Bristol Artist Mélaine Virot Wins Guild Gaming’s Mural Contest Celebrating Women in Gaming

Guild Gaming has officially revealed the winner of its women-in-gaming mural competition - and her work’s already towering over Shoreditch.

31-year-old Bristol-based artist Mélaine Virot took the top spot with her vibrant, anime-inspired design that now covers the front of the Sky Guild Gaming Centre, right across from Shoreditch High Street station.

The mural is a visual celebration of women in gaming, featuring expressive female players alongside their in-game avatars, complete with role wheels, health bars, and all the dynamic energy you'd expect from the real thing. For her winning submission, Virot takes home £2,000 and lands a spot on Guild’s creative freelance roster.

"Gaming is a space where women can fully express themselves,” said Mélaine. "I wanted each character to feel bold, unique, and unapologetically active — blooming into the space they take up."

The mural competition was part of The Lobby Powered by Sky Broadband, Guild’s ongoing initiative to support and spotlight women in the UK gaming scene. Alongside Mélaine, Emily Walton and Kimberley Uguru were named highly commended finalists and each received £500 for their standout submissions.

A panel of judges made up of women from across the industry - including Talia Mar, Eneni Bambara-Abban (Anime & Chill), and reps from both Sky and Guild - chose the winners.

"The Lobby has always been about celebrating and empowering women in gaming,” said Merika Vine, Head of Partnerships at Guild. “Mélaine’s work captures that spirit with incredible style.”

More Than a Mural: What’s Next for The Lobby

The mural is just one part of The Lobby, a multi-part programme that includes:

• The Lobby League – A competitive circuit with a £50,000 prize pool spread across four major titles

• The Lobby Live – In-person community events hosted at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre

• The Lobby Studio – A space offering pro streaming setups and tools to help aspiring women creators level up

Next up:

• Lobby Live returns on Thursday, 31 July

• Marvel Rivals online qualifiers kick off Saturday, 26 July, with finals on 9 August

• A Lobby Studio Masterclass lands Thursday, 17 July — a half-day crash course led by some of the UK’s top women creators

Want to learn more or get involved? Check out guildesports.com/womeningaming for upcoming events and initiatives.