UK Valorant content creator Tenshi is a rising star, with more than 1m followers across all her channels and 16m+ likes on TikTok, and she recently appeared in the new Riot ad promoting the Valorant console launch.
The 20-year-old has just signed to UK esports organisation GiantX on a long-term deal, and chats with Esports News UK in this exclusive first interview about her new home, the challenges of being a woman who’s high elo in Valorant – and never giving up.
Congratulations Tenshi! Not only have you just been signed to GiantX, but you also recently hit 50k followers on Twitch! How does it feel to hit that milestone?
It was right at the end of my stream when I first hit it. I just sat there and cried because it’s something I’ve wanted for a very long time – ever since I was a kid. I’ve wanted to do content for literally my whole life.
It didn’t kick in right away on stream, but the second I hit the stop streaming button, I just sat there with a rush of realisation and a rush of “Oh my God, you’re doing it. You did it! You’re making your dreams actually come true.” It’s unreal. That’s the only way I can explain it.
On top of that, now you’ve been signed, which is also crazy and a massive milestone for many people who stream – getting signed by not just any esports org but one of the biggest UK esports organisations. How does that add to the experience?
I reached out to GX. I was the one who reached out to them because I’ve been looking for an organisation for a very long time. I was in a couple of organisations that didn’t really do anything with me for a while. Joining an organisation adds a sense of family a lot of the time. You become really close to all the people, and it makes the whole content creation experience a lot more comfortable.
Normally in content, you’re chucking it in the deep end, throwing out ideas, and just praying that something sticks. You have a lot more safety and sustainability when you’re in an org. You can ask for opinions from your org members and other content creators. You can ask for their opinions on your content and what you can do to improve it.
Also, when I speak to content creators, which is an opportunity that the org amplifies, I improve really quickly on everything that I do. You can access so much feedback and constructive criticism. So I think that joining an org helps you not only grow as a content creator, but it also helps you grow more than just with followers. It helps you grow your content and its quality.
“There were many times where I felt like I would never make it. I would look at all these other girls and think, “Oh, but they’re prettier than me, and they can afford more than me. Their phone is better, so their photo quality is better.” It’s not about the money. It’s always about skill.’
Tenshi, GiantX
Are there any opportunities that you think are really opening up for you with this signing? Are there any new areas of content creation that you want to explore or develop now that you have the backing of GX?
100%.
So, I’ve been doing cosplay content for about eight years now, and I’ve only been doing it online. I’ve only been really posting it on TikTok and Instagram. I’ve been doing that for probably about six years. But with GX, they’re going help me go to a bunch of different events. So, I can expand my cosplay career to more irl stuff and more events where I can show off my cosplay in person and not just on the internet. I’m really excited for that opportunity.
I also think its really exciting how they’re letting me meet people like you – they’re letting me meet a bunch of really cool people that do cool stuff in the industry.
I think that’s going to open a lot of doors. For me, that’s awesome.
And with cosplay as well, it’s so nice to know that you’re going to have that ability to show more people your work – that’s the joy of cosplay! Sharing the effort and the time that you’ve put into this incredible, incredible… I don’t even want to say outfit because it’s far more than just an outfit!
It’s really nice that you are going to get that opportunity to spread that love and be able to show all of the effort that you put into your craft!
It’s a lot! There’s been cosplay where I have literally shed tears over trying to get it perfect. A lot of love and effort goes into it. I’m really excited to be able to go to conventions and show people in person.
I’ve been to conventions before, but I’ve never been able to really go for it the way that I want to. I’ve just been kind of timid and maybe too nervous to cosplay at them. But, with GX, I feel a lot more confident, because they’ve given me some ground to stand on.
I feel confident. Like, “Oh, I’m GX Tenshi!” It just sounds cool.
It’s obvious that you’re super grateful for the success that you’ve had, but also, you’ve really earned it. Do you have advice for people who are from the same background as you, who want to take on this career and have the same success that you’ve had?
So, when I was growing up, we had no money. I was literally buying £10 wigs from eBay. That’s how everything started. I would just make stuff from cardboard and would just improvise with what little I had.
The best advice I can give is just, genuinely, do not give up.
Over time, I built a platform. Eventually, that platform was able to fund stuff that I could use to improve my content. It was a very slow burner. I never had a big viral moment. I improved one little thing at a time. I wanted to improve my outfits, so I saved up to buy a sewing machine. I was eventually able to buy better quality wigs, and I learnt how to style them correctly.
There were many times where I felt like I would never make it. I would look at all these other girls and I’d think, “Oh, but they’re prettier than me, and they can afford more than me. Their phone is better, so their photo quality is better.”
It’s not about the money. It’s always about skill.
Another piece of advice that I would give is pay close attention to see what works for you as a content creator and confirm that it works when you repeat it. Let’s say I do a dance video. If people like it, I’ll do that same dance video in a different cosplay. You need to be able to see what works, adapt to that, and stick with it.
As with many content creators, you have dealt with being stream-sniped by haters – even very recently. How do you deal with things like that? Regarding content creation, you will always have some people who are just haters. It’s quite difficult to change that.
I get a lot of hate.
It genuinely tends to boil down to the fact that I am a woman who is high elo in Valorant, and people don’t believe that someone should be those things. They tell me that my boyfriend must have boosted me, even though I hit my peak without him. It gets very difficult.
It definitely took a toll on my mental health at one point. But then, I just sat there for a minute, and I thought to myself, what does all this actually mean? When they’re telling you that they hate you so much and you’re a disappointment to your family, what does that actually mean? It means absolutely nothing.
You will have days that are harder than others. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning, check my Instagram, and the first thing I see is a comment calling me ugly. It will affect you some days.
But, you’ll also have days where you feel like you’re on top of the world and nothing anyone says will ever get to you.
“The stream sniping is very annoying, because people are actively going out of their way to try and push me down. However, at the end of the day, I’ve made a name for myself. I have no idea who they are – they know my name when I don’t know theirs.”
Tenshi, GiantX
I don’t know where the hate stems from, really, other than that I’m a woman, and some people don’t like that.
I think it’s great being able to talk about this sort of thing publicly. A lot of young girls, when they start to come across this sort of thing for the first time, might feel quite isolated. In reality, we all go through it.
I’ve been playing video games since I was around five years old. I definitely want to be a part of the Game Changer’s scene and promote it because I saw no women in these positions when I was growing up. I played Call of Duty. I didn’t see any women play the same games as me. I didn’t see them create content. It was just men. I genuinely want to show people that I’m proud to be a woman in gaming.
It doesn’t affect your ability. Your gender will not hold you back. We’re in a new age now where women can do whatever they want, whenever they want. It’s so comforting to see how the gaming community has grown. It’s so much more inclusive than it used to be. Calling people horrible names isn’t accepted anymore, and games like Valorant are actually taking a stand and trying to stop these things from happening.
It just makes me feel happy knowing that there’s a girl out there who’s probably 10 years old, also getting her first PC, and she’s not going to have it quite as bad.
Related article: GiantX acquire League of Legends AI esports coaching start-up iTero Gaming
