Post "Marvel Rivals RELEASE Arc" :: Variety Transition Arc 3 [Q1 2025]
Moving on finding the fun in Gaming again!
After trying really hard to make an impact in Marvel Rivals, due to various factors I failed to do so. I decided to take a risk that ended up benefitting me in ways unexpected. My vibe was on a down while playing Rivals, it felt like going to work at a undesirable job, when I moved on to try games I genuinely found interesting or enjoyed everything changed.
What really interests me in gaming is nostalgic stuff that introduced me to it all & seeing the limits of the gaming industry be pushed into new boundries.
We started with going into VR Content doing Halo 1 (CE) ported into Virtual Reality!
From there we visited various other cool VR Games, we did a few VR games including a really well-regarded VR FPS named Contractors VR. This game has deep mechanics & cool community-made mods that make it play like other games including Halo, Team Fortress2 and Star Wars Battlefront.
Moving toward the Future - VR, Gaming & IRL
Moving away from Marvel Rivals despite it being at it's peak was a risky move that ended up working out marvelously for me. I was having fun gaming for the pure joy of discovery and excitement again. My viewership & engagement started to increase again & I started to enjoy streaming again.
We played VR Games a lot during this arc as it was something new & fun to get into. It took a lot out of me due to being more physically engaging so I had to do shorter sessions, but they were impactful & memorable experiences that really were an incredible time. It was towards the end of these VR Game visits that we tried out FF14 in VR which ended up being my next main adventure which will be covered in more detail in the following blog but for now here's a taste of that first experience.
Playing an Isekai VR MMO was something I have ALWAYS wanted to do so it was something really special to me that really changed everything for me with gaming.
Moving Forward from here
We visited a few games for Variety which was a really fun time. From VRChat, to Indie VR stuff & trying out Drums in VR it was a blast!
I did try doing Marvel Rivals again, but it really wasn't resonating the way I originally imagined and phased away completely. We did more Halo VR which was a lowkey, but very fun series then got more into FF14 VR which will be covered in our next blog.
We also got to try out FragPunk which was a pretty cool game, I liked what it was going for, the game was a tactical shooter with CoD Military shooter mechanics, tac-shooters are something I never really was too into but it had an interesting approach for the game-style. I enjoyed the game midly but something felt off about trying to be a streamer for it. I enjoyed it from a casual perspective but it's casual options were limited and the game felt more focused on being competitive with the tac-shooter mode. The streams went well & I had a decent time with the game. A few things didn't feel right when streaming it and it didn't resonate fully with me, so I checked out on it for now. I may try it again in the future casually but for now, I want to make sure I play games that really resonate that I have love and passion for going forward.
Before we talk about that I want to mention 2 playtests that took me by surprise during this era: Mecha BREAK & Splitgate2.
We tried Mecha BREAK and the game was really interesting, the air movement reminded me of Spellbreak in a way & the combat felt really different that it was something relaxing to learn and improve at. It was a niche game in a genre I never really tried [Mech Shooter] but was different in a way that I can see myself messing with it on the side in the future when it releases. My streams started to pick up a lot of steam & the light started to shine again. Then we tried out Splitgate2 which is where everything truly changed and I saw the glimmer of hope for a new home game that I can be part of to support.
Splitgate2: Halo x Portal x New-Age FPS Movement Mechanics
When I tried Splitgate2 last year during Gamescom MR, I didn't get to play it as much as I should of due to my obligations with MR. I had so much fun when I played it but was so distracted with prepping for MR that I didn't give it the attention it deserved. When we got to try the game again for it's 2nd playtest, I was blown away by how fun it was. Halo x TitanFall/CoD/Apex Movement w/ Portals it just felt like something I didn't expect to enjoy so much but it blended these aspects together beautifully to really make it's own vibe. Splitgate2 is now a game I actually really love and have passion for, I want to see it do well & going to stick by and support it to the best of my abilities as it goes thru it's trials with release in the current market. I hope it does amazing, and even if it doesn't I'm going to do what I can to show it love & support because the game is actually incredible (it's made on an evolution of Halo's foundation, with OG Halo players & developers on a passionate development team, it resonates with my roots in gaming & fills a void that was nearly forgetten).
Halo was my original FPS,(it was the first game I was ever "known for being good at", winning all my high school tournaments, it was my 1st ever LAN Tournament (2nd/55 Players at a Halo3 event, losing by 2 kills) and my introduction to what would become modern-day eSports with MLG leading the way) and the FPS I think about whenever I tried new-age FPS. In a way it's the reason why I never resonated with a lot of new shooters and have been waiting for a game like this to come out. I was having such a good time, The streams went absolutely wild & I ended up getting attention from the developers. I liked the game so much that I already saw this is the next game I really wanted to support, play often & be a part of.
