Bryter has been shortlisted for the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2026, for the Women Gamers Report
Women have long been sidelined in gaming - dismissed as not being "real" gamers, written off as casual players, and told they don’t belong. This narrative has shaped years of industry design and marketing, built around narrow archetypes of who a gamer is.
Bryter set out to close the gap between perception and reality: to understand who women gamers really are, how they play and what their experiences are. They are not a niche audience, they are half the market.
Now in its ninth year, the Women Gamers Study has become one of the longest-running, most comprehensive pieces of research into this audience anywhere in the industry — surveying thousands of gamers across the US, UK (and China) since 2018.
THE INSIGHTS
Nine years of consistent tracking has allowed us to separate short-term noise from real, evidenced shifts in behaviour, and to expose where progress is stalling.
Busting the myths:
"Women don't really game": 29% don't call themselves "gamers," despite playing around 17 hours a week. This disconnect is often down to not feeling worthy or included – 42% of women gamers have been told they don’t belong (in gaming spaces)
Tackling toxicity:
Toxicity has risen sharply since 2019, peaking at 72% of women affected in 2022. Fortunately, in 2023, for the first time in the study's history, we recorded a decline. This trend is slowly continuing - early evidence that industry action is starting to work, but there is still a way to go.
Our survey participants have shared thousands of first-hand accounts of abuse, stalking, and threats of real-world violence, including rape - testimony that highlights the human cost.
Only 34% believe the industry has adequate systems to deal with toxicity - a clear, measurable mandate for change.
THE IMPACT
This isn't research that sits on a shelf. Bryter has taken these findings directly to the industry - through workshops, presentations and industry talks - but also to a wider audience, through national media coverage on BBC, ITV and Sky News.
Through building awareness and encouraging conversation around the issues of diversity and toxicity in gaming, we have seen change in the way games are made and how players are supported.
Want to know more?
You can read more about Bryter's Women Gamers Study and access all previous reports here.
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