Froskurinn retires from gaming, expresses disappointment
Indiana “Froskurinn” Black has announced her retirement from the gaming space while expressing disappointment in her peers’ behavior, so here’s what we know about Froskurinn’s retirement.
Froskurinn made her debut and much of her brand commentating League of Legends professional play in both China and later the European professional scene. After departing the League of Legends scene, she worked for G4TV as a host and content creator. She most recently announced her departure from the gaming space entirely to seek work elsewhere. During her time, Froskurinn was known for being outspoken on social issues and misogyny in the gaming space, which garnered a polarized opinion from outspoken portions of the communities she was involved in.
Froskurinn retires from gaming
Most fans will know the host and personality from her time working as a commentator on the LPL broadcast, China’s professional League of Legends circuit, and the LEC, Europe’s professional circuit for League. During this time, she served as a face for Riot Games in two of its largest regions. She quickly became a recognizable duo with Daniel “Drakos” Drakos, referred to jokingly as the LEC’s “mom and dad”.
Froskurinn’s first major instance of conflict with Riot Games and her employers at the LEC came when the regional league took sponsorship from NEOM, a Saudi Arabian “smart city” planned in the northwestern region of the country. Froskurinn was one of the most outspoken members of the broadcast about human rights concerns in the nation. Widespread backlash and reported dissatisfaction from employees led to the LEC reneging on its deal with the Saudi Arabian sponsor.
At the end of that year, Froskurinn departed from the LEC, citing the NEOM partnership as a catalyst for her departure from League of Legends commentary and the LEC as a whole. From there, she moved to the revival of G4TV, becoming one of its central hosts and core personalities. Most famously, she performed a monologue on the blatant sexism and misogyny piled upon women in the gaming space. She specifically pointed out how on-camera talent and hosts are often berated for their perceived attractiveness by male viewers.
This brought her both respect and acclaim from those that agreed with her, as well as a renewed fervor of harassment and hate from elements of the gaming space already reticent to let articulate women into a male-dominated space. From right-wing content creators to dedicated hate accounts on social media, Froskurinn’s vocal stances and unwillingness to bite her tongue on important issues she witnessed resulted in regular backlash from already unwelcoming elements in the community.
In Froskurinn’s retirement post, she outlines a feeling of desertion from peers who she believed abandoned her in times of need. She also expressed a distinct disappointment in the systemic issues of the gaming space and professional work therein. Overall, it seems to be another example of a fraught industry driving skilled talent from environments where its flaws become apparent over and over again.
Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.
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