The lights are up, the cameras are flashing, and the red carpet rolled out for Variety's yearly event celebrating the Power of Young Hollywood. But this year is different from the years before. There are the usual actors, singers, some streamers and influencers, but this is the first year that esports athletes walk the red carpet alongside them.
Nearly a dozen players from various teams across the Overwatch League joined other famous names from across Hollywood. This event celebrates Variety magazine's Power of Young Hollywood issue, which focuses on several key celebrities who have been using their platform of fame for good. This year, The events key focus was on Camila Cabello, Stephen James, and Cole Sprouse.
While seeing actors and other celebrities at a red carpet even such as this is normal, this is the first time that eSports athletes have been walking alongside them as equals on the carpet. "Esports is coming to the level of entertainment, of all these other industries" said Scott "Custa" Kennedy, of the Los Angeles Valient. He walked alongside teammate Indy "Space" Halpern--wearing an appropriately themed space shirt--and several others from other teams: Junho "Fury" Kim of the London Spitfire; Jake "Jake" Lyon and Dante "Danteh" Cruz of the Houston Outlaws; Matthew "Super" Delisi from the San Francisco Shock; Seonghyun "Jjonak" Bang of the New York Excelsior, and the 2018 season MVP; Jehong "Ryujehong" Ryu of the Seoul Dynasty; Aaron "Bischu" Kim from Guangzhou Charge; Andrej "Babybay" Fancisty of Atlanta Reign; and fan favorite Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangchod from the Dallas Fuel.
"I don't think any competitive gamers like us have been to an event like this," Jake said, looking around the other celebrities with wide eyes and his signature bright smile. "One day, every gamer could be like, a superstar."
Among the League, some of these players could already be considered superstars. But outside of the eSports realm, these players rarely get the recognition they deserve. ESports in general have had just as hard of a time being recognized by the sports world as a whole. But events like these are helping to bring Overwatch League and eSports into the spotlight, and the influence of these young athletes is on the rise. When interviewed by Soe "Soe" Gschwind, one of the League's analysts, all the celebrities were not only surprised, but pleased and encouraging to hear that there were people who, simply put, play video games for a living.
Though they were from different teams from each other, and from a different sphere from everyone else at the event, the players had a wonderful time. "We are not enemies here," Mickie said, "we are friends here."