XDefiant’s CeeCee Smith Wants to Open Up FPS Games

Ultimately, Smith hopes that this player-first approach to XDefiant will also help bring even more girls and women gamers into the fold, evoking the experience she had years ago. “I can only hope that underrepresented minorities as a whole in the gaming industry really take to the game and find a place in the game that’s safe and fun for them to be and exist in. It’s so important for us to create that environment, not just in the communities we create online, but in the games that we make,” she said. “First-person shooters are not known for their welcoming, non-toxic environments. There are so many women and non-binary communities that exist. I love saying that we’re not unicorns anymore, because we’re more mainstream. There’s more of us that exist, there’s more of us hopping on mics—even though that can be a negative experience. Put yourself out there if you can, make yourself available, and don’t be afraid to make friends.”