Originally Published: 24th December 2021 on eGG Network

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“If I wasn’t a streamer, I’d be a Tesla-driving Uber driver,” said Chun Lin, or better known to his fans as VeryTJ (飛常天真) on Facebook Gaming. There was something about driving that fascinated the Taiwanese streamer as it became his go-to answer for a few questions we had throughout the interview. When he wasn’t being serious, his fun and jovial demeanour brought a lot of laughter to the conversation.

“My nickname, ‘Fēi cháng tiānzhēn’ is a reminder myself to not be naive. It’s a name I’ve used for a very long time. However, I am still a naive guy,” he said when asked about his nickname. Based on the success he’s had as a streamer so far, it doesn’t look like he’s as naive as he thinks.

The 33-year-old Facebook Gaming Creator, who has been streaming for many years, worked a lot of different jobs before transitioning into a full-time content creator – his last job being a security guard. When the opportunity came knocking, he accepted without hesitation, said the long term gamer who remembers playing Stone Age Online (the 1999 MMO) as one of his first games. He then transitioned to other games like Lineage and League of Legends as he grew older and it was the former title that helped him kickstart his streaming career.

Being part of the service industry, he felt that he had the skills for the task. “Both jobs require you to connect with people, and since I was good at that, I felt I could be a streamer.” He wasn’t wrong, people instantly noticed how charismatic he was. Unlike streamers who get recognized for raging, it was his positivity that helped him build a fanbase. He attracted folks who enjoyed his jolly vibes. “In the beginning, I had a lot of viewers who told me that I had very positive energy and they encouraged me to go keep streaming.”

“The best part about streaming is when I pull off skilful moves or outplays, emotions are high for me and my viewers, and we get hyped together!” However, the good comes with the bad and it’s not always rosy in chat. “Once in a while, I’ll get passersby who watch me fail and flame me or compare me to other streamers – I hate that!” Fortunately, since switching to Facebook Gaming, he’s been dealing with a more peaceful and less toxic chat.

Some people have even insulted him for his appearance, which has led VeryTJ to turn off his camera for most of his streams on Facebook. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to rely on his looks to keep his audiences’ attention. “When there is no camera, the quality of the stream is not dependent on my looks. Viewers will watch because of the gameplay.”

And it’s no coincidence that gameplay is the main focus of VeryTJ’s stream. The former League of Legends player who switched to Arena of Valor is good at what he does. If he’s so good, why doesn’t he go pro then? We asked and he joked that he felt he was too old to play professionally and he would starve as an esports athlete – apparently, they aren’t paid well enough. Fortunately for him, he has his streaming career and a loyal fanbase to keep him going.

“When I started, the most difficult part was finding out what was special about myself. How was I going to catch the attention of viewers? I had to discover what was my selling point.” Eventually, he discovered he had the knack to make people laugh and the skills to outplay his opponents – which has carried him thus far.

Chun Lin intends to keep streaming for a very long time – until people don’t want to watch him anymore. Then he’d start anew as an Uber driver or launch a talent agency to help streamers grow their career. He wants to help people out with all the knowledge he had to learn on his own – like figuring out how to grow an audience.

“For people who want to start streaming on YouTube or Twitch – as long as your family is rich enough, you can do it,” he said in jest and promptly followed with sincere advice, “if you want to stream, think of it as a hobby. If you stream as a hobby, you’ll be more passionate about it and you can go further. If you do it for income, you will take it as a job, which will negatively affect your stream.”

To his fans, he concluded the interview with a message of thanks, “if there is no them, there is no me.” And though he might not get recognized in public right now, he might be a familiar face in the rearview mirror of a rideshare car you get in next time.

In the meantime, check out VeryTJ live on Facebook Gaming, and stay tuned to eGG Network for more interviews with your favourite Creators!

Originally Published: 17th December 2021 on eGG Network

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At first glance, Mita doesn’t look like the kind of person who likes sticking blades into the hearts of her opponents but after spending a few minutes watching her stream, I immediately changed my mind. Despite her cheery and coy demure, Mita doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to slicing up enemies standing in her path to Glory – and yes, we’re talking about Naraka: Bladepoint – a game she’s been streaming almost every day since discovering it this year.

Mita is a unique Facebook Creator. Unlike most of her fellow streamers, she wasn’t a gamer from a very young age. The Taiwanese streamer’s first foray into gaming was in college, where she was introduced to the dancing game, Audition Online. The game’s simplistic and rhythmic controls were enough to kickstart her interest in the hobby. Being able to beat other people in the lobby was a taste of things to come – it awakened a competitive spirit inside her.

Shortly after, Mita was introduced to League of Legends, a game with which she fell in love immediately. The 5v5 Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) checked all the right boxes for her, and she couldn’t stop playing it. Mita would even bring her laptop to work to hop into some games during her free time when she was a cosmetics salesperson at a department store. LoL was her life, so it was fitting that it ignited her streaming career.

“Back then, my friends suggested that I give streaming a try since I was always staying home and playing LoL,” she admitted. Instead of going out to party and have fun like other people her age, she was more of a homebody. With no idea of what to expect, she took her friends’ advice and broadcast her gameplay on Twitch. There weren’t many Taiwanese female streamers playing LoL during that era and with her streaming 8 hours a day, it didn’t take long to build a loyal following.

