If you’re tapped into the streaming world, you’ve most likely heard the name Kai Cenat. As AfroTech previously told you, in February, the 21-year-old was reportedly the first Black streamer to reach 200,000 subscribers on Twitch. Additionally, he was said to be only the third person to achieve the milestone.

The gaming industry has a diversity problem. More than two-thirds of game developers are white, and Black people make up only two percent of the industry. This lack of diversity means the perspectives of people of color are often overlooked. We spoke with the co-founder of Dynamic Ink Games about his decision to create a Black-owned game development studio and the challenges he’s faced. Game Development Beginnings Two Average Gamers: How’d you get into game development? Damian: As a kid, I grew up poor in Bakersfield. We would take cardboard from the garage to make board games. We had a natural affinity for game design. As I got older, I recognized that game design is my calling. It was what I leaned into. I started with a program focused on directing and later switched to video games. Understanding the structure of a story and how to keep people entertained over a period of time. TAG: It definitely seems like you were meant to be in this industry. Tell me about the inspiration for...

Gaming while Black is difficult, but it’s especially challenging for Black women. In addition to the commonplace racism, they face levels of sexism that are often delivered in the forms of threats. To understand the barriers that must be broken down, we chatted with Khalia Chronicles, a streamer with lofty ambitions to uplift the gaming experience for people of color. In our exclusive interview, Khalia Chronicles shares how her past shaped her mission and how she’s making an impact in the streaming world! Editorial Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Streaming Beginnings Two Average Gamers: How’d you get into streaming? What’s your origin story? Khalia Chronicles: You can thank Hi-Rez Paladins for that. Got a Switch and learned it was free. My boyfriend recommended getting it and I immediately fell in love with Grover. I played Paladins for 6 months straight during the pandemic. I was initially into the Switch for Animal Crossing . My boyfriend had been...