The Invisibility of Women Streamers in Game Studies

Abstract

Videogame live streaming has become a significant cultural phenomenon within the online gaming community; however, women's participation remains shaped by structural inequalities and discrimination. This scoping review of the DiGRA library (2020-2025) examined 471 records and identifying five key articles that contribute to the understanding of female representation in live videogame streaming, with a specific focus on inclusion and women's empowerment within the sector. This scarcity may reflect the recent emergence of streaming as a central research topic in game studies conferences, such as DiGRA, rather than broader institutional disengagement. The core studies explore the emotional labor of female streamers, platform materialities, affective economies, queer conviviality, and gender performativity. The findings reveal a concerning gap between the social magnitude of the phenomenon and the academic attention devoted to it. This study proposes future research directions structured around five priority axes, underscoring the urgency of centering social justice, digital equity, and intersectional perspectives in contemporary game studies.