Virtus.pro player Denis 'electronic' Sharipov recently shared his thoughts on the groundbreaking decision to invite the Imperial Fe roster to compete in prestigious CS2 tournaments. He expressed optimism about the opportunity this presents for the female players to showcase their skills on a larger stage. The discussions took place during an engaging Q&A session with fans on YouTube.
Imperial Fe boasts a talented core group that has been dominant in female esports events for several years. Their remarkable achievements were recognized when they were crowned Women's Team of the Year at the prestigious HLTV Awards. Their outstanding performance in Valve's Regional Standings secured them invitations to participate in two major tournaments: the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025 and IEM Katowice 2025. However, this move sparked controversy, with critics pointing out that their high ranking was primarily achieved through female-only events like ESL Impact.
The upcoming match between Imperial Fe and NAVI on January 16 is highly anticipated. In accordance with BLAST's regulations, the team had the opportunity to select their opponents and they opted to face off against one of the top-3 teams in the HLTV ranking.
For years, the female competitive gaming scene has coexisted alongside its male counterpart, often operating in the shadows. Women's teams have historically struggled to compete at the same level as even tier-2 rosters. In 2020, a significant shift occurred within the community, leading to the establishment of closed leagues tailored for female gamers. As a result, high-profile matches involving mixed-gender teams have become a rarity, making the upcoming tournament clash a historic moment in esports.
