Missharvey has helped make the world of e-sports and gaming more competitive, more advanced, and more inclusive. She’s also a video game developer, a pro gamer with five Counter Strike world championships under her belt, and the responsible for e-sports franchise development and outreach for Counter Logic Gaming. Andre Stone and Ariana Escalante spoke with Missharvey for Digital Trends’ coverage of CES 2021 to get her take on the growing relationship between CES and gaming.
“I think with everything that happened in 2020, e-sports is currently at a very interesting crossroads,” she says. “But one thing I know for sure is that we keep growing, and our industry is just at the beginning. It’s like we’re in the teenage years. So I’m superexcited for what the future has in store.”
Looking toward the future, Missharvey, whose real name is Stephanie Harvey, has some things on her bucket list in regards to her own dream gaming setup. “I’m a big fan of houses,” she says. “I studied architecture, so it would be something that has techno house gaming! For example, my whole studio here lights up, so it would be something like when I move room to room, the lights would follow me. Something seamless.”
As for things every gamer should own, Missharvey herself lights up. “I know we’re talking about e-sports, but day-to-day people should own high-quality monitors for eye strain and keeping healthy,” she said. “They shouldn’t be called ‘gaming monitors,’ they should just be called ‘monitors,’ because they help your health a lot.” A good chair is also essential. “Don’t game on a kitchen chair,” she laughs. “You’ll break your back, your neck — your whole body will hurt. It all starts with being a healthy gamer.”
Missharvey isn’t just interested in generic advice, however. In her role at Counter Logic Gaming, she’s putting her ideas into action. Through initiatives and charity outreaches, she’s giving back in whatever ways she can, and expanding the representation of women, people of color, and LQBTQ+ gamers in e-sports. “For me, it’s never been about the clout; it’s never been about the likes and follows,” she said. “For me, it’s always been about giving back and making a difference, and that’s why I took on [this] role.”
