The gaming industry has historically been dominated by men. Despite the fact that women constitute a growing proportion of gamers, they still face barriers, harassment, and toxicity when they log on. While women and non-binary gamers face hardships, changes are being made, with women creating spaces where they can exist, play, and ultimately thrive. It’s catching on with brands, too. With activations at the Streamy Awards earlier this month, Benefit Cosmetics secured its foothold in the streaming space by launching its Game Face program in 2020 to spotlight women in gaming whose interests intersect with beauty.
Shannon and Kaycee were invited by Benefit to attend the Streamys, and as part of the next generation of gamers getting their start and slowly building their following, they’re making the jump to professional gaming full-time. Therefore, you should probably get to know them.
BadGalShay aka Shayne
Shayne started gaming at the age of 19 and streams under the name BadGalShay.
28-year-old Shayne from Austin, Texas discovered variety streaming, which was the start of her obsession with video games.
Despite coming from a family of gamers and starting herself when she was so young, Shayne wasn’t always convinced that gaming was a viable career path or that she could find her place in it, because even among her friends it was still considered something only for guys.
Playing mostly with her brother’s friends and male cousins, Shayne’s foray into streaming was kind of accidental. She’s currently playing GTA RP and Apex Legends. They were in disbelief that a girl could own them when she played Destiny against a team of guys (whom she would later befriend).
She quit her part-time job working in a deli in 2019 to become a full-time content creator
Her Twitch following exceeds 160,000 after three years of streaming professionally. She currently has 13000 followrs on instagram.
kayceeedilla aka Kaycee
The San Diego-based streamer Kaycee, also known as Kayceeedilla, didn’t initially see a place in gaming for herself. As a first-generation Asian American gamer born into a military family (Kaycee’s dad was in the Navy, as was her brother), she began gaming at four, only briefly taking a break when she joined the Navy seven years ago.
Kaycee is a competitive gamer and beauty blogger who has increasingly melded her two passions (her cosplay and wig selections are next level).
Despite feeling inadequacy and dealing with comments from men online, Kaycee and Shayne agree that the industry isn’t as male-dominated as it once was. Before, it was more like a Boys Club, Shayne says. “It’s nice to see more females in the industry, proving that there are girls out there who can wipe out an entire squad, be hyperfocused, and still compete with the boys.”