Our first female gamer under the spotlight is Annie "Ecstacy" Leung, SK Gaming visitors might remember Ecstacy as SK Gaming recently announced her addition to the Team Evil Geniuses’ Unreal Tournament III roster.

Ecstacy is a 23 year old student and currently studying Economics at the University of California, Berkeley while at the same time pursuing a dream in the gaming world.

According to Team EG manager Alex Garfield's she is " the first girl in eSports history to start for an otherwise all-male team at the top of its respective game." Aside from UT3 she is also in the running for the G4 Gamer casting as well as a handy Guitar Hero III player recently winning a case of red bull at a local 32-man tournament at her University, in which she was the only girl.

Malystryx: Simple question, why the username Ecstacy?

Ecstasy: I actually use to go by a different username, Barbi3. Most of the people in the UT community know me as that name but I felt it did not really suit my personality, plus the name has been used by other gamers.

I chose Ecstacy because it wasn’t used by anyone in the UT community and it wasn’t too girly either. I also wanted a fresh start with a new game. However, I do get asked a lot if I have ever done the drug ecstasy, and just to clarify once and for all, the answer is no.

Malystryx: Many SK users might have first heard your name with our news of your addition to team EG, what was the general response from users to this news; did you suddenly have more fans?

Ecstasy: The general response was really positive and a lot of people liked the idea of a co-ed team. I think most people are happy for me and like seeing more female gamers, especially in the fps genre. If I did have more fans, I didn’t really notice it. I might be more well-known overseas though since there is also a big UT community there.

Malystryx: You’ve mentioned before that you’ve also suffered a lot of abuse from the community, what form did this take and how have you dealt with it?

Ecstasy: The abuse comes mostly in the form of sexism. A lot of players have egos, and when they get beaten by a girl, their attitudes and behaviour changes into hostility and resentment. I think since I have always been the only girl openly playing competitively and am now on a sponsored team,

I have been an easy target for people to abuse. I get a lot of hate messages that are unbelievably repulsive, demeaning, and sexist.

The best way that I have learned to deal with it is just to ignore and block these kinds of people out of my life. I don’t have time for people who try to put me down.

Malystryx: How are you dealing with your rising popularity, I found you to be extremely down to earth, has it not struck you yet or do you just do well to stay grounded?

Ecstasy: Being on EG has definitely made me more well-known in the eSports community. Although, it hasn’t really struck me yet since it is the internet. Even if it did sink in, I don’t think anything will change on my end. I am very down to earth and generally a laid back person.

I do want the focus of my popularity to be for the right reasons though, which hopefully is for my skills rather than just my looks.

Life

Malystryx: Let’s just leave gaming aside for a while, if you had to describe yourself to a stranger what would you say?

Ecstasy: I’m your typical California girl. I love shopping, dining out, and partying with friends.

I’m a quiet person when you first get to know me but I come out of my shell once I’m more familiar with you. I love to laugh so I generally like to hangout with people who have a good sense of humor.

I consider myself a big nerd as I’ve always been into school, and now gaming. I am also very competitive in every aspect of life, whether its school, sports, or video games. Overall, I think I’m a caring person with conservative views.

Malystryx: What does Ecstasy do aside from gaming? Do you go to school or university?

Ecstasy: Yes, I am a full time student at the University of California, Berkeley. I am finishing up there, majoring in Economics. School and gaming has recently taken over my life, so I like to hangout with my friends when I get the chance.

Malystryx: Any sporting activities, local teams for example, now or in the past?

Ecstasy: In high school, I was a cheerleader believe it or not. I did that for 5 years and competed nationally. I also was on the track team and swim team.

Malystryx: Does Ecstasy have any favourite hobbies?

Ecstasy: I love playing the piano. I’ve played since I was six and the benefits of it have crossed over into gaming as well, especially with Guitar Hero. I also love snowboarding and skiing too. I try to go every season if I can.

Malystryx: What kind of music are you into? Do you listen to a particular music to get you into killing mode?

Ecstasy: I actually don’t listen to any music when I play. But I can listen to everything normally. I mostly listen to metal, and rock which does get me pumped before a game.

Malystryx: How much do your family know about your gaming? Do you tell your friends etc…?

Ecstasy: Gaming was always my secret indulgence. I never told my friends and my family didn’t really care. My friends until recently didn’t know I even liked video games and that I had been playing for years.

Female Gaming

Malystryx: Let’s move onto female gaming, are there any other females competing at the same level as you in UT3?

Ecstasy: No not that I know of. I don’t say that because I’m that arrogant but rather because there aren’t any other females who play UT3 competitively.

Malystryx: How much of a deal is female gaming to you, do you believe it will grow naturally or do you think it really needs some women to carry the torch? If so are you one of them in your eyes?

Ecstasy: I think it will grow naturally but having some women carry the torch will definitely help it increase faster. Society needs to change their views on gaming as being more masculine. It isn’t a sport that requires physical strength or a particular body type.

Men and women are on equal playing fields when it comes to gaming. I think to have gaming appeal to more women, female gamers should be put more in the spotlight to create an image that gaming is for everyone, not just men.

Malystryx: What in your opinion is stopping female gaming from progressing? Do you think the “sex sells marketing” of some companies is hindering its development?

Ecstasy: What I think is stopping females from playing FPS games competitively is perhaps the community. At least in my community, it is very hostile and difficult to break into the cliques. There is also the stereotype that women aren’t good at games. Hence in game taunts like “you shoot like a girl.”

In my experience, players will help a female gamer out only to a certain point.

Once they start beating them, they stop giving support. Not to mention, any female gamer who makes herself known and steps foot in the community will probably either be hassled by other players looking to get on her good side or be criticized and attack by other male players.

I don’t think that marketing sex is hindering its development. A female gamer can be attractive and good at gaming, except the emphasis shouldn’t be on her looks but rather her skills and accomplishments.

I believe a female gamer should be held to the same standards as other male gamers. If she isn’t placing or winning, then she shouldn’t get attention for losing and “doing well for a girl.”

Malystryx: You’re obviously a very attractive lady, do you or would you accept EG to “market” you as such?

Ecstasy: I don’t have a problem with it because I have skill as well to back it up. The focus is on me being a pro gamer, not just an attractive female who happens to play video games. Gaming is first, everything else comes second.

Malystryx: Do you think there is anyway for female gamers to avoid this kind of attention? Or do you think it is crucial in order for female gaming to gain interest and backing?

Ecstasy: The only way for females to avoid the attention on their looks is by shifting the attention to her gaming skills. If a female gamer, took first place at a major tournament event, I think everybody would respect her for her talent.

I also think advertising can be helpful when done in a proper way. It is important to advertising the right kind of person who will improve the female gamer image rather than reinforce the stereotypes that female gamers are only good for their looks.

Gaming

Malystryx: So as we’ve touched on before you joined team EG, you’re the only female in the line-up do you think you are treated differently or are you just “One of the guys”?

Ecstasy: I am definitely “one of the guys.” My teammates are respectful and they see me as a player, not as the girl on the team. We all get along very well and have become really close friends. Stryfe was one of the few people who saw the potential in me and have helped me improve tremendously since.

Malystryx: Does EG encourage any kind of training routines, for example specific times you should train together?

Ecstasy: We all have busy schedules outside of gaming so sometimes it is hard to get everyone together to play on a specific day. We try to work around everyone’s schedule to play together as much as possible. I’m the only relatively new player to the roster, as these guys have been playing together for years in previous teams since UT2003.

Malystryx: How about yourself, do you try to have a specific regime or are there certain rituals that help you get in a good frame of mind for a match? For example a special drink, removing clutter from your desk, a lucky mascot teddy etc..

Ecstasy: Before a match, I try to not play the game too much and wear myself out. I also don’t like getting too caught up in rituals as it can sometimes be a negative thing when I can’t have everything I want, for example at a LAN tournament.

The only thing I do before a game right now is to make sure to turn my heater on as my fingers are frozen from how cold it is during the winter.

Malystryx: How did you get into gaming? Has it always been FPS? Did you play UT99, Ut2004 and then move to UT3?

Ecstasy: I got into gaming with UT2004. At the time I really wanted to learn an fps game, didn’t matter which one. My friend happens to send me the demo of UT2k4 and I have been playing nonstop ever since.

Malystryx: What tournaments have you competed in and what are your upcoming events?

Ecstasy: I’ve competed in a few online tournaments such as the 50 Calibre 1v1 tournament, Rise to Glory duel tourney, and the North American quick cup. Upcoming events include PDXLAN in Portland and possibly the i33 festival in UK.

Malystryx: Do you use 1337 speak? If not why not and if so do you find you using gaming vocabulary in real life? For example after Warcraft3 gaming I tend to use the word “mass” or “owned” without noticing.

Ecstasy: Yes, I do use 1337 speak and it is habit I have been trying to break for a while as I come off very awkward in front of my non-gamer friends when I say “lawlz” or call someone a “newb.”

Final Questions:

Malystryx: So is gaming still a hobby to you?

Ecstasy: Yes gaming is still very much a hobby to me. Being involved in a community for so many years is hard to break away from, especially when I have made so many friends. I love playing video games, whether its pc or console and I will be playing casually for many years to come.

Malystryx: 2008 has just begun, what do you hope to achieve in terms of gaming and in terms of life goals?

Ecstasy: In terms of gaming, I hope to see UT3 get picked up by a major tournament. It has so much potential and I would hate to see it go to waste.

Individually, I’d like to see myself place top 3 amongst other top male competitors at a tournament.

As a team, I hope we can maintain our position at the top of the North American scene and if there is a chance, to rival the European teams as well.

Malystryx: Any last words or shoutouts?

Ecstasy: I’d like to thank my teammates and managers and everyone else who has helped me be in the position that I am in now. I want to give EG and its sponsors (Intel, Razer, Stoked Energy, and Killer NIC) props for being the first organization to have a mixed-gender team and setting an example for the gaming community.