The rise of women in gaming: Why female gaming is more popular than ever
The rise of women in gaming has officially started. Now, more gamers than ever are female. Here, you can discover the reasons behind this exciting trend.
Did you know that:
- 45% of gamers around the world are female (Forbes)
- 74% of women play mobile games every day (GameHouse)
- Female gamers prefer life-simulation games like The Sims 4 (Kinguin)
Ever since the early 2010s, women have been embracing video games in huge numbers. Flashforward to 2024 and almost 50% of global gamers are women, which is a huge increase on previous decades — but what exactly has led to the #FemaleGaming revolution?
Five reasons behind the rise of women in gaming
In this article, you can discover the top reasons behind why gaming is one of the number one hobbies that women now follow. If you’re someone who’s looking to try gaming for the first time, we think it might inspire you.
1) Sweepstakes gaming
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic first struck back in 2020, sweepstakes gaming has exploded in popularity — especially amongst women.
Women are 53% more likely to take part in online sweepstakes games than men (PlayToday.co). Now, there are tons of sweepstakes casinos on the internet, including big names like Chumba Casino and WOW Vegas. These sweepstakes casinos have millions of worldwide users, many of which are women.
In particular, women enjoy playing online slots and fish table games. Use this fish gaming guide on sweepstake-casinos website so that you can learn more about what fish table games are like.
One of the main attraction points of sweepstakes casinos is that they offer free-to-play social games. As mentioned earlier, many female gamers enjoy games that feature some kind of real-life social element, such as The Sims 4. With sweeps casino games, this is exactly what you get, as you can interact with other players, play social casino games, send messages, compete to be the best player, and more.
2) Increased smartphone usage
The latest research from Exploding Topics shows that 75% of women in the US now own a mobile phone and their daily average screen time is 2 hours and 47 minutes.
Naturally, it’s not surprising that a lot of this time is spent playing mobile games. In 2024, there are thousands of amazing mobile games to choose from on both iOS and Android, including Covet Fashion and Candy Crush Saga. These games are smash-hits with women gamers and are the key drivers behind why women are now doing it as a hobby.
3) More female developers
Back in the old days, almost all video game developers were men. However, this has changed. 30% of global game developers are now women. Ultimately, it’s been great for the female gaming industry, as it’s opened many more doors and made plenty of women around the world feel more accepted when it comes to playing video games.
4) Twitch streamers
Twitch has had a crazy influence on the rise of women in gaming. The popular streaming platform currently has over 140 million active monthly users (DemandSage). How many of them are women? 37%.
As you would expect, seeing other people stream video games has inspired countless women to pick up their controllers and start playing games, too.
5) More female-led characters
Lastly, the fifth and final reason behind why more women are gaming than ever has been the introduction of more female-led characters in video games.
In recent times, you’ve had Ellie in The Last of Us Part II and Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2, both of which were critically acclaimed. Not to mention, the upcoming GTA 6, expected to smash records with its 2025 release, will feature a main protagonist who is female, marking an iconic moment for the franchise. This anticipation for GTA 6 has also sparked interest in modded accounts, offering players new ways to enhance their experience in the expansive world of Grand Theft Auto.
The rise of women in gaming will continue
Moving forward, the rise of women in gaming will continue. More women will start playing video games, more female-led characters will be introduced, and a greater number of streamers will be female. It’s an exciting time to be a female gamer — so make sure to get involved.
