Hearthstone player VKLiooon becomes first woman to win BlizzCon championship Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Hearthstone player VKLiooon becomes first woman to win BlizzCon championship "If you believe in yourself, forget your gender and go for it." News by Imogen Beckhelling Contributor Updated on 5 Nov 2019 19 comments Xiaomeng "VKLiooon" Li broke three esports records at BlizzCon this year by becoming both the first woman and the first Chinese player to win a Hearthstone Grandmasters championship, as well as being the first woman to ever win a grand finals trophy at BlizzCon. Li achieved this by defeating US opponent Brian "bloodyface" Eason 3-0 in the final of the Hearthstone Grandmasters event, earning her world champion title and taking home winnings of $200k (around £154k). Esports has long had a problem with the number of women who make it to the highest professional levels, and in an emotional speech after her win, Li had an encouraging message to send to women aspiring to get into the pro scene. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings "Two years ago I remember when I was competing in a huge tournament, I was waiting in line for a sign up and there's this guy telling me you should not be waiting in line here, it's not for you," she said. "Now today I'm here with all the support from the fans." "I want to say to all the girls out there who have a dream for esports, for competition, for glory - if you wanna do it and you believe in yourself, you should just forget your gender and go for it." "This is the best way to strike back at those people who doubted me only because I am a girl. It proves that girls can be strong pro players, just as guys do." - Xiaomeng "VKLiooon" Li pic.twitter.com/1PQczUHwim- Hearthstone Esports (@HSesports) November 2, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store