It’s been a rough year for everybody due to COVID-19; for RyyFyy, it’s had some of the highest highs and lowest lows.
Ryleigh “RyyFyy” Fullerton is a professional Twitch streamer for G2 Esports. Known for playing Rainbox Six Siege, VALORANT and more, RyyFyy is a rising star in the streaming space.
There’s been ups and downs in the past year for RyyFyy; a fast-growing stream and signing with both G2 Esports and Ford Models have been some of the positives, while living in a country far from her family throughout the pandemic rank among the negatives. Still, RyyFyy finds a way to push on and develop her brand and stream.
We got the chance to ask RyyFyy a few questions about her life, career and future plans. Check it out!
Let’s start from the beginning: What got you into video games and, more specifically, the world of content creation?
RyyFyy: I found my love for gaming through my Dad; growing up on the weekends, my sisters and I would watch him play games like Kingdom Hearts. I remember being so amazed at the ability to make these unique worlds that you can interact with and follow through a story and feel so invested.
I fell out of gaming for around three years. Right around 16, I got bullied in high school and decided to find my way back into gaming, which is how I discovered Rainbow Six Siege. Through that, I made so many online friends that made me feel truly valued and those moments became my main source of happiness.
The world of streaming was introduced to me by my boyfriend and former pro player of Rainbow Six Siege Niclas (Pengu), I moved abroad after dating for close to a year and moved with him to Denmark, and as I didn’t speak Danish and needed something to invest my time into, he suggested streaming. It was something I never really thought I would get into, but really found out I had a lot of love for.
Livestreaming has become a very competitive industry; what do you think you have done differently that has allowed you to carve out your own space in the field?
RyyFyy: I’ve really always just been me. With streaming, I felt like it was the easiest place to be 100% myself and not really feel judged since the people that watch me are there for me and through the platform. I like to share my mistakes and lessons I’ve learned so that others have the opportunity to learn through me.
I was also really fortunate to develop such a kind community of my own, and most people in the chat will interact with one another and even form friendships through my stream. I love how we all are just really nice and supporting of one another.
You have a sizable following across all social media. How important do you think it is for content creators to establish a presence on every platform? Do you prioritize some platforms over others?
RyyFyy: I believe branching into different areas of content is SO important because it’s a window to spread your content to someone that may love it and not have ever used Twitch before or even known what it was. Little things like that I’ve seen make a HUGE difference for so many content creators around me.
I definitely think Twitter has been my most prioritized platform because people could see the random things I tweet and interact with me and I can interact back on something more than gaming, but lately I have been trying to get into using Tik Tok because it definitely seems like the biggest spread for getting a following spread to all your platforms.
You stream several games, including Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends and VALORANT. How important is it to you to be able to stream multiple games as opposed to sticking to one title? Are there other games you’re curious to incorporate into the streams?
RyyFyy: Variety is so important for my sanity because feeling like you’re stuck with one game to have your following want to watch you is so bad for your mental health. If a game is in a poor state or has a lot of issues with cheaters/stream sniping, it makes it so hard to enjoy playing it and to put out your best content, as well as making it hard for the viewers to even want to watch.
I also have played the We Were Here games, and plan on playing another as soon as it’s released, along with The Forest 2, It Takes Two, and more Labyrinthine.
As you continue to grow as a content creator, you will have a larger and larger influence in the space. What kind of example are you hoping to set for fans and aspiring creators who look up to you?
RyyFyy: I want to be the best role model I can be. I like to promote sticking up to people that are mean in-game especially, because we all play games because of the same passion.
As for other creators who may look at me, my advice is: push through the doubt and the moments you feel insecure about your content and do what makes you happy. Life is too short to look back on moments and be like “Ah dang, I wish I would’ve appreciated this time more.”
I like to try and always find at least one thing that makes me happy and then look for another and use that as my way to maintain a more positive mindset.
COVID has massively affected all of us for over a year now. What were some of the initial struggles you faced due to the pandemic? What silver linings have you noticed through the tough times?
RyyFyy: My older sister Parker had her first baby last year mid-lockdown and since I had already moved to Europe, COVID restrictions made it impossible to really travel safely and see them; I haven’t been able to meet my nephew yet and he turns 1 in a couple months.
Around halfway through lockdown I got cabin fever pretty bad and it made finding motivation to stream pretty difficult, since it felt like the only thing I could do other than watch Netflix. Some of the silver linings came through Twitch chat; my viewers going through the same pandemic made it feel so much less alone, and gave me happy moments where I could escape; I hope I was able to do the same for them.
My boyfriend Niclas was a big support and helped me get motivated when I couldn’t do it myself, which then led to me getting into working out and finding a love for fitness and being in the best shape possible. Getting my cat Newt was a big highlight in the year as well!
As the world slowly returns to a sense of “normal,” what do you have planned? What’s next for RyyFyy?
RyyFyy:I really want to get into traveling and doing vlogs of trips; I have a trip to Hawaii planned out already that I’m super excited about.