Xbox Canada sponsors new “Xbox Free Play Zone” to bring safe gaming spaces at in-person events.
TORONTO, June 15, 2023 – Xbox Canada and Femme Gaming – an organization dedicated to empowering women and marginalized genders in the world of esports and gaming – have announced a partnership to bring safe and inclusive spaces to live events for women in gaming.
Xbox Canada will sponsor a new gaming lounge called, “Xbox Free Play Zone,” as part of the existing (and signature) “Femme Gaming Lounge” to continue to bring a safe space at real world events such as GameConCanada in Calgary and FanExpo in Toronto and more. This new lounge will feature a selfie-ready lounge background, exclusive #FemmeArmy merch and the latest hardware and accessories from Xbox. Femme Gaming and Xbox Canada will work together to encourage and welcome women and gender diverse gamers into the Xbox ecosystem.
Femme Gaming’s online community boasts thousands of like-minded women and gender-diverse gamers with members hailing from North and South America, Europe and Asia, all the way to Australia. Their signature streams on their Twitch channel showcases both community members and industry leaders and tackles important issues, as well as putting forward talented streamers.
“At Femme Gaming, we believe in a gaming world filled with individuals who believe all players belong. Xbox was a natural choice for us because of their leadership in diversity and inclusion in gaming,” said Jessica Medeiros, Founder & Creator at Femme Gaming. “Our new Xbox Free Play Zone will empower gamers from all backgrounds and offer support, connection and ultimately, a safe space for women to play the games they love.”
Based in Toronto and with team members in both Canada and the United States with an audience across the globe, Femme Gaming’s team also provides consulting and business solutions to organizations and brands who want to provide a safe space for all, as well as workshops on online safety, diversity and inclusion, and more.
According to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada’s (ESAC) latest Essential Facts survey, 53 percent of Canadians game regularly, with women making up over half of those surveyed (51 percent). This partnership is the latest move from Xbox to make gaming more to inspire women and gender diverse gamers to play and make games.
“At Xbox, we believe that gaming is for everyone. It should be inclusive for all, accessible to all and safe for all.” said Matt Mamalyga, Senior Integrated Marketing Manager at Xbox Canada. “By curating these accessible spaces, our hope is to create more experiences at gaming events that everyone can enjoy.”
To learn more about Xbox Canada, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch and Twitter
To learn more about Femme Gaming, visit https://femmegaming.gg/ and follow on Instagram, Twitch, Twitter and Facebook.
About Femme Gaming
Femme Gaming is an organization dedicated to empowering women and marginalized genders in the world of esports and gaming by providing a safe online community, safe spaces at in-person events, as well as focusing on the amplification of diverse elite gaming talent.
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq “MSFT”) the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. For more information on Microsoft Canada, please visit www.microsoft.ca.
