G2 Gozen Juliano discusses how VCT Game Changers “opens doors” for VALORANT’s women

May 23, 2022

Walking away victorious from the last three iterations of the tournament, G2 Gozen have achieved a feat unseen before in the wider VCT circuit, proving that the stage is theirs for the taking.

The beating heart of the samurai squad is Julia ‘juliano’ Kiran, who sat down with us to discuss Gozen’s rise to stardom and the wider female esports community as a whole.

Stars aren’t born, they’re forged in fire

While G2 Gozen have proven three times over that they’re the squad to watch, juliano admits that their mounting trophies were largely unexpected.

“Obviously I don’t think we expected to go this well transitioning into VALORANT. We knew from before that we were the greatest team for the female scene so far, so we knew somewhat what we had to bring, but since it's a new game, you cannot know for certain. It's a risk you have to take.

“It feels wonderful to prove that we are a good functioning team, with really talented players. It feels amazing! I know we're going to continue doing our best.”

“It's really easy to reach the top, but the hardest thing is to stay there,” she continues. “Having this pressure that everyone thinks of us in some way also makes us somewhat stronger. Every situation we’re in, we make the best out of it.”

VCT Game Changers presents a system where women are “equals”

The very soul of Game Changers is its women, and the competition challenges the very fabric of the wider esports ecosystem. As it continues to grow exponentially, juliano has noticed that the discourse around women in esports is evolving alongside it.

“I see it in the viewership, the numbers, and also the way Game Changers has been handled,” she states. “Streaming it on the main channel, for example, is such a big thing. It's just so many small details that I think Game Changers have done to make a difference – and we see with each tournament that it just grows in terms of the numbers, the viewership, the player pool, and all of that.

“It [Game Changers] has just exploded with big orgs, and all of that support that women deserve to have, because we have been fighting for this for so long. I've been fighting for a really long time to have a system where we can actually feel like we're treated equally. I've seen it open up so many doors and I think it's a very good step for the future. It’s something we’ve never had before.”

“And just by looking at the fact that last VCT we had 90 teams, or 91, something like that, I've never been in a tournament with this many female teams at once. It shows how fast it's growing and how much it pushes women into thinking that they also have a place in a competitive scene”

As Game Changers continues to blossom into something truly unique, it’ll be interesting to see how juliano and the squad’s VCT endeavors play out. For now, though, they’re the undisputed titans; but many a new challenger lurks on the horizon.

VCT Game Changers Series #2: Final standings

For anyone who missed out on VCT Game Changers Series #2, these are the final standings: