by Lia Weisbecker-Lotz
Growing up playing a lot of video games, I noticed the lack of female representation to be a regular issue in the gaming community. Even now, a majority of gamers that I watch are men, and I hate that. There are a lot of women who play video games but aren’t often given the opportunity to be seen without judgment— or at all. In fact, there is currently a myth going around the internet that women have it easier on platforms like Twitch. However, studies have shown that it’s actually harder to get consistent views as a female streamer and you’re likely to get paid less. This is clearly shown by the small number of women included in the lists of the most followed Twitch channels, as well as the “fake gamer girl” stereotype that continues to be popular in the gaming community. I want to start trying to change not only the lack of support for female gamers but the idea that it’s so easy for them to be successful. Therefore, here is my list of underrated female streamers in the gaming community.
Xocheergurlox
Streams: Call of Duty (Cold War, Warzone, etc.)
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
Image from Twitch
For years, Call of Duty has been a staple of the gaming community, and while there were so many CoD female streamers to choose from, I think xocheergurlox is one of the greatest ones to watch. Cheer only started playing the game in 2020, but has quickly grown upon her skills in the first-person shooter. As many know, CoD has one of the most toxic communities, with players regularly using derogatory and offensive language, but Cheer manages to face it head-on with plenty of laughs and sticking to her guns (pun intended). She never takes the game or herself too seriously, a fresh breath from plenty of other CoD gamers. Cheer also regularly plays with people in her community and is incredibly encouraging to those who are also new to or may not be very skilled at the game.
https://www.twitch.tv/xocheergurlox
Ohitsrobinm
Streams: A variety of horror games
Schedule: Varies
Image from Twitch
Ohitsrobinm is a horror streamer that plays a ton of different horror games, a majority of which are indie games. And she is shockingly fearless, not in the “oh a horror fan who’s desensitized to creepy environments,” but in the fact that a jump scare will never get to her. Even when she’s interacting with chat or distracted. Robin treats each game as a puzzle and is genuinely hilarious each time she encounters a monster. She calls out the clichés in each game and manages to still make the experience fun. Robin is super sweet, starting off each of her streams asking her audience what good things have happened to them that day. She’s also willing to go to the chat for guidance on games, which is so nice after years of watching horror gamers struggle and simply give up on a game. Robin does her best to stream most days and uses her Discord to inform people of when she is going to do so.
https://www.twitch.tv/ohitsrobinm
WURLDSTARR
Streams: Minecraft, Papa’s Wingeria, Poptropica, Stardew Valley, etc.
Schedule: Almost every day
Image from Twitch
Wurldstarr is truly a unique twitch streamer. While she does do a strange variety of things on her streams (like her Christmas in March stream), I included her on this list for the large amount of gaming content she does. Wurld has played a lot of games that many people associate with their childhood: Poptropica, Oregon Trail, Hunger Games Simulator, etc. It’s really rare to see someone play, let alone stream, games that have fallen under the shadow of time. But Wurld is pretty rare herself. She loves to share her funny opinions and inside jokes that she shares with her community without shame, often leading to teasing and hilarity as the chat does the same. Watching her streams is like being with a best friend, you’re just hanging out and having fun. She currently has two ongoing series with the games Minecraft and Papa’s Wingeria.
https://www.twitch.tv/wurldstarr
Monoduchess
Streams: Valorant, League of Legends, Apex, Dating Sims, Genshin Impact, etc.
Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
Monoduchess is an LGBT+ streamer that plays a lot of different games and makes art.
Image from Twitch
They’re incredible at keeping steady conversations flowing between them and the chat, even when playing competitive games. Mono is another streamer that focuses more on having fun than winning and they’re extremely delightful, greeting everyone that joins their streams and giving shout-outs to other streamers. One of the best things about Mono is that they’re pretty open about their emotions and struggles with being a streamer. They also encourage people to play games, despite the toxic communities that exist around them. Mono really is just another person that’s really fun to watch and hang out with. They’re also a streamer that’s willing to try new things, an example being a recent stream of them trying out Minecraft Bedwars for the first time.
https://www.twitch.tv/monoduchess
LeeshCapeesh
Streams: Dead By Daylight, GTA V, Dying Light, The Walking Dead, etc.
Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
Image from Twitch
LeeshCapeesh is largely a survival/horror game streamer but she plays a variety of games. Her streams are super chill, with a lot of them focusing more on her interaction with the chat and other players. Leesh has this really cool feature in her stream where chat can use commands to play certain sounds. It’s an awesome and hilarious way for the chat and Leesh to react to things in the stream. Although a lot of the survival games she plays can be repetitive, she never fails to make her streams so much fun. Whether it’s through somehow befriending the monster or showing off her skills, Leesh brings a lot of humor to games meant to stress you out. She has amazing reactions to stressful scenarios and there’s never a moment of negativity.
https://www.twitch.tv/leeshcapeesh
Maddieshortcake
Streams: Animal Crossing, Genshin, Calico, Breath of the Wild, etc.
Schedule: Wednesdays, Sundays, sometimes Fridays and Saturdays
Image from Twitch
Maddieshortcake is a “cute streamer,” as she calls herself. She tends to play games that offer not only a cute aesthetic but comfort and positivity. Maddie herself is incredibly positive, always excited to see everyone on her streams and start conversations with them. She does her best to greet each person who joins her and regularly asks for their pronouns and names. Maddie does her best to stream three days out of the week and regularly interacts with her community in her Discord (which she lovingly refers to as “the land of sweets”). Her unabashed joy at all things cute and Barbie is a welcome comfort on Twitch. She is currently working on building a 2000s Barbie movies-themed Animal Crossing island.
https://www.twitch.tv/maddieshortcake
Sources: The Esa, Set Up Gamers, Toward Data Science, The Next Web, Twitch Metrics, Know Your Meme, ADL, Twitch, Discord
Images: Twitch
Featured Image: Taylor Sheridan
