Building a Space for Women in CoD — Allycxt Interview
Allycxt and the WxC
If you’ve spent any amount of time watching the Call of Duty League, the name Allycxt should be a household name for you. Alyssa “Allycxt’ Parker started her gaming career as a competitor and discovered her love for gaming and esports with Call of Duty: Black Ops II — though the first game in the series she ever played was Modern Warfare 2. She admits to quickly running into roadblocks in the gaming scene as a woman, a path that would eventually lead to the creation of the WxC Tournaments. (Woman x Call of Duty)
Allycxt the Analyst
Her love for Call of Duty and the competitive scene eventually led to a spot on the desk as an analyst. From her seat as a caster, she told Esports Illustrated about seeing even clearer how the women’s teams suffered.
“Once I became an analyst on the desk, if anyone was in a position to create something for the women’s scene and already have backing and already have support, I would be the person to do it,” Parker. She knew her position as a desk analyst could help her make a difference.
Allycxt acknowledged struggling with the decisions for a while, as she knew that if she helped to found a new tournament series for women that she wouldn’t be able to compete as it would be clear of conflict of interest. “But I know this is something that the women’s teams really, really need,” she said.
Parker eventually made the decision to step back from playing to see what she could accomplish. After an email to Activision and the Call of the Duty League inquiring about the parameters of hosting a tournament, the WxC was well on its way.
“I think being an analyst definitely helped just for the fact that we kinda already had a foundation to work with,” Allycxt admits that having a seat at the desk makes her an authority on Call of Duty and came with its own community and backing to help boost interest in the WxC.
As a streamer, she had the support of her own community as well.
WxC & Women in Gaming
It’s no secret the abuse that women all over the gaming scene suffer at the hands of toxic gamers. It’s always veiled behind the idea that if anyone is skilled enough, they’ll rise to the top and be respected.
But Parker points out how flawed that logic is — that no male enters a competitive space and has to deal with the toxic stigmas, abuse and disrespect thrown at them simply because they exist here. Women who want to excel and rise to the top must do so while enduring constant harassment.
“The talent is there, but it can’t be cultivated when it has to deal with the mental abuse of trying to be a woman in gaming. The whole point of the WxC was to create an environment that didn’t have the mental abuse surrounding it, that didn’t have the stigmas or the barriers. Just allow the girls to cultivate what is there, what could be there.”
When asked about how she’s dealt with stigmas and struggles of being a woman in her career in esports, Allycxt was blunt in her response: “It comes down to a lot of mental fortitude, unfortunately.”
“You have to be thick-skinned, hard-headed — you have to just deal with it. You want to succeed and there has to be a first, [...] I hate that stigma, that you just have to suck it up, or that’s just what happens, it’s just CoD.”
When asked if she has any advice for other women in the esports and gaming space Parker said, “It’s tough to give advice for something you went through firsthand, and there really isn’t a magic potion or something you can do to just make it easier. I wish I had a great piece of advice to give you other than you just gotta do it. If it’s something you want to do, sometimes it’s just about proving it, getting it done, putting the work in, and if your words aren't getting through to ignorant people, your actions usually will. So just keep putting the work in.”
After the Game
One of the most important aspects of being a creator, whether that’s in the gaming, esports or general content creation space, is managing your mental health. Parker has been very open both on social media and her streams about her own condition.
She admits that trying to combat burnout is tough under any circumstances, but when your work is also what you do for fun or to relax, it can be even more difficult. She does game in her off-time to relax, but being able to disconnect is just as important.
Lately, she’s found that getting away from screens and reading books helps. She emphasizes that it’s not enough to just pick up a Kindle or download something. Taking time to pick up a book and relax has been very helpful for recharging.
“Sometimes your eyes just, seriously, need a break from all the screens. As an analyst she’s always looking at screens and being bombarded with LEDs. “Trying to readjust myself to things that don’t involve any of that, like reading or cooking. It helps me center myself and also take care of my body because sometimes the life of a gamer can get out of hand."
