Do ferro ao radiante: a representatividade e inclusão no VALORANT e a experiência feminina nos jogos online

Abstract

This article investigates how misogynistic discourse and silencing strategies are articulated by viewers during broadcasts of the game VALORANT on the Twitch platform. Based on a qualitative approach grounded in Bardin’s (2011) content analysis method, the study examines messages collected from chat interactions during live streams conducted between April and May 2025, covering channels hosted by female streamers, male streamers, and official game channels. The corpus, extracted using a Python script, was processed with the support of artificial intelligence tools, enabling segmentation by discursive categories such as hostility, sexualization, support, and neutrality. The results show that female streamers are frequently targeted by comments that reproduce gender stereotypes, delegitimize technical competence, and promote symbolic harassment. However, expressions of resistance and counter-discourse from the audience were also observed. The research aims to understand whether there is a 4 correlation between the degree of officiality of the channels, the predominance of male audiences, and the increased incidence of prejudiced comments, thus contributing to digital communication studies and contemporary gamer culture.