Banking company Ally and esports tournament organizer Raidiant announced the inductees in its inaugural Influential Voices in Gaming, a class of individuals in gaming and esports that have “played a pivotal role in propelling the esports and video games industry forward.” The list celebrates important contributions of “key figures” in multiple categories including creators, professional esports players, journalists, gaming executives, artists, and on-camera talent. Community Choice and Rising Star awards are to be announced “soon,” according to organizers.
The 2024 Influential Voices in Gaming class includes in the artist/designer/animators category:
- FlyQuest artist and content creator BasiilLeaf
- Content creator, film director, and host Fiona Nova
- KorroBox designer Mina Hirano
- Esports designer Rose
- Sentinels Marketing Designer SydneyCreates
Creators:
- Twitch streamer Kyedae
- OTK Executive Producer and content creator Ovilee May
- Content creator, caster and host Rosemary “Nekkra” Kelley
- Valorant content creator Tarik
- Noir Network Founder Amira “Xmiramira” Virgil
Gaming Executives:
- YouTube Global Marketing Lead Elizabeth del Valle
- Flyquest Chief Culture Officer MissHarvey
- World of Warcraft Lead Software Engineer Nora Valletta
- Sentinels CEO Rob Moore
- Riot Games Global Competition Manager for Valorant Victoria Horsley
Gaming Journalists:
- Kotaku Senior Editor Alyssa Mercante
- College Esports Social Media and Content Manager Bryony-Hope Green
- Esports journalist Liz Richardson
- IGN Senior Reporter Reb Valentine
- League of Legends content creator Travis Gafford
On-Camera Talent:
- Valorant caster and analyst Mimi “aEvilcat” Wermcrantz
- Commentator and host Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
- Caster and analyst Jennifer “LemonKiwi” Pichette
- Caster, host, and interviewer Sierra Dawn Hunter
- Caster and analyst Soe Gschwind-Repp
Pro Esports Players:
- Complexity Teamfight Tactics player Emily Wang
- FlyQuest Counter-Strike 2 player Mounira “GooseBreeder” Dobie
- Shopify Rebellion Valorant Game Changers player Melanie “meL” Capone
- Evil Geniuses Street Fighter player Ricki Ortiz
- Sentinels Valorant player Tyson “Tenz” Ngo
More information on each of these inductees can be found on the official 2024 Influential Voices in Gaming website.
In case you are not familiar with Raidiant, the tournament organizer owned by New Meta Entertainment (the parent company of Dignitas) focuses on creating opportunities for women and marginalized genders to compete at high levels for real prize money. The company recently announced that it would continue to work with Overwatch Esports on both Calling All Heroes and Overwatch Collegiate in North America. Details on both those competitive programs can be found here.