The 5 most successful female esports players of all time

Esports has evolved into a global, billion-dollar industry over the last few decades, but for a significant portion of that time, it was primarily dominated by male players. That’s now a thing of the past, as some notable female esports players have emerged over the years, many of whom continue to prove their impressive skills on the digital battlefield.

While there are many female esports players who have made waves, there are a few who stand apart, having gone above and beyond to become pioneers for women in esports. These women have transcended the gender boundaries associated with esports to become trailblazers and icons in the video game industry. 

We will be looking at four hugely successful female esports players. The criteria we have used includes competition wins, popularity, and the legacy they have created as esports professionals. 

Games: Starcraft II and Dota 2

Scarlett is arguably the most successful female esports player of all time, with several impressive achievements under her belt. 

In 2012, Scarlett became well-known in the StarCraft II esports scene when she won the Playhem “Sponsor Me!” Tournament. By winning this tournament, Scarlett was awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPL 4 event in Las Vegas, where she made it through to the open qualifiers.  

By 2014, Scarlett had won more than $110,000 in prize money and was named by Polygon as one of the most admirable people in the gaming industry. In 2018, she made history in South Korea, becoming the first woman to win the Intel Extreme Masters Tournament. 

In 2016, Scarlett was awarded a Guinness World Record for the highest career earnings for a female competitive game player. As of 2024, she earned $471,250 from her esports career. In 2022, she was awarded another record for the most wins by a female gamer, with 43 victories to her name. She continues to play today as part of the Shopify Rebellion team.

Games: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Counter-Strike 2

Vilga is a Russian esports gamer who has managed to climb the ranks to become one of the most accomplished female players of CS:GO and CS-2.

Vilga has been part of the Counter-Strike esports scene for over a decade, beginning her career in 2008. In 2017, she won first place with the team Russian Forces at the WESG 2017 World Finals Female tournament. This was a milestone in her career, as she earned an impressive $200,000, her largest prize money award.

Vilga was also part of the team Nigma Galaxy, where she contributed to four consecutive wins at ESL Impact LAN competitions. This included a win for the team at ESL Impact Katowice 2023.

Following her Nigma Galaxy tenure, Vilga demonstrated her leadership in the esports domain by founding her own team, the Fearless Cheetahs. Despite disbanding in April 2024, Vilga continued to build on her role as a leader by becoming the team captain of NIP Impact in July 2024. 

Games: Dead or Alive 4, Halo, and Hearthstone

Kat Gunn, also known by her nickname Mystik, is another veteran of the esports community, with her career beginning around two decades ago. 

Gunn was originally part of the PMS female gamer clan, but didn’t stay there long. Her next team-up was with the Carolina Core, where she earned a spot on the team as a Dead or Alive player after receiving an invitation to the Championship Gaming Series in 2007. She played in two CGS competitions, coming in second place in the first and getting to the semi-finals in the second. 

Mystik’s next big venture was the WCG Ultimate Gamer reality television program. She auditioned for the second season (which was the last, as the show was not renewed). She won the show and earned $100,000. 

In 2016, Mystik was awarded a Guinness World Record for achieving the title of highest-earning female gamer. Mystik is also a professional cosplayer and has her own cosplaying and gaming pro team called Less Than 3 (LT3). She has a significant presence online, streaming on Twitch actively and maintaining her popularity to this day. 

Game: Hearthstone

Li Xiaomeng is a Chinese esports professional whose specialty is the Blizzard strategy card game Hearthstone. Known by her online moniker Liooon/VKLiooon, she was the first female player to win the Hearthstone Grandmaster Global Finals at BlizzCon in 2019. 

Across the nine Hearthstone tournaments she has competed in, she has earned $241,510. Most of her winnings came from her groundbreaking Grandmasters victory, where she became the first female Hearthstone World Champion. She was also the first champion from mainland China to win the title since the tournaments began in 2014. 

As is tradition with World Champions, Liooon received a card tribute in Hearthstone. Her card is the Mok’Nathal Lion, which features flavor text that references her legacy as the first woman to win the tournament: “Never underestimate a lioness when her pride is on the line.”

Liooon has since retired from professional Hearthstone, but her legacy is undeniable and inspiring for women everywhere hoping to succeed in the world of competitive esports. 

Games: Counter-Strike and VALORANT

Christine Chi is a veteran of the esports world, beginning in 2005 when she competed in a Counter-Strike women’s tournament. She worked her way up the ranks, and by 2021, she had won the Women’s Electronic Sports World Cup five times and had become one of the top Counter-Strike players in the world. 

Christine retired from Counter-Strike in 2018, but she transitioned to the game VALORANT in 2020. She also became part of the Evil Genuises mixed gender esports team as both a coach and player.

Across 24 tournaments, Chi has won more than $35,000 in winnings, making her a top earner among female esports players. She also maintains a significant social media following, with almost 80,000 X followers and 29,000 Instagram followers. 

These are just a few of the amazing women who have made an impact on the esports scene. Some other successful female esports players include Petra Stoker, Marjorie Bartell a.k.a Kasumi Chan, and Michaela Lintrup a.k.a mimi, to name a few. 

The five women on this list have not only been professionally and financially successful as esports players, they have also proven themselves to be some of the absolute best gamers in their field. They have the skills, talent, and abilities to collaborate with their teammates, achieve championship-level victories, and make it into the record books. They represent the best of the best when it comes to women in esports.