After finding success as a streamer, Mita turned it into her full-time job by signing with a talent agency and leaving sales behind. Having an agency let her focus on what she enjoyed doing – streaming and playing games – while they handled everything else. It also opened additional opportunities for the streamer, landing her photoshoots, brand deals and more. The fact that she had people to help style, plan videos and write scripts was the icing on the cake.

It’s been a number of years since Mita’s transition to a full-time streamer, and she’s gone through a few changes since then. Instead of only streaming LoL, Mita branched into other games and occasionally treated her audience to live singing performances – the latter being a suggestion by her talent agency as a way for her to stand out from the competition.

The reception to her singing was encouraging, and it gave Mita the confidence to release a number of high-effort music videos, which also demonstrated her acting skills.

To prove that she can be successful anywhere she wanted, Mita made the decision to switch streaming platforms earlier this year. Leaving her Twitch account behind, she jumped to Facebook where she rebuilt her fanbase. Her most loyal supporters followed her, of course, but it didn’t take long for her to hit the same heights she was capable of. People followed Mita wherever she went.

Speaking of following – Mita mentioned that she is constantly recognized in public, even with a mask on. “One time I went to 7-Eleven with a motorcycle helmet on and a fan noticed me!” While she’s gotten used to the fame, she remains thankful to all her fans. Without them, she wouldn’t be living this dream life. Mita believes her success comes from the way she treats her viewers.

“If you recognize someone who watches your stream many times, the viewer will think ‘oh this streamer remembers me’ and they will come back to watch you,” says Mita, who spent her early days as a streamer welcoming every single viewer to her channel. The fact that she also enjoys making new friends while gaming made the task easy to accomplish.

Mita enjoys streaming because she makes a living doing it and she’s happy that she can make a living as a streamer. This self-fulfilling cycle is what keeps the Facebook Gaming Creator going. However, not everything is perfect in her world – if there’s one thing she dislikes about streaming, it’s dealing with haters and negative people. She’s at a point where she can easily rise above the toxicity, but she struggled with it at the beginning of her career. Another challenge she had to overcome was winning her parents’ support – something Mita accomplished only after she started making a stable income.

Overall she’s had more good experiences than bad, involving her viewers. In fact, Mita’s fondest memories of her career are the online singing sessions with her audience and the parties she would occasionally host for her friends and fans to hang out together in person. Talk about down to earth! It’s not every day you hear about streamers hosting get-togethers for their viewers.

In the future, Mita wants to do more singing and hanging out streams. She’s also considering getting back into LoL (she stopped playing the game after the demise of the Taiwanese league (LMS) and her friends switched to China’s servers). She also wants to upgrade her streaming room and equipment.

We asked her to give some advice to upcoming streamers and she responded, “stream because it’s a hobby, don’t think of it as a way to make money. If you have that attitude to make money instead, you’ll stream with stress, which is not good for the viewers to watch you stressed out – they won’t follow you if your stream is unenjoyable.”

To her loyal fans, she concludes, “thank you for your support even though I don’t stream LoL anymore!” Catch Mita live on her Facebook Page, check out her videos on YouTube and stay tuned to eGG Network for more interviews with your favourite Facebook Gaming Creators!

Originally Published: 6th November 2021 on eGG Network

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How many people do you know would give up a career travelling across the world for something as mundane as sitting in a room to play video games all day? Few, seeing how exciting life in the air and in other countries can be, especially during a time where we’re all chained to our homes thanks to the pandemic. Li Shun Yang or better known as ShunYeungHD to his fans is one such person. In fact, the Hongkonger quit his day job as a flight attendant many years ago because he didn’t have enough time to focus on streaming!

Starting out as an unknown streamer about six years ago, he grew from playing ARK: Survival Evolved for minute crowds to him soiling his pants running from ghosts and demons for his legion of fans. If that sounds familiar to you because of a particular Swedish YouTuber that we all know, you’re not wrong.

“One of the major people I looked up to was PewDiePie, he’s the reason I got into streaming,” Shun Yang reflected. When he found his audience growing after streaming spooky titles, amongst other things, he decided that would be his new path. What began as a pastime turned into an opportunity to make a living, it was a happy accident. Fortunately, for him and his fans – if he wasn’t working as a streamer, he’d likely be a government servant for the immigration department (a job he had rejected after becoming a full-time streamer).

But, it hasn’t been a completely smooth journey for him. For one, he’s streaming without the encouragement of his family. Despite them tuning into his streams occasionally, they haven’t given him their full blessing to pursue this career. The best he can do for now is build his own success in hopes of changing their minds.

Though the sports buff (who enjoys gymming, swimming and travelling) didn’t find it difficult to be in front of the camera, he found it even more awkward to have it on while nobody was watching. Having little to no audience was one of the biggest challenges ShunYeungHD had to overcome when he was a fledgeling but fortuitously, he had friends to rely on. By making appearances on the streams of popular content creators like Songsen, Laowu, JP and Lunacy Hollow, he was able to tap into their fanbase to grow his own audience.

Making content relevant to your audience is important, especially when you’re still growing. And putting out the right content at the right time can give you a boost in traffic. ShunYeungHD is notable for having a lot of Malaysian fans, despite not being one himself, due to his series of vlogs during his time in the country. It also helped that the crossover audiences from his friends’ streams were Malaysian. Another thing he had to do was learn to edit his own videos.

“Having VODs or highlights on your channel are important for growth. I had to learn how to edit videos by following online tutorials. It’s important to have all these basic skills first or you’ll be very lost when starting out,” said Shun Yang on advice for newcomers to streaming. “Competition is very tough right now, so let your personality shine to stand out.”

Just like every other popular streamer out there, ShunYeungHD has his fair share of haters. Despite what many people think, streamers do read what people write in chat, and sometimes the comments he receives bring him down. Regardless, he’s determined to not let it stop him from doing what he loves. Yet, he did mention, if he ever stops streaming one day, he wants to remain in the gaming industry – probably in the backend of esports.

ShunYeungHD, who is based in China and sometimes Hong Kong, relies on VPNs to stream on Facebook. When asked why he chose this approach despite the multitude of Chinese streaming platforms available, he replied that he found the audience on Facebook more challenging to engage, which gives him the motivation to do better. He’s also a fan of variety, preferring to create content for various games instead of only one, which explains the plethora of games he streams on his channel.

He may not be the biggest streamer yet, but if he keeps up his growth and working mindset, he’s bound to go places. To his supporters, he offers his gratitude and thanks to them for accompanying him on this journey so far, and to his fans in Malaysia – he promises he’ll drop by to visit once the pandemic is over.

Catch ShunYeungHD streaming live on Facebook or his VODs on YouTube. Stay tuned to eGG Network for more in-depth profiles of your favourite streamers!

Originally Published: 19th September 2021 on eGG Network

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Chhineneang Leangmeng, better known as Noobie GMK, is one of the biggest Facebook Gaming Creators in Cambodia. Over the past five years, the twenty-four-year-old from Prey Veng province has managed to amass over six hundred thousand followers on the platform and it doesn’t look like he’s stopping anytime soon. Every time you tune into his channel, you can expect to see a cheerful, jovial boy, having a good time in front of the camera – be it swinging swords in Naraka Bladepoint or driving long distances in Euro Truck Simulator or shooting down opponents in PUBG.

However, things weren’t always this peachy for the young Khmer. He had to work hard, in the beginning, to establish a following – back when he was a nobody and was dabbling in content creation for fun. Noobie’s foray into the scene started with his YouTube channel, where he shared videos of him playing games with his friends and online acquaintances. “At that time, I only got 1-5 viewers! And they were just from my mates. But day by day, our number of views grew,” he recalled.

With his YouTube channel gaining traction, he found opportunities to be part of the esports scene when he organized and casted a Vainglory tournament from his own bedroom. It was from that point onwards when the doors flew open for him and his esports career took off. Since then, he has organized and casted many tournaments for various games, such as Rules of Survival and PUBG (PC and Mobile) for brands like ASUS and Huawei.

However, his time in esports is coming to an end, he admitted during the interview. “My career in esports is almost over because I have a lot outside work (his regular job). But I have noticed that the esports scene in Cambodia has gotten much better recently, and there are many other people who are getting involved in the industry.”

A New Leaf

Unlike a lot of streamers we have interviewed in the past, Noobie GMK isn’t a full-time content creator. When he’s not in front of his computer at home, he’s in front of a computer elsewhere, doing his job as an IT security specialist. Thanks to his steady job, he makes good use of his stream income by spending it on people in need. “Since I’m supported through Facebook Stars from fans every month, I always collect those Stars to help those who are weak or needy such as homeless people. Especially every year on my birthday, I buy books and supplies to help schools in rural areas.”

His generosity stems from the fact that he grew up in a low-income household, where he went through the struggles of living frugally. “I am not the son of a rich family. My mother was a factory worker and my father was a motorcycle repairman. But they really worked hard for me and I thank them for making me who I am today.”

“When I was a child, I was the kid who was disobedient to teachers and my parents, I liked to make my own decisions! But when I grew older, I realized I was actually being a nuisance and after that, I vowed to myself that I will repay them for all the trouble I had caused. Today, I do what I can to alleviate the burden of my family by buying groceries, paying for the car, bills and so on. All I want to do is to see them happy and smiling.”

When Noobie was in fourth grade, his cousin, an expert in computers, taught him everything he knew about the subject. This turned out to be a momentous point in the young boy’s life as he became fascinated with computers and the world of tech. In tenth grade, he got his first gig writing about tech which led him down the path of gaming, esports, and where he is today. “Games changed my life,” is a motto Noobie lives by, and is something that has stayed relevant to him till today.

Like many parents in this part of the world, they found it hard to accept Noobie’s decision to game for a career. Streaming wasn’t a thing back then (and still isn’t widely accepted yet), so it was difficult to garner their support. But after putting in the effort, work and hours, he achieved his goals of being a successful content creator and they are now fully backing him.

Life As A Streamer

Noobie GMK didn’t have many people to look up to when he was starting out as a streamer. He didn’t have anyone to help or guide him in his circle. He felt like the only one in Cambodia doing it and had to explain to a lot of people what being a streamer meant. However, this obstacle had a silver lining – it allowed Noobie to do what he loved: share information with the public.

