esports
The expert content creator explains her journey in detail from starting out individually, to building a fan base and joining Godlike Esports.
Deepanshi ‘Dobby’ Rawat is a popular streamer and content creator who has more than two lakh subscribers on her YouTube channel.
She currently works as a content creator for Indian gaming team Godlike Esports and is an inspiration to many young girls looking to start a career in gaming.
Dobby recently appeared on Red Bull Game On as a contestant on the Good Game Show, where streamers, content creators and pro gamers went head-to-head in a unique game show format that saw them test their knowledge and quick-thinking skills. While on shoot for the game show, we picked Dobby’s brain for a bit.
Here she discusses her gaming career and sheds light on the path to becoming a recognized content creator.
The low presence of female gaming creators in India prompted her to fill this space
Currently, thousands of viewers watch Dobby's livestreams and gaming content. But she had a difficult path to success. She was inclined towards PC games since childhood, but because of lack of free time while pursuing medical studies, she switched to mobile gaming.
"I started playing BGMI in 2020, though I was not a fan of mobile gaming. After playing for six-seven months, I felt that the presence of women gaming creators in India was not very high and thought I should do something to fill the space,” says Dobby, about how she started in the industry.
“I created my YouTube gaming channel in March 2022. Initially, people's comments and behaviour towards a female creator were not encouraging, but with the passage of time my passion for gaming and skills got the right appreciation," says Dobby, recalling the early days of her gaming journey.
Being associated with Godlike Esports is an honour
Dobby’s popularity grew very quickly because of the quality of her content. Within two months of her starting her Youtube channel, she was approached by Godlike Esports.
"In May 2022, I got an offer from Godlike to join them as a content creator. They needed a female content creator and liked my content.
“I used to play Combi with Godlike's female line-up, that included Alpha and Rebel. I agreed to join them when Alpha approached me with the offer of content creator," says Dobby.
Godlike gives you freedom to come up with your own ideas for content
Godlike's boot camp videos are often seen garnering huge interest on social media. Dobby, who hails from Delhi, has often been a part of this boot camp in Mumbai. She says the open-mindedness and freedom to work as a content creator with the team is the main reason for the content to get viral.
"In the bootcamp, Rebel, Clichy, Nicky, Harshita, and I share ideas and discuss content at night. If there’s an idea shared by me, everyone chips in with suggestions to make it work better. There is also an editor at Godlike for the girls' team; he knows our requirements and works according to our thought processes. Apart from this, I also have full freedom to create content for my YouTube channel," says Dobby.
Dobby's approach to content creation and streaming
"I think about content creation even during a live stream, which can be uploaded later. During streaming, I like to have challenges, which can be in the form of number of kills I can perform today, and if I fail in my targets, then the audience challenges me to perform a dare. I believe fun activities help you make a connection with the audience. I am also planning to make vlogs and play fun games with Godlike's girls’ team.
"For me, content creation and streaming are the same. I can do content creation in streaming, which can be a bit different. I have to do quite a bit of time management because of my studies. I often mix streaming and content creation," says Dobby.
Positive thinking is the cornerstone of content creation
Dobby considers a positive mindset to be the most important aspect in content creation. She suggests working with a brighter intent if you want to be successful.
"When you get into content creation, a lot of people may dislike your content and you may also have to face negative comments. In such situations, thinking positive is the key. I have faced such situations, and I’ve only gotten better with how I deal with them. If you feel bad about something, ignore it.
“Having an attractive and charming personality definitely gains people's attention. There are a lot of people in the gaming industry, especially Shreeman Legend, who has his own unique style and is quite popular. If you don't shy away from learning how to speak with confidence and clarity of thought, no one can stop you from moving forward," says Dobby.
Avoid creating content that has been trending
Dobby shares a word of caution about following trends that are in abundance on YouTube.
"Our team makes videos after a lot of thought in bootcamps. We try to avoid the trend that is the flavour of the day. Working on ideas is a collective team effort and it helps in enriching the content.
"It has also happened that while watching a movie scene on television, you get an idea for content creation. Watching the world around diligently can also generate an idea," says Dobby.
Content creators should be thoughtful and careful in usage of their words
Dobby advises caution in what you say when it comes to content creation.
"Sometimes, a humorous element spoken casually on-screen can hurt people’s sentiments. It is of paramount importance to take care of what is spoken on screen, even in jest. We also make some mistakes while recording, but we edit those things out. We only upload videos that our team has rewatched after the final edit as long as everyone is fine with it. I think it is important to stay away from controversy," says Dobby.
