Gen.G Jessica on Twitch streaming: “The amount of shit we have to get through is just insane”

Valorant Twitch streamer Jessica saw insane growth in 2020 and 2021 is already shaping up to be even bigger. Dexerto sat down with the rising star to talk all things Twitch, Gen.G and Valorant!

Valorant became a Twitch sensation after its release in 2020. The Riot title offers a wealth of opportunities for players of all backgrounds to take part in a new FPS title, with clear inspiration from CSGO and Overwatch, but with its own twist.

One of the FPS’ rising stars is Jessica Kim, a fourth-year Interaction Design student who has become a showstopper in Valorant. Known for her honesty, coupled with her fun streams and sassy sense of humor, the streamer has become a fan favorite on Twitch.

From Instagram to Future Earth

Jess’ influencer origins have their roots in Instagram Live, where she recalls that her Instagram Live streams “attracted people to suggest Twitch for me.”

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The progression to the streaming giant was pretty natural for the already social media savvy student, but Valorant was a step out of her comfort zone. “I used to just be a Just Chatting streamer, and then I found Apex and that was my first FPS game. It was the first PC game that I’ve ever actually put time into.”

Upon the release of Valorant though, things quickly ramped up. “I don’t even know how I was sucked into this game,” Jessica explains. “I thought I’d be playing this maybe once a week, but it just became this new thing. I love playing it with my friends and I think that’s what drew me to it the most.”

From these humble origins, Jessica was about to experience a rise in popularity that puts most new streamers to shame.

Rise of the new Valkyrie

Gaining almost 77,000 followers in her six months on the platform, the Valorant queen clearly has something figured out. We asked what it’s been like living the dream.

“It’s actually kind of crazy. Before Valorant came out and before I started playing any games, I was really lost on what career I wanted to go down. Streaming was never something that I thought I’d be able to do.”

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“Even when I was just doing Just Chatting there was a period in time where I was really insecure about what I was doing, and honestly didn’t think that I should continue streaming. Then I found games, which is insane – just a single hobby can turn into a career.”

And it certainly did. The passion that Jess showed during her streams snagged her a partnership with Gen.G. “I told [my agency] that I would love to work with Gen.G,” she recalls. “I value their values and I love what they stand for. I think I made the best choice that I possibly could!”

Not only did the Gen.G partnership align perfectly with Jess’ ambitions, it’s given her a big platform that she’s using to tackle some pretty complex issues.

Sisters supporting sisters

With the recent announcement of Evil Geniuses’ mixed sex Valorant roster it’s safe to say that the the women’s movement in esports is gaining some traction, and it’s something that Jessica has been vocal about.

When we asked about her favorite streamers she cited her best friend Ploo and Starsmitten, pointing out “I know most of my picks are women but I really want to support women in this industry.”

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“The amount of sh*t we have to get through is just insane. The comments, the misogynistic men in our chat; it just blows my mind how people think that it’s okay to have this mindset. I really want to uplift women content creators, streamers and gamers. I think they’re amazing.”

She recalls the announcement of Cloud9 White (C9’s all female Valorant roster) “gave me goosebumps… I’m really happy for them and I’m proud to be a female content creator.”

What sets Jess apart is that she is unapologetically Jess. “My number one thing is that I always have to be myself.” It’s that mentality that makes her stand out from the pack.

The Future of Gen.G Jessica

Twitch has become Jess’ home away from home, and it’s clear that she’s here to stay.

“After graduating university I really want to be able to just breathe and be able to focus on streaming,” she explains. “I’m just so excited to do that.”

It’s going to be a pleasure to watch her Ascent (get it?) to Valorant greatness, so if you fancy a fun night of Valorant and chill, jump into Jess’ stream and tell her we sent you. She deserves it.