Loeya interview: Fnatic's Fortnite streamer on breaking female stereotypes in gaming

It’s no secret that women in gaming face a lot of barriers, negative stereotypes and misogyny, whether they’re a prominent streamer or simply someone who enjoys playing online games like Call of Duty and Fortnite.

However, one prominent Twitch streamer is hopeful that things could finally be changing for the better. We recently got the chance to sit down with the world’s top female Fortnite player, Olivia ‘Loeya’ Sigg, to ask her about her experiences playing and streaming video games as a woman in a heavily male-dominated space. As one of the biggest female streamers, with 1.6 million followers on Twitch at the time of writing, and as one of esports organisation Fnatic’s content creators, she’s thrilled that more and more women are starting to get the confidence to step into the games industry, despite the misogyny that many continue to face.

The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia was recently added to Fortnite - take a look at him in action below.

How would you sum up Fnatic in three words?

Loeya: The first thing that comes to mind is probably very innovative, [...] hardworking, and very humorous and fun. Yeah, those would probably be the words. I think ever since I joined, I feel like everyone over at Fnatic… they're all very open, very fun. There's a lot of nice jokes and memes. It's kind of like having a second family in a lot of ways, which is very nice. And yeah, I think there's a lot of people over there with really brilliant minds, and they come up with really cool ideas.

What is the most exciting thing about being a woman at the top of your game in this space?

I think for me personally, the biggest thing has been to get to break stereotypes, because I feel like ever since I started playing, I would always encounter [people saying things] like, 'Oh, yeah, girls can't play this game', and yada yada. And then I kind of got to tear that apart. I'm not gonna sit here and be like, 'I'm the best, you know, at all the games I'm playing', but I feel like I'm generally pretty decent at most of the games I've played.

I feel like it's been really nice to kind of get to break that really just twisted stereotype that girls can't play certain games just because they're too competitive and whatnot, and just kind of be able to show like, yeah, we can. Don't behave this way. I'd say for me that's probably been the biggest thing and just [getting] to show other girls that, you know, you can do this too.

People are so mean sometimes. I've heard a lot of people being made fun of for liking mobile games, for instance. They'll be like, 'Oh my god, you're a gamer girl and you're playing Candy Crush'. It's still a game. I don't really like this whole gatekeeping mentality. Like, oh, yeah, just because I like this thing, and now you like this thing? Now I have to be weird about it, just because [you like] it too.

What measures do you take to ensure that your gaming experiences are positive?

That's a good question. Personally, I would like to believe that I have a lot of layers of protection. And I think a lot of games are also implementing a lot of ways to [protect yourself] like you can block people, you can mute people, and so forth. And depending on the site, like for instance on Twitch where I stream, you know, I have the option to ban people completely, so they can't participate in the chat anymore. And stuff like that.

I have moderators that will help me to, you know, filter out people that are just coming into the stream and bringing this very weird vibe. It's like, you know, we're trying to have a good time, play the game, enjoy [it], and then, you know, you sometimes just have these little rats, who'll be like, 'Oh, yeah, you suck', or something. And then my mods can just be like, bam, you know, just [get them] out so I don't have to see it.

I think for competitive games like, let's say Valorant or Counter Strike where you have teammates, if I ever play with friends, then I think especially if you're playing with guy friends, and they get to hear this rubbish that you have to take, then usually they will be like, 'Ayo, this is not cool'. And it's almost as if when your guy friends kind of stand up for you, that's when they take it a bit more [seriously]. If you're like, 'Hey, this is not cool', then they're kind of like, 'Yeah, whatever'. But then if another guy's like, 'Yeah, hey, this is not cool', then they're like, 'Oh, sh*t, oh, yeah, maybe we went too far'. Obviously, it should be enough for you to just be like, 'Hey, like, this is not cool', and then just have them acknowledge that and be like, 'Oh, yeah, you're right'. Sadly, we're not there quite yet.

But I would like to believe that, you know, I think that there [is] a lot more research being done and [...] I've seen a lot more people talk about this. I think especially with Valorant kind of rising in popularity, I see a lot more… not only Riot Games, the creators of the game are talking about this a lot, but also other creators and kind of just bringing more attention to the problem.

Loeya via Twitch.

What is the one thing you wish people who aren’t so informed about games would understand about your career?

I'm not gonna sit here and say that streaming is difficult or that content creation is hard, because I very much acknowledge the situation that I'm in, and I'm very grateful for what I have. But of course, streaming comes with its hardships and, you know, challenges. And I think the biggest thing, I dunno, at least for me, is that when you are streaming and just being into content creation, you are your job. So it's kind of hard to take a break from things because [...] you're almost like the product. It's very hard to just kind of step away. Personally, whenever I take time off, my head is still like, 'Okay, what's the next thing I should be doing?', yada yada. So it's very hard to kind of take a break from that.

