Women in Games International

Women in Games International
Name	Women in Games International
Formation	2008
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington
Region served	International
Leader title	Founder
Leader name	Tanya DePass

Women in Games International is a nonprofit organization promoting gender diversity and inclusion within the video game industry. Founded to support women and underrepresented groups, the organization connects professionals across development, publishing, design, production, esports, academia, and journalism. It partners with companies, educational institutions, and events to provide mentoring, advocacy, training, and recognition.

History

Women in Games International was founded amid conversations within the Independent Games Festival, Game Developers Conference, and PAX communities about representation during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Early collaborators included figures associated with IGDA, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Riot Games, and it developed links with academic programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, and DigiPen Institute of Technology. The organization grew alongside initiatives such as Black Girl Gamers, GaymerX, AnitaB.org, and Girls Who Code, responding to controversies like those surrounding Gamergate and debates involving outlets such as Kotaku, Polygon, and The New York Times. With support from industry partners including Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft, Nintendo, Google Stadia, and Amazon Games, it expanded chapters and online programming across regions including Silicon Valley, London, Toronto, Sydney, Berlin, and Tokyo.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission emphasizes advocacy, professional development, and community-building across roles from game designers and programmers to producers, artists, and esports athletes. Activities have included mentorship programs connected to institutions like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning, scholarship partnerships with Epic Games and Unity Technologies, and inclusion policies aligned with workplace standards from organizations such as Human Rights Campaign and UN Women. The organization liaises with unions and guilds including Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, and industry groups like Entertainment Software Association and Independent Games Festival. It collaborates on diversity toolkits referenced by studios like Bethesda Game Studios, Rockstar Games, Square Enix, and Capcom.

Conferences and Events

Women in Games International organizes conferences, panels, and networking events reminiscent of programming at Game Developers Conference, EGX, Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, and SXSW Interactive. Regional chapter events have been hosted in venues associated with PAX West, Tokyo Game Show, and university auditoriums at Stanford University and UC Berkeley. It has programmed sessions with speakers drawn from studios and organizations such as Blizzard Entertainment, Naughty Dog, CD Projekt RED, Bungie, and Supercell, and partnered with awards bodies including The Game Awards and BAFTA Games Awards for visibility initiatives.

Programs and Initiatives

Signature initiatives include mentorship networks, scholarship funds, and grants for underrepresented creators, modeled in part after programs by Anita Borg Institute and Rhodes Trust-style fellowships. Training modules cover pipelines using engines like Unreal Engine and Unity, and production workflows influenced by practices at Electronic Arts and Blizzard Entertainment. Community programs have included collaboration with advocacy groups such as Black Lives Matter, National Center for Women & Information Technology, and GLAAD for intersectional outreach. Industry partnerships have enabled internships and hiring drives with companies like Intel, NVIDIA, Activision, and Take-Two Interactive.

Notable Members and Leadership

Leadership and notable supporters have included founders, board members, and advisors with ties to studios and media: individuals affiliated with Bioware, Valve Corporation, Insomniac Games, TellTale Games, Telltale Games alumni, Riot Games developers, and executives from Sony, Microsoft Studios, and Google. Advisors have come from academia at Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, and University of Utah and from journalism at Wired, Edge (magazine), The Guardian, and Eurogamer. Prominent collaborators hail from organizations like YouTube Gaming, Twitch, Mixer, IGN, and GameSpot.

Impact and Reception

The organization has been cited in industry reporting alongside diversity efforts by studios such as Epic Games and Unity Technologies and mentioned in analyses by outlets like The Guardian, The Washington Post, and BBC News. Advocates credit it with creating mentorship pipelines connecting graduates from programs at DigiPen and Full Sail University to positions at Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Riot Games. Critics from some quarters of the media ecosystem, including commentary in Kotaku and Polygon, have debated efficacy of industry-led diversity efforts versus grassroots activism such as Crash Override Network and Everyday Feminism. Overall, the organization is recognized among stakeholders at Game Developers Conference, BAFTA, and Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences as a persistent actor in industry inclusion conversations.

Category:Organizations established in 2008 Category:Video game industry organizations