While he was already reaching out to people through his tech-focused blog (which he claims was in Alexa’s top 10 during its heyday), streaming allowed him to reach out to an even wider audience, especially after he gained recognition through the tournaments he organized. Fun fact, the letters in (Noobie) GMK stand for Game, Meng (part of his name) and Knowledge/Khmer – not to be confused with GMK electronic design GMBH! From the very beginning, he already had a goal to spread knowledge. Since he was the one who was a self-made expert on the topic, he could be the one that people turned to, he helped a lot of people who needed advice about starting a stream and continues to do so.

Though he enjoys how streaming has improved the gaming community in Cambodia, he has some problems with it as well. Noobie dislikes streamers who use inappropriate words on stream and show unscrupulous content to attract attention. He is also tired of the perceptions of gaming being criminal in the country. He’s trying to change all that by setting an example. Noobie also makes sure that any sponsorship deals he accepts fall in line with his goals. “Do not demand attention. Find your true fans – that is better than any other traction which won’t allow you to grow in the future. As a streamer, we should share and show good things to our fans!”

Noobie is happy with how things are going now – he can fulfil his dreams, has a decent income, and loves what he is doing – but he’s not about to rest on his laurels just yet. His current goal is to hit a million Facebook followers within 2022.

“Finally, I would like to thank you for your support from the beginning till today. I am lucky to have and know all of you and I hope you continue to support me like this for the rest of my career.”

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Tune in to Noobie GMK’s streams – every day, 6 PM (GMT+8) onwards on Facebook Gaming and check out his videos on YouTube. For more interviews and features on your favourite Facebook Gaming creators, stay tuned to eGG Network!

Originally Published: 7th November 2020 on eGG Network

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If you had told Rinal “Giin” Shah he was going to make a living as a Facebook Gamer a year ago, he would have called you crazy. Fast forward to earlier this year when the pandemic put him out of work and he had to look for an alternative way to earn money.

“I had been a public speaker for the past two years, but this year, when Covid-19 hit, it affected many people and I was one of them. Starting from January this year, I was not being invited to public speaking events which was my main job. No clients and jobs meant no income,” he recounted.

Rinal had tried applying for other jobs out there but couldn’t land anything successfully. His fortune changed when his wife, who had also been searching for work-from-home jobs online, learned about streaming and told him about it. With his dwindling savings and other options exhausted, he figured he had nothing to lose and gave it a shot. After all, he loved talking to people and streaming would be another way for him to do it.

Props to Rinal for diving headfirst into uncharted territory. After doing his research, he spent whatever money he had left to make his computer stream-ready – a risky move considering he had never streamed before and had no way to guarantee his success. Whether it was conscious or not, going all-in had a hidden benefit – because Rinal had nothing left, it motivated him to try as hard as possible to make his stream work. Fortunately, for the ex-motivational speaker, everything went according to plan.

Within the first month of streaming, his page was successful enough to receive Stars (a way for viewers to monetarily show their appreciation for streamers). It was at that point he had discovered a way out of his jobless situation. A few months later, he became a member of the GG Program. But his journey hasn’t been that straightforward and was fraught with obstacles.

His first hurdle was the lack of support from his friends and family. He recalls them saying, “You studied chemical engineering, why waste your time on streaming? Can you sustain your lifestyle? Can you take care of your family now that you’re married?” Thankfully, his success has now earned him their blessings.

Secondly, there was the challenge of dealing with toxic members of the streaming community. He didn’t drop any names but he stated that when he was new, there were streamers who stole his style of content and called it their own. There were also trolls who would come into chat to stir up trouble or report his channel despite him not breaking any rules. He wasn’t sure why he was being targeted, but according to his supporters, they were probably the actions of envious people.

Initially, when he was upset over these problems, he would end his streams early instead of showing his displeasure on camera. But as he gained more supporters on his channel, they gave him the strength to carry on, and now he’s not bothered by the haters anymore. He shared, with resolve, “As long as I do my best, regardless if people try to copy or come and bring me down, if I’m strong enough, and keep pushing forward, nobody can bring me down.”

One thing that sets Giin’s stream apart from other Facebook Gamers is that it’s not just about the gaming content. When you tune in to watch a Giin stream, it’s for the craziness he puts on in-between his games (sometimes even during his games!). Giin’s followers, whom he refers to as his family, are there for his uplifting talks, dances, jokes, and online ‘therapy’ sessions. “My brothers and sisters come to watch me because of how I make them feel!” According to him, gaming is only 20-30% of his channel content.

While he didn’t look up to other successful streamers when starting out his channel, he drew inspiration from the motivational speeches and podcasts that he listens to frequently. Giin believes that in order to motivate other people, he must motivate himself first.

Regarding his success as a streamer – Giin prefers the term unique, as his online content is a far cry from the typical gaming streamers out there. And with the numbers he pulls, it’s understandable why – he doesn’t have hundreds or thousands of viewers that most successful streamers have in order to sustain a career. The 20-30 fans who tune in for his content regularly are enough to keep him going. Talk about a dedicated fanbase! It’s no surprise why Rinal is extremely appreciative of them. In fact, he leaves it up to his supporters to decide on the games he plays.

The highest number of concurrent viewers he received was 160 – back when he had organized a Dead By Daylight tournament. Because some streamers were competing in the event, they had brought their own viewers which raised the numbers for that day. “I will never get those numbers again!” he joked.

