It's hard. Just ask StarCraft II player Kim Shee-Yoon, aka "Eve".
StarCraft is huge in Korea. Pro gaming is big, too, but it's dominated by male players. Eve isn't the first female professional player, as e-sport has already seen the likes of ToSsGirL.
According to website The Mary Sue, Eve was selected for Korean StarCraft pro gamer team SlayerS "for her skills and looks." That quote is from the team's manager—a female.
The rub is that Eve, who now plays as Slayer_Eve, isn't as highly ranked as her teammates. This led to all sorts of unpleasantness for Eve, from hate mail to Korean forums photoshopping her face onto porn pics. Others are calling her selection a publicity stunt.
"I am very happy to join such a respected professional gaming team SlayerS," Eve said earlier this year.
Thing is, Eve isn't really playing, but riding the bench and training. Over on TeamLiquid.net, people have been wondering since mid-summer when she's going to start playing to see whether or not she's worth the fuss.
Doing anything professionally is difficult. Playing StarCraft at a competitive level requires mental toughness. Let's hope Eve's got that, but with the boys club she's wading into, she's gonna need it.
Demasiado guapa para ser progamer [Anait Games Thanks, Victor!]
(Top photo: imgur | GOMTV)