedded within video gamer culture, as well as exploring the support structures towards grassroots esports tournaments, amateur-brackets and community practices for competitive gamers.