Beyond the typical streamer setup, Giin has a table filled with special props he can easily reach out for, depending on the situation. Be it a funny hat or a scary mask, he’s always prepared to entertain his viewers. He also mentioned that he needs wireless headphones so that he can dance without fear of knocking anything over. Giin feels that when he ends the stream a sweaty mess, he did his best that night. However, the main thing that keeps him going is the gratitude he receives from his supporters.

“There is one thing that actually motivates me in a lot of ways. A lot of my brothers and sisters, some who aren’t in Malaysia, have texted me personally, saying: Giin, thank you very much, I was depressed, I gave up on my life the other night but I watched your stream and you gave me some hope. I do not have stars to send, but I wanted to let you know that you really helped me.”

“That message really touched me and made me cry. From then on, I knew that this career is not about the stars, but to help people. Sometimes you don’t know that by streaming, by doing the same thing you do every day, doing your job as usual – you might save a life. I was able to do that and that makes me feel very happy.”

“I know a lot of people who have quit within a few weeks because they couldn’t find any traction. While it would be great if all of us could play games for a living, but it isn’t a viable option for everyone,” Rinal admitted. However, he did share some advice for anybody thinking about becoming one. “Viewers usually appreciate the streamers and what they do, not the game they play. If people want to watch the game, they can just go onto YouTube. They’re on Facebook Gaming to enjoy the game on another level, and the way to accomplish that is all up to the streamer.” Which explains why he prioritizes entertaining his audience over anything else.

For his future plans, Giin doesn’t have anything set in stone at the moment. His supporters have been requesting for t-shirts but beyond that, his current goal is to become the best streamer he can be: the most positive, and motivating one out there, if possible. He said that he won’t be going back to public speaking after the pandemic is over. After his experience of receiving thanks from his viewers for saving their lives, his heart is now firmly set on this path.

Fun fact: his wife, who was also jobless during the pandemic, has joined him in his endeavours and now has a stream of her own. Fortunately, they don’t steal viewers from each other as she appeals to a different audience!

Finally, as a sign off to his fans, Giin had the following message for them, “It’s okay to be down, but it’s not okay to stay that way. Just remember that better days are yet to come.” Positive words from a positive man.

Giin is the kind of guy who will ignore the game he is currently playing just to comfort his viewers. If anyone on his stream says that they are feeling down, he will do what it takes to cheer them up. That’s what his stream is about – making people feel good. And in a year as gloomy as 2020, god knows we need more people like him. Giin streams Tuesday to Sunday on Facebook Gaming – tune in to catch some positive vibes.

Follow eGG Network for more profile pieces like this on Facebook Gaming Creators. If you’re interested in growing your own Facebook Gaming page, check out our GG Program to take your stream to the next level!

Originally Published: 10th October 2020 on eGG Network

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Wilson Willy Saidul, better known as Punca, was an average joe making his way through the rigmarole of typical adult life – a nine-to-five job to pay the bills, and gaming in his spare time. Like a lot of other streamers, his tale began in a similar manner: giving a streaming a shot, finding out they were good enough to keep a consistent audience, and then making the transition to do it full-time.

Tune in to any one of Punca’s streams and you can instantly recognize the amount of enthusiasm and passion he puts into his work. Be it unboxing a gaming chair on camera, going through the motions of a PUBG Mobile match, or chilling with chat with dramatic background music – the ex-waiter from Papar, Sabah gives it his all, every time.

For those of you wondering how he got his name – it started as a nickname from his friends he played Dota 2 with, who playfully called him “Punca Kekalahan” (the cause of their loss) after losing a game – ironic, considering he’s usually the one carrying his teammates to victory. Ever since then, the handle stuck with him and he’s been using it since. While he may not be the cause of anybody’s losses, he’s definitely the source of entertainment for his diehard viewers on a daily basis.

Punca used to stream Worm Zone and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, but eventually returned to PUBG Mobile – the game that started it all, and also his favourite game to play. The reason he loves the game: it requires a lot of skills, the scene is well supported with many tournaments, and he loves interacting with other people in the game. Since then, he’s found plenty of success, credit to his skills at the game as well as his captivating commentary. Wilson’s journey to becoming a full-time streamer was a road fraught with obstacles. His biggest challenge was stepping out of his reserved shell: “I am an introverted person at first and I’m not a really good dancer. However, there are a lot of requests from my viewers and one of them is for me to dance. So, I braced myself and danced with all of my might to entertain my viewers,” said the shy 24-year-old Sabahan.

Of course, climbing out of his shell wasn’t all he had to do – he still needed to show off his gameplay skills, and that he wasn’t punca kekalahan. “The point where I realize that I could become a successful streamer is through my gameplay skills as well as entertaining people at the same time. In my opinion, these two components are the most important things to become a successful streamer,” he recalls. Fun fact: Punca’s team came third at the PUBG Mobile Sabah National Championship – he was very close to being an esports athlete!

Even when he knew what to do, success didn’t come overnight for Wilson. He spent his time streaming to nobody before he grew a community of his own. “The beginning of streaming is the most challenging for me throughout my streaming experience. This is because I am a no-name streamer at first, so it is expected that no one is viewing my live stream and I have to be strong especially on my mental strength. To be honest, the best moment of my streaming career is when eGG Network contacted me to become a partner with them. It felt as though my streaming career all of this time has been acknowledged.” His two years of hard work has paid off.

