Spotlight on… Mia C, aka superxinvader
Mia C, also known as superxinvader across social media, is a UK-based Twitch Partner & content creator. Her work focuses on her love of gaming and music with the aim of creating an overwhelmingly positive experience and providing spaces of acceptance.
Mia is an out and proud Trans streamer who works hard to provide support for other LGBTQ people across her channels.
I had the pleasure in sitting down with Mia for a chat about her life, her streaming and the importance of LGBTQ representation in games and the wider community.
Robin: Hi Mia, so how long have you been a streamer for?
Mia: I’ve been a streamer for almost 3 years now. I recently looked back at my first ever stream and was amazed how far I’ve come. I never thought I would make it as far as becoming a Twitch Partner.
Streaming is my full-time job now, and my 3 year stream anniversary is so close, August 4th. I always look forward to it as every year I have a celebratory stream with viewer games and far too much self-indulgence. There’s also cake. Carrot cake.
What got you into streaming?
Honestly, I really got into streaming as an excuse to play video games again. I had just been through a rough period of time where I was going through a life change, I didn’t really game anymore even though it had been a big part of my teens/early twenties. I was in early transition and a lot of my friends, kind of disappeared on me. Videogames were there to fill the gap, but I didn’t want to just sit in a room alone, so I figured ‘hey, I may as well share my passion with others’.
How have your experiences been being a Trans streamer?
It’s been… ‘interesting’. Besides from dealing with the odd troll, it’s mostly positive. I’ve met a lot of cool people within the Trans gamer community on Twitch. I’ve even had people tell me that they gained the courage to begin transitioning because they watched my stream. That means a lot to know, that just being visible could help someone like that. It’s an incredibly gratifying feeling and makes me feel that I must be doing something right.
What games do you play while streaming?
I’m a variety streamer so the sky really is the limit. There are the live service games that I jump in and out of like Final Fantasy XIV and Warframe, who I happen to be partnered with. But I really do love single player narrative experiences when it comes to games. They allow me to take the audience along on the adventure. Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes I voice every single character. Yes, I do voices, and yes, I’m sorry in advance!
What advice would you give to someone considering streaming?
Something I find with a lot of new streamers is there seems to be a lot of entitlement and an expectation that success will be easy, that they’ll effortlessly gain an audience, money, and will be able to quit their job within months. Reality couldn’t be farther from the truth!
Streaming is a lot of work, it’s difficult, you’re going to be streaming to yourself for a while. And if you do make it, just know that it’s not really a job where you can switch off. You’ve always got to be working towards something. So if you’re going to stream do it for the right reasons. Do it as a hobby. Share your passions with people. Just, have realistic expectations going in.
Do you have any additional advice for LGBTQ people considering streaming?
Unfortunately, you will have to develop a thick skin. There will be trolls and they will say anything to get a reaction from you. Just ignore it when it happens and make sure you have a reliable team of mods you trust. You can also ban certain words in chat. That’ll flat out block a lot of negativity. That’s also probably why I don’t get as much hate as other friends I have on the platform. When it does happen I’ve simply gotten to the point where it doesn’t bother me. I just remember that these people genuinely have nothing better to do than put others down, and that must be a sad life.
How do you find the wider video games world being a trans person?
Having played video games my whole life it’s been interesting to see how the industry and community surrounding it has progressed.
On the one hand, I’ve never found a more accepting community of people. Growing up as a gamer meant that you were an outcast, so it makes sense that we all came together around a shared passion.
On the other hand, it’s been unfortunate that along with the rise of the internet, a subculture of edginess attached itself to gaming, and it continues to cause so much toxicity and exclusion within gaming.
It’s a problem we all need to work together to solve. You see this talked about a lot, but it’s also somewhat worrying that it’s all the mainstream media types seem to focus on. I’ve had so many more positive experiences in the gaming community than negative ones. So my focus is on bringing those positive experiences to more people.
Are there any games that you think are notably trans positive?
That’s a difficult question, simply because games that focus on the trans experience are few and far between, and those that do have sadly flown under my radar. That said I think any games that allow for character customisation do this.
The kinds of games that tell stories putting you directly in the role of the protagonist, regardless of who you are. MMORPG’s do that well like Final Fantasy XIV, RPG’s like the Mass Effect series, etc. I recently started playing 2064 Read Only Memories and it does exactly that. Special mention to the RP servers of GTA V online but that’s a completely player driven experience. I’ve also heard good things about a free steam game called ‘one night, hot springs’ so that might be worth checking out.
What more do you think games could do to be more welcoming to trans people and the wider LGBTQ community?
Offering more perspectives is always a good starting point. So many games tell the same story. There are only so many hardened military shooters a person can stand after all!
Honestly, it would be nice to be represented without huge amounts of fanfare or characters added in as an afterthought. Games that ‘celebrate LGBTQ characters’ after the fact do more of a disservice to the community I feel. Why did we have to wait over 2 and a half years to find out that Soldier 76 from Overwatch was gay? Developers really shouldn’t be looking at J.K. Rowling for inspiration!
All it really takes is representing more LGBTQ characters in video games. Normalise LGBTQ inclusion. We’re all just people after all.
Why is positive representation in video games so important?
Positive LGBTQ+ representation is important to me because without it I wouldn’t be who I am today. Seeing characters and experiences that were at that point in time ‘not the norm’ was super eye-opening for me to figure out exactly what I was going through. It also removed the stigma I had been indoctrinated with, mostly from living a sheltered childhood in the ’90s and the negative stereotypes the media used at the time.
Representation helps people discover that there isn’t anything wrong with them and that different life experiences are actually very normal. Quite simply put; it points to the simple fact that it’s okay for us to exist, and that’s something some people don’t seem to understand.
You can also look to Midboss’ current Summer of Pride event for a multitude of games that deal with LGBTQ representation.
What was the first game you remember playing as a kid?
Honestly, one of my earliest memories is sitting in my sisters’ bedroom playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES in the early ’90s. It’s weird to think that gaming has been a part of my life for almost 30 years. And during that time, I’ve always had a strong connection with Nintendo games. There’s just something about them that you can’t get from other titles. Pure unbridled joy.
What one game defined your childhood?
Honestly, I don’t think I can pick just one game. For me, it’s always going to be The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time & Wind Waker. I got them in the same golden box so that counts right? There was nothing quite like setting off on that adventure, exploring the land, slaying monsters & solving puzzles in deadly dungeons. It was pure escapism and definitely helped me cope with growing up in a Catholic household as a closeted transgirl. It’s still my favourite gaming series to this day.
What does the future hold for Mia?
Long term anything is possible. I’m excited to work with companies like Twitch to represent the transgender & LGBTQ community. For the immediate future, I’m just focusing on self-improvement. Continuing transition surgically, tackling the boss room that is gender dysphoria. Other than that I’ll be continuing to share my love for video games and nerdy geek culture not only on Twitch but Youtube too, I’d love to see y’all in chat!
Where can our readers see your streaming and find out more about you?
Twitch: twitch.tv/superxinvader
YouTube: youtube.com/xinHQ
Patreon: patreon.com/superxinvader
Twitter: twitter.com/superxinvader
About The Author
