I’m Jeannail Carter a professional Esports player for Equinox Gaming or otherwise known as Cuddle_Core. Equinox Gaming is a professional Fighting Game team based in North America. The team has provided players such as myself opportunities to grow, compete, and foster a career in gaming. My current success in Esports is Tekken, the widely known 3D fighter franchise. As a young girl, my first opponent in Tekken was my father, which I credit for my competitive drive. In our household, fighting games were the most revisited genre growing up as a child. Whenever my father won, I angrily cried. His response, “Why are you crying? Find a way to beat me.” The more times I was defeated by my father, the more I took his advice to heart. 

 

As I got older, I learned how to apply practice and training methods to overcome obstacles in the game. I knew I wanted to become a competitor. My first experience with competing was during Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It was a small venture, but it gave me the hunger and drive to win and overcome my opponents. The Chicago Tekken Community was my stomping ground. What was unique about my experience there was being the only woman training amongst men. My gender didn’t play a major factor in my local community, and it helped me focus on competing despite a male-dominated culture in the fighting game community. 

 

Starting from 2013, I achieved many accolades in Tekken tournaments including top 16 and top 8 finishes in sponsored events. These events include locations such as Toronto,Las Vegas, Atlanta,Chicago, China, Amsterdam and much more. In 2018, there was a particular event that launched me into the Esports gaming spotlight named ELEAGUE: Tekken Team Takedown. An event that took place with 4 teams of 5 and a designated captain fighting for a 1st place grand prize total of $10,000 for each winner. 

 

I was the first and only female captain, at the time, I was more familiar with being under the radar as supposed to being in the spotlight when it came to gaming.  As the underdog throughout the tournament, I defeated many of my opponents even with the odds stacked against me. It was a dream come true being able to show the nation my drive and hunger for competitive fighting games. In the end, my team came out on top and won ELEAGUE: Tekken Team Takedown.

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After ELEAGUE and graduation from college, my competitive spirit and confidence was at its’ peak. It was time to take Tekken to the highest level. During my tenure as a pro-Tekken player, I have become a role model to women of gaming. A major contribution to me being a role model is being recognized as one of the top 10 North American Tekken players by fellow top players and commentators. It is uncommon for women to be top players in their respective Esports games. Therefore me being a world class professional gamer gives young women hope. With this hope it also gives them the courage to compete and be taken seriously in a male dominated community. Being a role model for women does not come without its adversities. 

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Adversities in the form of racial and gender slurs, sexual harassment, and inappropriate advances by male counterparts is an uphill battle I fight for the women in the gaming community. My passion project is bringing awareness to the difficulties women encounter in the gaming space. Every person has a voice; however, some people do not have a platform to speak out. I use my platform to speak for the women whom voices falls on deaf ears. Competing is only a small part of being a well-rounded player. It is also significant to give back to the community who has helped and guided you towards your dream. I currently have a podcast called, CudCasts. Originally, it was built to give interviews and exposure to talented Tekken players, but it became more about various topics and issues within the gaming community and life. The most inspirational episode was when I sat down and interviewed my mother and her thoughts on Esports. Another memorable episode was the interview of the original black female gamers of the fighting game community. I was able to chat with 2 trailblazers, female gamers that gave their perspective of gaming back in 2008. They gave the good, the bad, and the inbetween of being a black woman in gaming. CudCasts helps enlighten the listeners to new perspectives and understanding ways the gaming community and how society shapes us. On CudCasts I am the host and interviewer.  Having been apart of multiple interviews I was lucky enough to speak freely about many of my most passionate topics. Some of my most motivational interviews have been those about dealing with self doubt, being a woman competing in a male dominated space, and how no force could stop me from competing. All the interviewing experience has helped me in becoming a better public speaker so that my messages can reach wider audiences.

 

I am grateful for where my Esports journey has taken me and the lives I have influenced because of it. I was in the position many people are today, starting out in the gaming community trying to find their niche. For some, their role means being a tournament organizer, while others choose to be competitors, and so much more. There are various types of roles that contribute to how the gaming community grows. The people who make up the community are a passionate group. They protect their community until there was no breath left in them. As for me, my journey is still going strong being a formidable role model for women, while asserting my skill in competitive Tekken. I become a role model not just in tournaments, but as a public speaker bringing awareness to the topics that mold the gaming community. In doing this, I give back to the community that has given me opportunities to grow, compete, and foster a career in gaming.