A recent national survey of Australian gamers revealed 83% of female-identifying gamers have experienced offensive behaviour online, so most are choosing to switch off their microphones to in order to conceal their true identity.

Maybelline New York’s mission is to give all people the self-confidence to express their beauty, to play and to make change.

It’s time to change the game.

Keep your eyes up and call out abuse online.

Maybelline New York Through Their Eyes

0:10 When I started making videos I already knew people were like going to give me **** for like my voice.
0:14 Back when I gamed in high school I didn’t use voice chat, because if I did
0:18 I wouldn’t be able to compete.
0:24 As soon as people figured out that you were a girl, like they just jumped on that
0:28 Instantly, instantly.
0:29 Oh my god.
0:39 I’m gonna test all this.
0:40 Hello, hello, hello. Testing testing.
0:43 Hello hello hello. Oop, there we go.
0:45 Ooh there she is.
0:46 This is me as a girl. SweetBee, that’s my name. [Laughs]
0:50 How long do you think it’s gonna take before he gets told to get back into the kitchen?
0:57 You guys got a microphone? You guys got comms? Anyone got comms?
1:02 It’s the uncomfortable, like, silence.
1:04 I’ve never had people not respond to me before.
1:07 I just had two people leave! [Gasps]
1:10 I’m searching again. Where should I go?
1:13 [Bleep] shut your mouth.
1:14 [Gasp]. Ah, my god.
1:16 It wasn’t even five seconds in!
1:18 Hey guys.
1:20 Well that was smart.
1:21 What, what’s wrong?
1:22 Shut the [bleep] up. Hopefully we win this.
1:24 Oi SweetBee shut your [bleep] up.
1:26 Whoah! I’m tryna play the game.
1:27 Hear that? He’s making fun of your dead grandma.
1:29 [Laughter]
1:31 I’ll [bleep] talk to you however I want to talk to you
1:33 Shut up! Is that a female?
1:35 I wanna [bleep] your wet [bleep] baby.
1:38 [Bleep] you idiot. [Bleep] give up.
1:39 Go back to your sink! What the [bleep]?
1:41 Call me daddy. My naughty little girl.
1:44 I’m gonna [bleep] you in the [bleep].
1:45 [Laughter]
1:48 [Screaming]
1:49 Ugh, man.
1:53 It’s rough, isn’t it?
1:59 [Sighs]
2:02 If this was something you had to live through, like your whole entire life
2:05 Could you see yourself giving up on voice chat like altogether?
2:08 Oh, absolutely.
2:09 Seeing you experience that And that happens a lot
2:12 Why do you keep playing?
2:13 ‘Cos I love it.
2:14 And I think that’s why we all keep playing, is ‘cos we love it.
2:17 And the only way you can really get through it is by surrounding yourself with people that
2:21 genuinely support you and genuinely love you
2:23 This was just a fraction of what an entire world of people go through
2:27 And I think that’s why we have to like utilise resources online, you know?
2:30 And find those safe spaces and keep your mental health in check.
2:34 I think that we can’t just hide online, like we—
2:37 Everyone’s gotta speak up and help each other out.
2:39 You just gotta step up and
2:40 people will rally with you because it is the right thing to do.
2:43 Gaming is made for everyone and it should be experienced by everyone.

Maybelline have partnered with ReachOut through our Brave Together program — a global initiative committed to destigmatising the conversation around anxiety and depression. Together, we’re helping bring access to, and awareness about, ReachOut’s one-to-one digital peer support service for young people - ReachOut PeerChat.

A TOURNAMENT CHANGING THE GAME FOR GOOD

On the 9^th of March, 32 of Australia’s most impactful women in gaming, including Fasffy, Paladin Amber, Taylor Morgan, Luminumn and more, gathered for a Battle Royale on a custom Maybelline New York Fortnite map! It was a night of bringing together the female-identifying gaming community in a fun, positive and collaborative space. A $10,000 donation was made on the night by Maybelline New York to ReachOut to support young peoples’ mental health. Thank you to all who joined! Together we can change the game.