Moqii becomes first female Fortnite player to place 1st in official event after topping FNCS open qualifier

In many walks of life there are some that still hold the opinion that women are not equal to men, whether that means being undermined in the workplace or considered to be not as capable as men in traditionally male pursuits from driving to gaming, women still sadly have a long way to go to prove their worth to those that hold such harmful views.

And when it comes to esports it is no different, women-only esport teams are deemed PR moves, and the prevailing view from much of the (vocal) gaming community is that women simply can't compete with men at the top level.

Well, that narrative has been proven completely wrong, as during this weekends European FNCS qualifier, 14-year old Moqii who represents Gen.G, beat some of the game's most accomplished players to finish 1st during Sunday's open qualifier.

The Fortnite star, who hails from Sweden, ended the open qualifier with 94 points, including three wins out of a possible seven and if you didn't know already this season's FNCS is a solo competition - so that's right, she did it all by herself.

The European region is considered the most stacked in the game, and Epic feels the same with the highest prize pools dedicated to a region that features some of the game's best players, we are talking Kyle "Mongraal" Jackson, Kevin "Letshe" Fedjuschkin, Benjy "Benjyfishy" David Fish and Martin "MrSavage" Foss Anderson.

• Read more: FNCS Twitch Drops: Find out how you can get your hands on this season's exclusive cosmetic

While Moqii has elevated her status to unseen heights with this performance however she is no stranger to competitive Fortnite, she has been playing in competitions since early 2019 with her previous highest finish being 11th in Chapter 2, Season 1's Contender Solo Cash Cup. She has even rocked up at LANs with a good performance at DreamHack Anaheim where she made it to Stage 3 - the Grand Finals - ultimately finishing in 44th place.

Gen.G, an esport organisation that spans every major gaming territory in the world, deserves praise for increasing female representation in esports, their Fortnite division, in particular, has put successful female players front and centre, with all five players being female.

(Picture: Gen.G)

Moqii is not the only one who has tasted success, Madison "maddiesun" Mann was the first female to make the Grand Finals of the FNCS when she competed as part of a trio. Tina "TINARAES" Perez, was part of the trio that won the TwitchCon Trios event held in last September.

• Read more: FNCS Chapter 2 Season 3: Schedule, format, prize pool and how to watch

Moqii's performance this weekend though merits special praise, a solo performance in the most competitive region in the game, and at just 14 years of age. And while she doesn't need to, she has proven many wrong, Moqii, and so  many others will hope she can build on this performance to take her place in the Grand Finals.