When we started Refinery29 Twitch over a year ago, we knew we wanted to use it not only to provide a fun, safe space for women and non-binary folks to share in their love of gaming, but also to spotlight the pros, gamers, and streamers who are pushing the status quo in the industry both online and IRL. But with a vast world of content creators competing for attention on Twitch alone, finding streamers who you love can be a challenge.
Enter Tuesday Takeovers, where we invite some of our fave under-the-radar streamers onto our channel to do what they do best: game. Think of it as the Discover Weekly of Twitch where you’ll have two hours of guaranteed entertainment weekly, while also discovering talented streamers who are more than worthy of you clicking the follow or subscribe button. Ahead, read on to meet the Twitch streamers who are all about inclusivity, connecting with others, and having fun.
KandidlyKayla’s streaming journey started with The Sims, but recently has branched out to other titles to become more of a variety streamer. While gaming, she loves talking about fitness, food, music, pop culture, Sailor Moon, mental health and self-care, and also creates lifestyle and wellness content on other social media platforms.
If you love high-energy chats about Animal Crossing, Genshin Impact, on-screen gaming adaptations like Prime Video’s Fallout, and Studio Ghibli movies, then CaylaKat is the Twitch streamer for you. Bonus points if you love Squishmallows, metal music, and mezcal as much as she does.
TheMayhemMermaid fell in love with gaming the first time she picked up a Game Boy. Now, she uses her channel to become your “favorite co-worker,” making variety and co-working content to get you through the day. Find her talking about everything from tech, food, mental health, being a woman in STEM and more as she plays through cozy and nostalgic games like, fittingly, The Little Mermaid.
Skai — aka InvestedCrybaby — is all about soft, cozy, and feminine vibes. She loves playing games like Animal Crossing while chatting with her inclusive community about topics like navigating the gaming world and girlhood. Wondering how she came up with the handle InvestedCrybaby? She first started using it as her Animal Crossing username years ago because she thinks it encompasses her “passion and commitment to [her] work while recognizing [her] compassionate nature.”
Gaming and glam come together on AuraScopeTV. A full-time creator, AuraScope effortlessly blends her love for all things beauty, gaming, fashion, and lifestyle on her channel, frequently going over the latest trends, doing body art and makeup, and playing FPS games like Overwatch 2. She’s also always trying to use her platform to advocate for more diversity in the gaming space, hosting esports events in collaboration with tech and beauty brands like Elgato and Benefit Cosmetics.
8BitDee is a retro gamer and full-time content creator. As someone living with lupus — and the chronic pain that comes with it — she is passionate about bringing awareness around the autoimmune disease and chronic illnesses in general. A true community builder, she believes in “supportive vibes only” over a “positive vibes only” mindset, and with her viewers, she has helped raise over $130,000 for charity over the last few years. This May, she is also hosting a fundraising event in support of the Lupus Foundation of America that will feature 200-plus streamers.
You never know what you’ll find when you log onto Meadow’s Twitch channel — and that’s exactly why we love it. A talented actor (they recently produced a production of Romeo and Juliet in partnership with the Twitch Women’s Guild that featured more than 20 women, femme, trans, and nonbinary creators/streamers), Meadow says they “take viewers into a different dimension of the multiverse each night.” On one night, they might be streaming as a faerie, on another, a pirate or goth. Additionally, they interview different women every Wednesday, and are sure to carve out a safe space for LGBTQIA+ viewers and for chats related to mental health.
Moohoodles has been streaming since 2014, and in that decade, has developed her entertaining and informative voice as a variety streamer. She enjoys playing everything from retro games to new releases and uses her educational background (she has a degree in computer science and studied astrophysics) to get her audience engaged with science, with topics ranging from outer space and astrobiology to conservation and programming.
Watching Naycir’s channel is like watching a modern-day version of The Queen’s Gambit — but even better. She says she has a “profound passion” for chess, and uses her streams to talk about and play the game (she has her own bot on Chess.com), while also encouraging more women to pick it up. There’s still a large gender gap in terms of who participates in the game, and, in her mind, the only way to change this is by advocating to get more women involved. Though Naycir’s channel is about “90 percent chess,” she also hosts gaming sessions with titles like Minecraft and Fortnite, and occasionally talks about her travels or holds cooking streams.
Follow the rest of our Tuesday Takeover guest streamers:
Lillipie101 | SupremeSensai | ColletteNic | Honey718 | Queerlybee | HockeyJetty | JenIsOnline | Hausplantgirl | SincerelySunshineCat | Trash | MeganHertz | DrinkSopa | Kaelena | Eyesonbee | HeyKipp | Lolobean | TiffanyLockheart | Jupiverse | Evolcigam |Willow | Vana | PlayWithMae | ohinova | QueenTenae | KokoNata | OMJess | Knimbley | LenaLioness | thegeminibean | Jerbifer | Mikfoolery | SherrySnax | ChelseaBytes | itsHilaryMason | MeliaJanae | Ghostbunbun | Versachiko | egg_babe | Crossing_Chronicles | Achauie | AmiSometimes | Charmelian | AshSaidHi
Interested in taking over our Twitch channel? Apply on our Discord!
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