Myrtle hopes to break stigma on female gamers

Myrtle Sarrosa

As a female gamer, Myrtle Sarrosa admitted that, once in a while, she still gets looked down upon in the community. Nevertheless, the singer-actress is happy she and other women have been steadily making inroads into making gaming more inclusive.

“I would like to show some love and celebrate all women out there who are working hard. I’m happy that in the Philippines, we’re creating an environment that embraces women in gaming,” Myrtle told reporters in a recent interview in line with Women’s History Month.

“I’m grateful that we have such a supportive community that advocates for positivity. Yes, there are still times when we get looked down on. I myself actually still experience it sometimes. Let’s continue working together to eliminate the stigma in the gaming space and be confident about ourselves,” she added. “Always keep in mind that we’re ‘not just women’—we are women.”

Myrtle was recently invited to be a guest speaker at the prestigious Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, United States, where she talked about her experiences and background in gaming, as well as her collaboration with the South Korean video game developer WeMade.

They recently launched fan tokens—a type of digital asset—that aim to strengthen the relationship among game developers and fans through innovations in blockchain technology.

Sarrosa

“To be honest, it was definitely nerve-wracking. As a gamer growing up, it also felt so surreal to be able to attend such an amazing event surrounded by all of my favorite game developers. I was super excited to meet all of them because they truly are my heroes in gaming. I will be forever grateful that I have been given this opportunity to be there as a guest speaker,” she said.

Connecting with people

Gaming was just a hobby for Myrtle growing up. But when the pandemic struck three years ago, it became a way, not only to earn money, but also to connect with people. It also led to opportunities to work with various games such as “Genshin Impact,” “Valorant” and “Assassin’s Creed.” She was also tapped to write songs for Activision Blizzard’s popular “Call of Duty” franchise.

Last year, Myrtle became the first gaming awardee of the TikTok Awards Philippines. She also won the cosplay of the year award at the recent Philippine Esports Awards, which also recognized the efforts of fellow GMA 7 celebrity Alden Richards.

“I’m just grateful that the universe has guided me into a career in gaming and to connect with people through games. It is something I really love doing, and so I feel nothing but gratitude to all the people who have inspired me—especially those during the pandemic and everyone who has helped me in my journey as a content creator,” she said.

Aside from gaming, Myrtle is also set to appear in the GMA 7 drama series “Love. Die. Repeat,” which will be headlined by Xian Lim and Jennylyn Mercado. “It’s true what they say—that when you’re doing something you love, it doesn’t feel like work at all,” she said. INQ