“Don’t be afraid to support women because you might make a positive impact on a woman who’s on the fence about continuing to play.”
DreamHack Stockholm 2024 features the top women’s CS2 esports teams duking it out for the ESL Impact Season 6 title. Behind the scenes, players have the opportunity to participate in Logitech G PRO Series' research area, where they can take reaction tests, learn strategies to manage tilt, and contribute to research on women in esports. Logitech G PRO Series global brand manager Cary Lambert is one of the key figures spearheading this initiative, and esports.gg sat down with her for an interview!
Logitech G PRO Series interview with Cary Lambert
In her interview with esports.gg, Lambert revealed that 90% of the information about esports science is based on men. Therefore, at Logitech G PRO Series, her goal is to include women in research and development (R&D). Doing this would not only help Logitech G PRO Series' team create better gear for gamers, but also level the playing field.
This work resonates with Lambert because her esports journey began with World of Warcraft. She used to competitively play as a Restoration Shaman and even joined a high-level guild. However, she faced false accusations of being "carried" by her then-partner. She became determined to prove her skills and earn respect independently. And when she saw other women face similar challenges, it further inspired her to advocate for more recognition and opportunities for women in esports.
To Lambert, the Pro Alliance lounge at DreamHack Stockholm shows Logitech G PRO Series' commitment to this type of work. Providing women with the same, if not greater, support as men's teams means recognizing that marginalized communities often need extra support to reach the same footing.
The impact of a player lounge
"I was speaking with the woman who's the lead product manager for ESL Impact, and she also gets exposed to all the benefits and things that happen at men's CS2 events as well," Lambert recalled, referring to Charlie Sirc. "And she said, 'Oh my goodness, the player lounge has never looked like this. It has never been this nice. I can't believe this.'"
She continued, "So for us, it's super important, when we made this investment with EFG, to tell them we want to support the women's products just as much as the men's products. And what I found is that the women are so much more appreciative than the guys because they haven't seen support like this before in the past."
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Research about women in esports
Lambert went into the evolution of the Designed by Collaboration initiative as well, recalling how the team used to drive around in an RV to Overwatch matches or fly players out to conduct research.
At DreamHack Stockholm now, players could relax in the aforementioned lounge or go up a flight of stairs and participate in the Designed by Collaboration and University of Limerick research. The setups test cognitive skills and physicality with tools similar to Aim Labs. There's even an expert there who helps players manage tilt. To Lambert, establishing a baseline is key to understanding how to best assist women in the esports space.
As for parting words, she encouraged men to actively listen and speak up when they hear harmful comments.
"Don't be afraid to support women because you might make a positive impact on a woman who's on the fence about continuing to play. Or you may just significantly improve her day. You never know how impactful support and words like that can be."
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more interviews, news, and updates.
