Pokimane reveals her biggest obstacle in ranking up in Valorant as a woman

Popular streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has opened up about the biggest obstacle in her way to becoming an Immortal in Valorant. 

Twitch streamer Pokimane is one of the prominent names in Valorant content creation. Despite her dedication to the ranked grind, the streamer has failed to hit the Radiant rank. It has a lot to do with the in-game harassment and bullying, Pokimane has revealed. 

The problem of toxicity is becoming more severe in Valorant as the player base expands. Thanks to Riot Games’ measures to promote inclusivity, Valorant has a comparatively high number of female players than other first-person shooters. However, it’s often women who are at the receiving end of the harassment in Valorant. The developer has been active in tackling bullies but it hasn’t been effective. 

The streamer explained that in-game bullies are one of the biggest reasons she can’t rank up quicker as they restrict her ability to communicate freely. She hesitates from using her microphone in-game as it often leads to teammates acting “weird” because she’s a girl. 

Many female professional players and streamers in the past shared similar instances where teammates would act differently upon finding out that there’s a girl in the team. While some become overly affectionate and drop weapons unnecessarily, others are plain rude. Due to this, Pokimane refrains from using her mic in the game, which ultimately impacts her win rate. 

Valorant is only partly about crosshair placement. Winning largely depends on team coordination and how well you communicate. Some agents require more teamwork than others, which is precisely what’s holding Pokimane back from hitting higher ranks. 

The streamer is currently maining Sova, an intel-gatherer who demands heavy comms. A Sova main is supposed to expose enemy locations and deliver timely intel to teammates. This requires active use of the microphone, something that Pokimane is reluctant of doing. As a result, her brother has reached Immortal before she could despite the number of hours she put in. 

What’s Pokimane’s rank in Valorant? 

Twitch streamer Pokimane started playing Valorant in its beta Phase in 2020. She’s currently a Diamond in Act 1 and has three accounts in different ranks.