MADDELISK MaddeLisk became one of Sweden’s biggest names in eSports after winning the female World Championship Series in the strategy game StarCraft II in 2013. Since then, Madeleine Leander has commentated on eSports for Sweden’s SVT public broadcasting service, made commercials for Coca-Cola, been a columnist for a Swedish daily newspaper and was voted one of Sweden’s super-talents by the Swedish business weekly, Veckans Affärer.
MADDELISK
Madeleine Leander (MaddeLisk), Facebook (MaddeLisk) och Instagram (maddelisk_workout) FOLLOWERS: 20,000 followers on Instagram, 13,000 on Facebook and 13,000 on Twitter.
Photo: Esport.aftonbladet.se
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SEE HER ON: Twitter
Can you make a living from eSports? “It’s possible, but as a player you have to be among the very best to be able to survive solely on gaming. Many eSports stars need to have some other form of income. It’s common for players to stream their exploits
What does the attention you get from your followers mean to you? “Being famous has never interested me. For a long time, I regarded attention as something negative. Now, however, I have begun to realise that there is a positive side to being in the
This will attract more money through sponsorship and advertising, and that will make it easier for the sport to grow. One of the biggest challenges is to make sure that young eSports enthusiasts are seen. A lot of adults know very little about eSports, which means they have
»It gives me opportunities to exert an influence and to spread important messages« and to take on various advertising commissions. I have earnings from commentating on matches, writing about eSports and TV ads. But I’m also studying for a PhD in mathematics, so I don’t just make a living from eSports.” What does a typical day look like for you? “Right now I’m busy writing my PhD thesis, so I don’t have much time to play. But previously I’ve spent about half my time working on eSports.” What has been the highlight of your career? “Winning the StarCraft II World Championships in 2013.”
public eye. The fact that lots of people follow what I’m doing provides me with opportunities to exert an influence and to spread the messages that I think are important.” What kind of feedback do you get? “It depends on what I upload. As soon as I express any strong opinions about something, there are always people who disagree and who aren’t shy about saying so. But the majority of comments are positive.” What are your thoughts about the future for eSports? “I see a very bright future for eSports. Interest is growing in both playing and watching.
a poor understanding of what’s involved. They’re not there in the same way as, for example, football parents. But they’re needed just as much. We need adults to tell youngsters that it’s not OK to say nasty things to their opponents. We need adults who encourage eSports players as enthusiastically as they encourage floorball players or chess players.” What’s your favourite game? – StarCraft 2.
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