Gaming
Frankie Ward, host of the Red Bull Save Your Game podcast, reveals her first-ever games, plus some of the surprising things she has learned as host.
The Save Your Game podcast has kept us entertained this year by asking various gaming and esports stars which game they would save in a hypothetical world where only one remains. Host Frankie Ward has asked some of esports' biggest stars, including Carlos 'ocelote' Rodriguez and Jeannail 'Cuddle_Core' Carter, what their journey into the world of gaming entailed.
Now, after 10 episodes of the podcast, we've asked her the same questions, and put her through the challenge of picking just one game to save.
When asked about her first forays into gaming, Frankie explained that her love for the world of video games came from her family at a very young age. "When I was very young (maybe four or five) my dad had a work laptop which I used to play on the AOL Yahooligans portal – this was before Netscape (the first internet browser) even existed,” she says. “I also played Hugo Whodunnit 2 and Monkey Island 2 – the latter I streamed on Twitch a couple of years ago for the nostalgia and love of the series." She remembers that her introduction to gaming was "very much a family thing".
Save Your Game is just the latest outlet for Frankie, who started out as a producer, and went on to cover the League of Legends World Championship for the BBC at London's Wembley Arena in 2015. She says this is when her specific interest in esports began, setting her up for the next stages of her career. "[Covering the League of Legends World Championship at Wembley] led to me working at Twitch as a producer," she explains, "where I started hosting on the side and found I loved it. I went full-time in 2015 and it's kind of been non-stop since then!"
I went full-time in 2015 and it's kind of been non-stop since then!
During her time hosting Save Your Game, Frankie has met with some of the most memorable names in various esports, spanning games like FIFA, Tekken and League of Legends. Not one to pick favourites, she remarks that "everyone was fantastic", but also that "it was brilliant to speak to Cuddle_Core so soon after she became a Red Bull Athlete, which is the dream for so many fighting game pros like herself. She takes her responsibility as a role model really seriously while being enthusiastic and approachable – and still games with her dad!"
In perhaps another surprise for her audience, Frankie says that if she herself could be an esports pro, she would love for it to be in Rocket League. "The community is super friendly, but the game is really accessible, it's family friendly and it's way trickier to master than it looks. In other words; I'm rubbish at it!"
I'm always on the hunt for brilliant games I can play with friends, family and fellow streamers
An interview with Frankie wouldn't be complete without asking her to pick her top three games, a format Save Your Game has been using since it began. Her choices come from various times in her life when she was emotionally connected with a game. "I guess I have to name games that have been important pillars in my life so far, so I'd have to say Monkey Island 2 for being my first gaming obsession – and also the game that I played for years before completing, aged nine."
"Then Final Fantasy X, which was such an emotional experience,” she adds. “I devoted two weeks in my bedroom post-GCSE exams to mastering and completing it. The music still makes me cry with the memories of that ending."
"Finally, I have to say Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. While I have worked in many different esports communities, CS:GO for me is the pinnacle viewer experience for esports,” she says. “Anyone can be invested in the players, the storylines and the game – even if not an active player. The feeling of being in a packed arena watching CS pros achieve their dream is like nothing else I've experienced in my career."
When asked to narrow it down to just one game, Frankie was sure of her response. "I have to say CS:GO – it's a forever game and no matter what I do in future, it'll always be a significant chapter in my life, which I hope will continue for the foreseeable."
Catch all of the Save Your Game episodes on Red Bull TV, Spotify, Apple and all major podcast platforms, to learn some surprising facts about your favourite esports stars and the games that made them.
.png)
