"Let's Free the Female Agents": Female CS2 Team Asks Valve to Add Free Female Agent Skins
A group of pro Counter-Strike 2 players are asking Valve to make some changes regarding female agent skins.
Counter-Strike has long been seen as a game dominated by male players, especially in the esports scene. As diversity has become more of an initiative in the classic shooter, a group of female pro players have come forward with some concerns for Valve.
Astralis' female CS2 team recently shared an open letter to Valve that discussed some of their wishes for female agent skins in-game. The letter was shared by Josefine Jensen on Twitter.
"We love your game, which today is an important part of our lives. [...] Unfortunately, we currently feel we are only guests at the party," the letter started.
Open letter to valve. Please hear us out@CounterStrike @AuroraLyngdal @anjacsgo @Ismo_cs @marietoftt pic.twitter.com/uxVjuBExo5
— Josefine Jensen (@JosefineCSGO) February 28, 2024
According to the all-women CS2 team, all default skins are male. Meanwhile, if you want to use a female agent skin, you have to pay extra. The team explained that this feels "unfair and unwelcoming," especially when the pro squad already feels they face a lot of sexism in the CS2 community.
"There should be no difference between agents. There should be as many free female agents as free male agents," the letter continued. "We believe more women would start playing the game if there were default free female agents, and at least those of us playing would feel more welcome."
The players then said that this would be a step towards inclusivity.
"Let's free the female agent," the letter concluded.
The reaction to the request from Aurora, Josefine, Marie, Anja, and Ismo was met with varying opinions. Some felt that there were bigger problems with Counter-Strike 2 to focus on, including subtick issues and anti-cheat improvements. Others felt that it was worth trying to add a female agent as a default but felt it wouldn't drastically increase the amount of female players.
While there was a lot of expected criticism towards the Astralis team, with some even mocking them for not having any "real problems" to deal with, some gamers ultimately asked: "Why not?"
Literally nothing bad can come out of this idea
— Dior (@xDiorCS) February 28, 2024
Like why not?
Valve has yet to respond to the open letter so it's unclear if more free female agent skins will be added as a default in CS2 in the future.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!