I ended up getting partnered with Splitgate2 some time after this to be part of their MVP Creator Program! This was really exciting for me because I have been getting a lot of different offers lately for CC Programs but have declined all of them due to not wanting to commit to games I don't resonate with, but Splitgate2 was filling a void that I lost nearly a decade ago & feels like a game that I really can make an impact in for it's growth & community. Looking forward to doing more with this game & keep an eye out for a blog sometime after it's first season post launch which will cover our 3rd playtest & journey on release with the game!
Birthday Stream Variety May 14, 2025: MR, Fortnite, MHUR, Spellbreak - Elemental Fracture & One Piece TCG!
We had a wonderful Birthday stream where I visited my previous main games to have a nice nostalgia trip as we moved forward into a new arc.
We started with Marvel Rivals which honestly speaking was not a great experience, it reminded me of everything that went wrong & how the game just does not resonate with how I want to game. We switched off and immediately started having a much better time.
We visited Fortnite where we had some fun games & things started to turn up a bit. Fortnite is a game I have high respect for, it changed gaming forever and pushed gaming to be respected by mainstream IRL audiences, I had a time where I really tried to push myself to be an impact in that game but it really is difficult even if you have what it takes to do so. Love what it does with crossovers and media as it pushes the agenda for gaming as a whole.
Then we Visited MHUR - My Hero Ultra Rumble (The My Hero Adcademia Battle Royale that I was a huge part of last year) and the session started really popping. I was met with lots of love from many different members of the community, the game's went really well. I played with one of my OG Teammates & a longtime supporter that I never got to play with & we popped off on a lot of the lobbies winning a majority of the games!
It was a nostalgia trip that really reminded me of the good times I had being part of it's release, wishing things with the developers were different where the community really could of flourished (instead of no communication, lack of necessary changes and using the community for it's corrupt gacha system which I still believe is the worst monetization system I have ever seen in a shooter).
The game really is a hidden gem offering unique combat and techniques that really makes it feel like you are playing an anime shooter. I will always have love for this game & wish I could of done more for it. This was the only game I have ever been part of where I feel like I made mistakes due to the pressure of being one of it's pillars (I was the last one when the game was in one of it's roughest spots, since then the game has a new generation carrying the mantle, so I feel it was meant to be). It has taught me life lessons and allowed me to move forward with a more real mindset on gaming & handling gaming communities going forward.
Then I saved the best for last out of our pre-main-game visits and played Spellbreak: Elemental Fracture
I got a really great session in with a longtime supporter and veteran player - SuperiorAxolotl
We did some 1v1s, a lot of story time, a lot of feels, and so many emotions of joy & sadness while playing the game. I really still to this day love this game with all my heart, it broke me in a way I never recovered from, but it allowed me to grow in ways I would of never imagined. This game will always be the highlight of my life regardless of the life it had. I will always talk about it because it changed me in a way I will be enternally grateful for. Check my 1st ever blog to get the full context here. Hopefully one day Blizzard takes the IP [because they own it after buying the SB Devs] works with Elemental Fracture and makes a Spellbreak2.
We also got to try out One Piece TCG to end the night which was a really fun time trying out a completely new game. The game feels like a hybrid of Magic/Hearthstone/Pokemon/YuGiOh in a way that feels balanced and fresh. I was learning Purple Luffy because it's purple and Wano Straw Hat themed which really resonated with me. Expect more content on this sometime later this year when I opt to get more into it!
Check my Next Blog to see our Adventure into an Isekai MMORPG with FF14 VR!
This moment was so important it gets it's own blog due to how different the content and objective was over there. It's content I still have on-going at the time of this article, even though my focus has shifted off it, this is something I plan to continue to do on the side going forward when I have the time.
What are my plans for Q3 2025?
Right now, my main objective is to be successful with content creation while still having a healthy balance enjoying my life & gaming. During MR gaming started to get dark & the mainstream audience showed me that I was never meant to be mainstream. I was meant to be myself, a niche gamer that does things my own sort of way while still trying to take an appropriate approach. Doing what I have been doing with FF14 in VR & now Splitgate2 is definitely what I'm meant to be doing. Before I was just showcasing any new game in gaming but now, I just want to highlight the games that I really want to support & do my best to share those moments with others.
The future remains unknown, but I know I have places I belong. It's just a matter of making things really happen so I can sustain myself while pushing forward. I also am getting back into IRL Gaming with going to events for TCG, FGC, SmashBros, LANs, Anime/Gaming Conventions and more! At the time of this article I recently went to a YGO (Yu-Gi-Oh!) Local tournament for the Retro Edison Format (2012) and managed to go undefeated! I have a VLOG which will be covering this endeavor in the works and more adventures to include which will all be included in a future blog to keep an eye out for!
My health has been shifting, I still have no place where I feel like I belong to work in IRL & barley been getting by being a CC. I still believe in the path though and just like in the animes, with hard work and effort it will all pay off you just have to believe that you can be a hero!
Thank you all so much! We push beyond the starts and going beyond a super hero!!
~ Kairi Caitlyn
