This is an unexpected announcement, to say the least, made by Samuel Etienne on his social networks this Friday, April 12. The presenter of
Questions for a champion
has in fact unveiled a short video to present a future tournament created by him. But it will not be a question of a general knowledge tournament but of an… esports tournament. The journalist has in fact become a very regular player, broadcasting his games on various games on Twitch, sometimes in the company of other streamers renowned in this field.
“It is with great pleasure that I invite you to the largest VALORANT women’s e-sport event ever organized in France!”, enthused the journalist on X (formerly Twitter). The tournament will see different 100% female esports structures compete on May 4 and 5 in Paris, on the game Valorant, well known to streamers. This first-person shooter is undoubtedly one of the big successes of recent years, with tens of millions of players around the world.
Small announcement… pic.twitter.com/15eKGO1pU2
— Samuel Etienne (@SamuelEtienne) April 12, 2024
To improve its image?
And the pleasure of playing will not be the only driving force for the teams participating in this competition.
Samuel Etienne indicated that 5,000 euros were up for grabs for the victorious team. Enough to attract many participants.
This tournament is perhaps a way for the journalist to make up for the strong accusations against him. In May 2023, many Internet users notably criticized Samuel Etienne for his show dedicated to sexism in gaming with speakers… only male. The host defended himself by invoking “a coincidence in the programming” of the guests, scheduled several weeks in advance, while the subjects of his show, which debates the news of the week, are only chosen a few hours before . Not enough to convince Internet users, however. The host Valérie Damidot even invited herself into the debate, ensuring that there was “too many coucougnettes to talk about sexism” in the show. The organization of this competition dedicated to female gamers could therefore well allow Samuel Etienne to improve his image.