Eskay talks Overwatch 2 esports, community, and impact: “A lot of people would come up to me and be like, ‘I came out because of you.’ And that is one of the coolest things that people say.”

Whether it's through the Calling All Heroes circuit or within the game’s own diverse roster, Overwatch 2 has made a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community. We sat down with streamer and Overwatch 2 player Evelyn "eskay" Hollis for an interview about her experience at in-person events and how Overwatch 2 esports connected her with friends, family, and beyond!

In her interview with esports.gg, eskay revealed that DreamHack Dallas was her second in-person event ever. During the OWCS Dallas Major, she not only saw familiar faces from the competitive scene, but also met fans who shared heartfelt stories that made her incredibly happy. Some fans even gifted her artwork and handwritten notes. Eskay observed that it was both cute and surprising when fans were a bit nervous in meeting her.

"It's really cool to meet people that I've known that are pros or who have been in Top 500 in my ranked games all the time," eskay said, recalling how players walked up to her and introduced themselves. "Or fans will come up to me and say really kind things. It just makes me really happy. Everyone is so sweet. I love it. And sometimes, people even hand me a piece of art that they drew, which is so cool. Or another person handed me a handwritten note because they were a little nervous to say it in person."

She continued, "And to me, it was really interesting how they were nervous because I'm just me, you know? I was like, 'Why are they nervous?' But it totally makes sense. I understood after a little while. It was really cute. A lot of people would come up to me and be like, 'I came out because of you.' And that is one of the coolest things that people say."

The Overwatch 2 community is full of wholesome moments, and eskay's story is no exception. In addition to meeting other players, fans, and supporters, eskay had a meaningful time with her mother because of the game. In fact, her mother flew all the way out to Dallas to watch eskay play in the Creator Showmatch on stage. She also went to her daughter's meet and greet and spent the whole day with her. Eskay's mother wasn’t intimidated by meeting big names and simply enjoyed chatting with everyone there as well.

"It was really cute to me how she was talking to people that were helping me," eskay said. "There were a couple people from FACEIT who were helping, and they were so kind and got her priority seats to watch the match. And there were people from Blizzard that were talking to her as well. And every single person that talked to her was like, 'Your mom is so freaking cool. Can she come to more events?'"

Before this, Eskay's parents didn't fully understand her career in streaming and content creation. They questioned whether she was okay financially and suggested she return to college. However, after her mother saw the real impact of her work, she became incredibly supportive. This extended to other family members as well. Her aunt now brags about her accomplishments!

Beyond in-person events, eskay pointed out a shift toward greater diversity within the Overwatch 2 community. For example, her YouTube audience now includes about 13% women compared to just 0.5% back when she focused on Lucio montages. She also told esports.gg that it makes her happy whenever folks in her Discord connect and play games together.

"The number one thing I want to accomplish in life is just to make people happy, which is why there have been so many times when I wanted to quit content creation, but I felt like I had to keep going because of this impact that I have and really want to have," eskay said, adding that she loves seeing people in the community make friends and become more accepting of themselves.

"My Discord is very LGBTQ. My Discord is so gay, and they all get to meet people who are like them, who share the same interests. They hang out with each other on stream. They all know each other. I think that's so freaking cool. It makes me really happy."

As for parting words, eskay suggested that the game should give Lucio a catgirl skin and that there should be an Overwatch 2 x One Piece collaboration. When asked about who would be who, she mentioned that Luffy is her favorite character and perhaps Lucio could represent the captain.

"I would kill for an Overwatch One Piece collab. We gotta make this happen," eskay said.

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 interviews, news, and updates!