Despite making up almost half of the gaming community, women gamers represent only 5% of professional gamers, with no women in the top 500 highest overall earners. In 2024, the top woman gamer made 1/20th of the top male gamer's pay after competing in over twice as many tournaments, according to Esports Earnings. Gonna Need Milk is fueling change within professional gaming, giving women gamers a platform and the opportunity to play for the largest women's esports prize pool in North America to address this pay gap directly.
"Our commitment goes beyond words; we actively listen to the gaming community and value their ideas and feedback," says MilkPEP CEO Yin Woon Rani. "Gonna Need Milk has a long legacy of supporting and fueling women athletes. We hope to inspire and motivate young girls and women globally and create a gaming industry that supports and rewards talent."
Milk provides the nutritional foundation for optimal gaming performance, with 13 essential nutrients, including high-quality protein, calcium, zinc, selenium, and vitamins B12 and D. These nutrients are important for brain health and can help support focus, plus protein and B vitamins help provide sustained energy during long gaming sessions. Milk's electrolytes also help gamers stay hydrated. Beyond supporting gamers nutritionally, Gonna Need Milk remains dedicated to creating informed gaming experiences with gamers' input through player-centric games.
The Milk Cup was developed in collaboration with women gamers. Each element was designed to address their unmet needs in professional gaming, offer them a platform, and create a much-needed safe space to compete professionally. Produced by Raidiant's all-women team and in partnership with Women of the eRena (WOTE), the expanded tournament circuit features three majors, leading to an exhilarating in-person grand finals LAN event with a groundbreaking payout of $250,000. To promote community engagement, The Milk Cup will invite participants to compete as trios and is open to over 400 women gamers to extend the opportunity to as many gamers as possible. The majors and grand final will be broadcast on Twitch.
WOTE is one of the largest and longest-running women-only tournaments in gaming. Over the past three years, the WOTE team has provided a supportive community for women in gaming and recognized their perseverance, talent, and skills through fifteen engaging tournaments.
An accomplished esports athlete and WOTE participant, ThePeachCobbler, affectionately known as Peach, helped Gonna Need Milk conceptualize The Milk Cup and will serve as an advisor on the structure and key points of the inaugural tournament.
"I am proud to work with Gonna Need Milk on our shared vision to create unique experiences for women in gaming and give them a stage to shine and showcase their skills," says Peach. "In 2022, I used my earnings to host my first tournament and continue to host tournaments and events with a special focus on providing opportunities for women in the scene. This time, I'm sitting out of the competition and taking an advisory role to be the voice of women gamers and help create a tournament with Gonna Need Milk that will make history."
The Milk Cup celebrates women, while raising awareness for gender inequities in gaming. Starting April 10, gamers can sign up for The Milk Cup pre-qualifiers at gonnaneedmilk.com/gaming. Supporters are encouraged to join the fun and cheer on their favorite gamers with majors and finals broadcasting across eRena's Twitch Channel and follow along at @gonnaneedmilk across social media.
About MilkPep:
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk companies and is dedicated to educating consumers and increasing the consumption of fluid milk. For more information, visit MilkPEP.org.