Since joining the GG Program, Punca’s stream has been steadily growing. Thanks to the support of his fans, he can focus on creating content instead of worrying about having an audience to watch his stream. “Showcasing good gaming skills and entertaining the viewers at the same time is the key to growing as a streamer. Be passionate and never give up no matter how hard the challenges are.”

Looking back, the 24-year-old has no regrets about leaving his waiting career, thanks to the support of his family and friends on his adventure. Most importantly, he thanks his fans for their undying support and love. “For my fans from the beginning until now, I want to express my deepest gratitude towards all of you because, without my fans, there will be no Punca XGaming. I want to thank all of you for your endless support which motivated me a lot. See you guys, goodbye my friend. Okay bah kalau kau!”

When asked about his decision to stream, he mentioned that he was inspired by other streamers who had found success in this career – namely, Fredo Sameon, XK Penjahat, Obot Gaming, FattahZie Gaming and lastly the most popular FPS shooter, Shroud. 

In addition to playing games, Punca can be found fishing when he’s not busy slaying noobs on the battlefield of Miramar, Erangel or Sanhok. He also has big dreams of starting his own line of merchandise in the future. In the meantime, you can see him continuously trying out new ideas to keep his stream fresh and interesting. If he keeps up this momentum and drive to improve, he’ll turn into a superstar streamer in no time.

Punca XGaming streams daily from 2pm onwards, catch him live on Facebook.

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If you’re a small-time streamer hoping to break into the big leagues like Punca one day, be sure to check out our GG Program to take your Facebook stream to the next level!

Originally Published: 18th July 2020 on eGG Network

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Asnur Atiqah

When you’re a timid and shy 18-year-old who is scared of standing out from the crowd, the last thing you’d want is putting yourself in the spotlight – visible to thousands of viewers. But that’s not what Asnur Atiqah, better known as Charlie to her fans, decided to do. Almost a year ago, she decided to tackle her fears head-on, by pursuing a career as a streamer thanks to the strong encouragement from her friends and family. Now, a successful streamer and official Facebook Gaming partner, and her own line of merchandise – you can say, the rest is history.

Asnur started her streaming journey in August 2019. It didn’t take long for her to be noticed – by her third month, she hit 20,000 followers and was made an official Facebook Gaming partner. However, she didn’t just luck out on success – Charlie put in a lot of effort to make it work.

The recently turned 19-year-old treats streaming like a regular nine to five job – except that it starts in the PM and ends in the AM. A regular day for her involves getting up before she starts streaming, having ‘breakfast’, putting on makeup and getting dressed, and plonking herself in front of the computer to play games for her audience – viewers who watch her play games until the wee hours of the morning.

But streaming is not just fun and games for her. Charlie has made it a point to keep to her daily routine, which she believes helps viewers find her content. “You need to maintain a consistent schedule. Like a TV show or drama, people expect you at that time when they log on Facebook.”

MrCocan and her father, both of them content creators, were key influences on her career. They gave her a lot of advice when she was starting out. In fact, it was her father’s use of a webcam on his stream which inspired Charlie to do the same. “The first few sessions were a bit awkward. I had to learn to overcome my shyness and nervousness by practising my intro in front of my mirror before I started my stream!” she recalled.

Makcik Bedah

Now, you might be wondering how she came up with the name Charlie, here’s a fun fact: it was inspired by ‘semut Charlie’ (also known as Paederus). Impressed by its toxic potency despite its small size, Asnur named herself after the insect, aspiring to be just as impactful one day (hopefully not by harming humans!).

Though Charlie is rarely recognized by her fans in public, on GTA V Malaysia roleplay servers, it’s a different story. One of her characters, Makcik Bedah – a striped-bag toting lady who’s usually up to no good and hilarious antics – is infamous. She’s reached a point where other people will call her Makcik Bedah even when she’s playing other games.

She also has a host of other characters she plays on stream – from Farah Nab, the gangster lover; to Pipah and Dayan – JPJ and police officers respectively. There’s a reason Charlie plays these crazy roles – she has made it her mission to dispel stereotypes about female streamers. “Just the whole female streamer stereotype is tiring me. I mean, why can’t a girl be entertaining? I’m constantly battling stereotypes. It can be exhausting. Gameplay brings people in, personality makes them stay.”

While she has been successful in changing that perception for her viewers and fans, she does encounter the occasional stumbling block. Asnur mentioned that some male content creators have refused to play with her due to their own relationship statuses!  For her, it’s no big deal because she’s professional about it. The streamer prefers to keep her real-life separate from her streaming activity.

If she’s not up to shenanigans in GTA V, you can find Charlie duking it out in team-based games like PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends. She’s also a fan of streaming horror games, especially those with support for multiplayer. Occasionally, she’ll also take part in tournaments like the Facebook Gaming Creator Games: Battle of Heroes 2020.

