Gaming is a truly global source of entertainment and esports typically represents the diversity of gaming well. There’s no shortage of world cups and national teams across various games and some of the biggest tournaments are a melting pot of nationalities and ethnicities. Last year’s The International, DOTA 2’s largest tournament, featured competitors from 24 different countries.

While esports is a global force, there is a distinct racial gap between games that quickly reveals itself to new viewers.

The gap is split between genre and platform lines with Asian and White American and European players making up the vast majority of gamers in the PC-based arena shooters and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games. In contrast, black and Latino players are far more prevalent within the console-based fighting game community (FGC) and sports games like Madden and NBA 2K.

Steven “Kodak” Rosenberger

This is not to paint the picture that these PC-based leagues are actively exclusionary toward black players or not diverse. There are a handful of notable black players like League of Legends pro Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black or Overwatch’s Steven “Kodak” Rosenberger who make their name with a mouse and keyboard. However, these players are the exception and not even close to the rule.

A brief glance over at the FGC paints a much different picture for black representation at the highest levels. Look at Combo Breaker 2019, one of the biggest tournaments of the year in the FGC. The event had hundreds of black gamers in attendance in various capacities from competitors, audience members and commentary. For Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat 11 both grand finals featured two black gamers battling it out.

Why are black players so prevalent in the FGC and sports games but don’t pursue the highest levels of the MOBA and hero shooter world? Clearly race doesn’t determine whether one can push a payload, destroy a nexus or execute Rashid’s rushdown.

StarCraft and Quake, some of the earliest esports, had scenes that grew organically through LAN parties, forums and online tournaments. Competitors would travel to major LAN tournaments after grinding at home in online ranked matches to gain experience.

While StarCraft and Quake were growing into esports as we know it today, the fighting game community was experiencing a similar growth. However, these communities weren’t primarily online, but found their home in the arcades of major American and Japanese cities.

The face-to-face interaction and low barrier of entry made local fighting game tournaments appealing to black gamers. All a competitor needed was their skills and a controller. No PC or stable internet access required.

“I’m not saying that people from other games haven’t had a hard time, but they don’t understand the struggle. We (FGC) are used to going to the arcade with 5 bucks,” Street Fighter professional Toi “Toi” Bridges said.

Toi “Toi” Bridges

Bridges is a top 100 Street Fighter player that spoke about many of the sentiments shared by other black members in the FGC. The accessibility of fighting games and console games in low income communities made them natural landing spots for talented black gamers looking to scratch their competitive itch.

In addition, the face-to-face nature of locals builds a close knit community. Gamers were competing against people from their own neighborhood. A young black gamer will go to a tournament and see plenty of people that look like them. This level of representation extends to national-level tournaments as well.