I also think for me with, you know, a female perspective, it also comes with a lot of harassment and stuff that can have an impact on how safe you're feeling. So I think those are things people probably don't think about so much.

When you are your own boss [...] it can definitely be a bit tricky to take a break. But I think, you know, there are tonnes of jobs out there that are much much harder I think, physically. I feel like streaming is maybe more of a mental thing most of the time.

What does your self care and unwinding routine look like? Fortnite is an adrenaline-inducing game and you might come into contact with some odd characters, so how do you ground yourself after those games?

I mean, you see one of them right here, I have two cats. So a great way for me to relax after I'm done with a stream, I'll usually go and have some dinner and I'll maybe watch a movie, maybe watch some TV shows, and I'll hang out with my cats. And then maybe I'll exercise. I don't do that every day. But y'know, I'm trying, I'm trying to get some exercise in there.

But yeah, I try to do other things that aren't directly connected to my job. Obviously [...] I read business emails, and you know, all that stuff, and plan [streams]. Because streaming isn't just you sitting and playing games, which I guess also kind of goes into your previous question, [something] that people maybe don't quite get is that streaming is so much more than just sitting and playing, since you start talking to other companies and maybe doing sponsorships or other partnerships and it just kind of becomes this additional work thing next to your already existing work.

I think especially for the other part of streaming, like partnerships and that kind of stuff, I think Fnatic has definitely helped me when it comes to that, because they definitely helped me to just kind of navigate the space of it. Because it's very, very different from just streaming, you know. You're sitting and playing games and then all of a sudden you're like talking to brands and so forth. I feel like Fnatic has really helped to just kind of navigate that part of the job.

Loeya via Twitch.

Could you give us three bits of advice for female players who are interested in Fortnite but aren’t sure where to start?

Okay, I think first thing's first, like, it can definitely feel a bit overwhelming, I think especially in Fortnite, just because they offer so many different game modes and so on. I think my best advice would be to probably, right now, give Zero Builds a chance. It's a game mode that, it's Fortnite, just without the building, so you can get a chance to just kind of get accustomed to all the weapons and how the zones work and the perks and so forth.

Then, once you feel like you have that down, my next advice would be to search up some creative maps for building because there are a lot of creative maps where you basically just type in a code, and then you click play, and then you get to go to this... It's kind of like your own game where you [...] can practise building or shooting and like, there's so many options. There's so many maps out there. But yeah, just get yourself one of those, like building practice maps to, you know, kind of get around to like, 'Oh, yeah, this is how I build a wall, this is how I edit it', and then just kind of get to redo that. And then I guess my third advice is to just play. It might be a bit like (exasperated sigh) but I think it's really good to play because the more you do it, the more you get used to it, and I think that's how you will improve in the end.

I think it can definitely feel a bit overwhelming - especially now when Fortnite... like Fortnite has existed for years now, right? Like, people have had half a decade or more to, you know, sit and crank 90s in their room, right? But I think creative maps, now when Creative is a thing that they've added to the game, I think it's great to utilise it because it's just very helpful. For me, it has been really great because you're able to practise without having to go into the game and farm up a bunch of materials and then use them, and then you're out, and then you're like, 'Oh, but I'm not done practising'.

Who would you most like to do a collab with?

I would love to not only play, but just talk to Adele. I think that would be so cool. [...] I feel like I'm a pretty bubbly personality. But I feel like Adele is just... whenever I think of her, I just think of this very energetic, you know, just like a ball full of energy, and I think it would be so much fun to play Fortnite with her. I think it would be so cool. I follow her on social media and everything and every time I see something about her, you know, she's just [got] so much energy, and it feels so good to just get to see that. [...] It just feels good in my heart. [...] So yeah, I think that could be really cool.

Ariana Grande had a collab with Fortnite, she had an event and an entire thing. I think they've had a couple of very high level musicians, actors, et cetera in the game, so that's pretty cool. I would love to play with Adele. I think it'd be sick. Maybe one day. Adele, if you want to play, you know, just call me.

How have things changed for women in the world of games?

I'm just really happy that, you know, females are kind of starting to, I guess, take up a bit more space. Because I feel like, obviously, it's a very male-dominated field. But I'm happy that more girls are starting to kind of just have the confidence to go out and compete with all this. And it's just nice to see that. It's kind of encouraging. Like, when girls do stuff and other girls see it, and then they're like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna do it too'. Then it's like this encouragement train, and I think that's amazing.

I think it's great. In my opinion at least, I feel like in the past when I started, I felt like not only the sites, but also communities would kind of try and pin female creators kind of against each other. And I feel like nowadays, it's much more about girls supporting girls, which I think is really nice. [...] I remember watching some music videos, and it's almost like it was popular for girls to be pinned up against each other and like, that was kind of like the idea of things, and I'm just happy that that's changing round.

(This interview has been edited for clarity.)