Charlie says streaming is something that she could do forever, and from watching her rhapsodic streams, you can tell she means it. The Malaysian creator hopes to expand her 100,000+ viewer base to include neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Charlie

Her advice to aspiring content creators? “For those who are starting out, you don’t need the best setup – you can upgrade your devices as you go along. However, make sure you have a high-speed internet connection because having a good frame rate is important.” She also mentions that it’s important to build a community of fans. Without them, she wouldn’t be where she’s at.

She continued, “just be yourself and sincere in what you are doing. Let your parents be your backbone and follow their advice. It’s okay if you’re not successful in other fields. One day, you will in yours. Follow your passion, it’s what really matters.”

Tune in to Charlie’s streams on Facebook Gaming to catch her antics live. Follow eGG Network for more stories about your favourite Facebook Gaming creators, and remember to apply for our Game & Grow program to take your stream to the next level!

Originally Published: 13th June 2020 on eGG Network

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The Break

Robin Gupta was a young adult who had a good life making a career out of his passions – one of them being gaming. A hobby he’s enjoyed since youth, he developed into an entrepreneur specializing in it. He organized tournaments, managed esports teams, and ran a full-fledged events management company. When it came to the world of gaming, he had a finger in every pie.

However, life took a turn for the worse when Robin’s father passed away and he had to return to home to handle family business. Because it took up a lot of his time and energy, Robin had to step away from his favourite pastime to get things in order. For a few years, he left the gaming world.

Eventually, Robin’s family affairs were all straightened out and he decided to pursue a career that would allow him to stay close to home. That’s when he discovered his passion to create gaming content for a live audience, and a new chapter in his life began.

It’s All in the Name

The core of a streamer’s online identity usually stems from their username, and in this case, it’s no different. Instead of reverting to one of the many aliases he used in the past, Robin decided that he would pick a meaningful streaming handle, one that reflected his affection for his son – SteveZDad.

At first glance, the name’s meaning wasn’t immediately obvious, and so, Robin gleefully explained it to us. “I no longer wanted my name to be taken. Instead, I wanted my Son’s name to be taken whenever someone referenced me. I no longer wanted to be known for myself. I wanted to be known by the name of my son. I wanted to be known as ‘Father of Steve’ or ‘Steve’s Father’ or ‘Steve’s Dad’, and thus, ‘SteveZDad’. Let me be known not by myself but by my blood, by my son, Steve!”

With his new username, Robin started streaming on Facebook Gaming in August 2018. Even though he wasn’t an immediate hit, it didn’t take too long until he was noticed by Facebook in February the following year. The benefits of being an official partner were immense for Robin. It allowed him to receive monetary support from his subscribers to continue streaming for a living – something he didn’t take for granted. Since then he has been evolving and improving his content, and has started initiatives like the Saturday Super Stars, a regularly scheduled tournament; and the SteveZDad Alliance, a Facebook group for him to hang out with his community, which he holds in high regard.

When asked about what advice he would give to his younger self, he replied, “I would tell myself to start working on community building from the very start. It took me some time to realise the importance of it.” Over the years, he has shifted his content from English to Hinglish (a mix of Hindi and English) to better cater his viewers, who mostly speak Hindi. While this has caused him to lose some of his English-speaking fans, who knows – he might return to it in the future?

Robin’s stream has a wide variety of content, while mostly focused on games, he creates other content as well, such as travel vlogs and opinions on world matters. These days he has also been streaming a lot more mobile games – something he enjoys greatly. Although games like PUBG Mobile have been great for his career (his highest concurrent live views have been while playing it) he still longs for the day that his real-time strategy (RTS) and space sim itch will be scratched. “RTS games. I have been a huge Command & Conquer fan and would really like them to return (Author: good news! the C&C remaster has been released at the time of writing). Space simulations are another of my liked category. There needs to better Star Wars games. And jetfighter simulation games, I miss Jane’s USAF simulator.”

Fans, Family, and Fame

SteveZDad’s community might be the backbone of his career, but it’s his family that takes first priority. “My family is one of my most trusted advisors for my business. There is no decision I make without consulting them. The best part is they understand what I am doing. They are extremely supportive and feel there is a lot of potential in this career. They are my top supporters.”

When asked about fame, he replied, “Honestly, I don’t consider myself famous yet. I truly do not know what being famous exactly means. All I know is that I constantly endeavour to get up close and connect with my community to make new acquaintances or potentially friends. I have always given respect to the people who come to watch me and requested the same. There was a time when I wanted to be a celebrity but I soon realised that life has much more meaning to it than acquiring a place in the spotlight. Every day when I stream, I hope that I can live up to people’s expectations and that I don’t lose myself to the limelight. Thankfully, I have a supportive advisory group of family and friends who keep my “anxiety” meter in check and help me stay focused.”

Robin also recalled a memorable interaction he once had with his fans – he had informed them he would be attending an event in Mumbai, and to his surprise, a group of supporters showed up at the venue to meet him. Some of them had travelled from as far away as 600 kilometres! They had a whole day of activities planned out and had a great time together. “Additionally, I am always amazed when several of my fans create fan art for me in terms of wallpapers, logos, or stinger transitions. It feels good. There was also a time when my fans sent me pictures wearing my merch. That was a complete dose of satisfaction.”

