As esports becomes more popular, institutions are starting to really take notice. HBCU students have been having a hand in the space with the help of organizations such as Cxmmunity. As previously reported by AfroTech, the nonprofit works to help Black youth not only be influencers and consumers of tech but also be beneficiaries. “Our main goal is to get the Black youth hired within the tech industry,” co-founder Christopher Peay told us. “Eighty-three percent of African American millennials play video games daily but when you look at the video game workforce specifically, only about two to three percent of African Americans work within the space. We’re always the influencer, we’re always the consumer, but we’re hardly ever the beneficiary.” He continued: “That’s one of the biggest disparities that we wanted to try and overcome, so we came up with these programs to create a pipeline to take K-12 students to HBCUs that then work or compete within an HBCU sports league.” Now, this...

Grand Theft Auto is making a necessary change. The renowned video game franchise has announced plans to debut its first female protagonist, according to IndieWire. More importantly, it is the first time that a woman will appear as a character within the game that doesn’t have to be “beaten, solicited for sex, or robbed.” The character is set to make her official launch during the Grand Theft Auto VI series of the game. She will serve as a co-lead for the game’s “Bonnie and Clyde” inspired storyline and will be of Latina descent. “Developers are also being cautious not to ‘punch down’ by making jokes about marginalized groups, the people said, in contrast with previous ‘GTA’ games,” Bloomberg shared in a report detailing the news. The latest installment of Grand Theft Auto is a part of the developer’s 2024 fiscal year and has been in the works since 2014. Originally, it was rumored that the developer, Take-Two, would refer to the game as “Project Americas” with most of the user’s...

When T-Pain’s career first took off in the 2000s, he became deemed as one of the greats in the music industry. Now, the musician has been getting more of a footing in gaming. According to HipHopDX, T-Pain shared in an interview with Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast that in recent years his gaming career has brought in more money than music.

Cxmmunity is still on a mission to make esports accessible at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Black-owned non–profit spearheaded by Christopher Peay and Ryan Johnson has announced its second annual HBCU Esports League Verizon Celebrity Pro-Am. Students will compete in Uno and Fortnite alongside celebrity figures including T-Pain, Brett Gray, Mike Evans, Erin Ashley Simon, Allisha Gray, Bas, Tarik Cohen, FaZe Swagg, Sonny Digital, and more. “We want to continue elevating and raising awareness around HBCU esports programs while showing these schools and these students that there are really cool people in sports, entertainment, and music supporting the gaming space,” Johnson told AfroTech exclusively. In addition to playing alongside celebrity favorites, students can also look forward to a prize pool of $10,000 with $2,000 for the Uno segment that will be donated to the school’s esports programs and $8,000 for the Fortnite tournament to support student...

Snoop Dogg’s ventures are still expanding! As AfroTech previously reported, the famed rapper celebrated a full circle moment after the acquisition of Death Row Records. Now, Snoop Dogg continues to prove he can do it all as he will join esports and entertainment company FaZe Clan as a member of its talent network and board of directors, The Hollywood Reporter revealed exclusively. “As the original internet kid and first generation gamer, Snoop more than anyone has always understood the cultural connection between music, lifestyle and gaming,” FaZe Clan’s Chief Strategy Officer Kai Henry said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Today, Snoop is a leading voice in the emerging Web3 community and we have tremendous plans to create together in the metaverse, driving new engagement opportunities for both of our fanbases.” It appears Snoop Dogg’s new role is long overdue. While Snoop Dogg has cultivated a relationship with the organization throughout the years, he has been into gaming...

Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete of all time. The Olympic champion can flex eight gold medals and two record-holding spots for the 100m and 200m races, but what’s the secret to his success? According to a BBC interview, in which Bolt appears in a hologram playing virtually with reporter Steffan Powell, he cites his success on the field to the world of gaming. “ For me, those are the things that excite me about video games. Just learning and being the best at it. I feel like it kinda helped my hunger, I would say. To always want to win. But I feel like it, in a way, kind of helped out with the track and field, because now, when you get on the track, you have that same mentality as when you’re playing video games. You just want to win ,” Usain Bolt told BBC.

HBO and Issa Rae’s “Insecure” isn’t going out without a bang! AfroTech first told you about Glow Up Games, an all-women of color founded game studio on a mission to create games made with Black and brown joy in mind, in March 2020. “Glow Up Games is a research and development studio centered around using AI, AR/VR, games, and other innovative technologies to tell diverse stories,” we reported at the time. “The tech company is founded by three women of color including Mitu Khandaker, Tara Mustapha, and Latoya Peterson. Glow Up Games prides itself on creating experiences that are relatable to players of diverse backgrounds.” Now the founders of color have announced that they’re ready to launch their free-to-play mobile game “Insecure: The Come Up Game” alongside HBO as viewers are halfway through the final and fifth season of the hit series. Glow Up Games The game, which brings the friendships, drama and misadventures of “Issa Dee” and her friends to life is now available after the...

T-Pain has certified himself as one of the most versatile artists of our time through his career moves of nearly two decades, and the longevity of his career speaks volumes to his presence being needed for the culture. As the seasoned veteran continues to leave his mark on the industry, his new partnership with Twitch is set to take the streaming platform’s music community to the next level. In a press release provided exclusively to AfroTech, Twitch announced a collaboration with the music and Twitch legend, which aims to strengthen the Twitch music community and uplift its creators. T-Pain’s streaming presence has transformed into a space where upcoming artists are given the opportunity for him to broadcast their music. Along with providing a platform for musicians, the producer has also curated a unique stream that intertwines gaming, music and fan interaction. A mashup of this sort is unusual on Twitch, and has probably played a part in helping him become an amplified voice for...