The Future

Despite pushing 40, Robin has no signs of slowing down. He currently works with a small crew to handle technical aspects of his videos and streams, so he can fully focus on the content itself. “I’m game for the next five years. I want this to become my primary business and I wish it structures itself into a self-sustaining model as well. Non-gaming, I do not know. Like I said I am an entrepreneur, I might open a restaurant in Australia or buy farming land in Switzerland. Who knows? Time will tell. At the moment, my focus is to bring my businesses that have suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic back on track.”

As a parting message to his fans, SteveZDad had this to say, “Yes, you are extremely important to me. Whatever I am right now is because of your support and appreciation. I know you have the choice to watch other content creators as well. But you come to my streams and give me a gift of time. I will forever cherish this GIFT OF TIME, that you so respectfully give me. Thank you so much, you are a true rock star!”

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Catch SteveZDad’s streams daily on his Facebook page, and join the SteveZDad Alliance to be part of his community.

Originally Published: 16th May 2020 on eGG Network

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Entertaining Khmers from his gaming chair.

Ream Angkor might be an unfamiliar name to most of the non-Khmer-speaking regions of the world, but if you’re in the PUBG or GTA V scene in Cambodia, it should ring a bell. From a small-time PUBG Facebook page for the Cambodian community to an official Facebook Gaming partner averaging 1-3k viewers a stream (and still growing); Seihaream “Ream Angkor” Dyna has come a long way since his humble beginnings.

Ream started playing games when he was a young boy, sharing fond memories of running a farm with his sister in Harvest Moon on the original PlayStation – a gift from their father. Even though the first-person shooters he enjoys now are a far cry from the farm simulator games of the past, he is grateful to his dad for sending him down the path he now travels.

He has since doubled down on the hobby and turned it into a living, leaving behind a white-collared job at a telecommunications company in the process. No regrets for the 29-year-old who looks forward to a long career in this industry.

Ream’s foray into content creation started in 2017, when there wasn’t much localised PUBG content for Cambodia – it was a niche he wanted to fill with his Facebook page. Influenced by summit1g and Dota 2 Cambodia, he decided to start live streaming on the page, which was when he took off. He then created a YouTube channel to share his gameplay videos, which subsequently became an outlet for tech reviews as well.

The streamer’s passion has always been for the people of his country. When asked about his decision to stream in Khmer instead of English, Ream replied, “At first I started streaming in half Khmer and half English but later switched to focus on the local language when I realized that the country’s esports industry needed more help.”

His initiatives to bring vernacular gaming content to his countrymen included a well-received GTA V roleplay server, which he set up to educate Cambodians about roleplaying. The streamer also mentioned that he had quite a number of Khmer viewers living abroad, who get a sense of home through his content.

In addition to creating content on the fly on his live stream, Ream hasn’t stopped making his regular pre-recorded videos even though he seems to prefer the former over the latter these days. “Streaming can be more enjoyable as you are playing your favourite games with your favourite people. You are allowed to be yourself, make mistakes, and correct yourself on the spot. For YouTube, you have to think a lot about what to include in a 10-minute video from hours of preparation and footage! Once it is out there, it is harder to correct yourself.”

When asked about what a typical day was like, he responded, “My day usually starts just after noon, beginning with administrative duties – replying to emails, calls, meetings, and so on. I will then shoot videos for final footage, B-Roll, or test out products I am going to review. I would also try to find time to work out for about thirty to sixty minutes, then wrap everything up by about six or seven PM and stream until one to two AM. After that, I would have dinner and edit some videos until four to six in the morning. If I’m feeling lazy, I’ll watch summit1g instead.”

Talk about a day packed with activities! Well, nobody said the grind would be easy. Fortunately for Ream, his hard work and dedication have paid off, after all, he has been recognized by Facebook Gaming and picked up as an official partner. Since then, his viewership and popularity have steadily increased, allowing him to even branch out into casting gigs for competitive PUBG Mobile – which he is a fan of.

When all’s said and done, Ream isn’t content with just being a streamer. He plans to be much more involved with esports in Cambodia, with hopes to develop, consult, and promote projects for the scene. He also has aspirations to be the go-to content creator for tech products, PC, and mobile games.

Even though Cambodia has its fair share of streamers, Ream stands out due to his maturity and passion for helping out the community. He had some advice to share with aspiring streamers: “Don’t focus on your viewer count – they are a blessing and a curse. Instead, focus on building a community around your personality and what you love. Also, start it as a hobby. Work smart, not hard to grow this hobby into a job. Once you have a good following and steady income, you can consider going full-time. Also, collaborate with other streamers to learn, share, and expand your reach. Staying and streaming within a small group of friends or streamers can cause you to grow and learn slower.”

Ream also spoke about the benefits of Facebook Gaming as a streaming platform. “Facebook is the go-to place for gaming for Cambodians. If you do it right, it is a lot easier to get recommended through Facebook Gaming than other platforms. And a lot of ISP (Internet Service Providers) give extra speed to Facebook.com, which makes it easier to stream (and watch streams) on Facebook.” He also found their events like the Creator Summit helpful for his career.

Till this day, Ream remains grateful to his loyal fans. “Thank you for your support over the years. I am not the most entertaining streamer out there, but in every stream, I will try to make you laugh at least once and hope to brighten up your day!”

Catch Ream Angkor in action live on his Facebook Page – he plays PUBG, GTA V, and looks forward to Valorant when it is released in the region.