Women in Swiss Esports: Anaëlle Giroud aka Črįs

This week, we are thrilled to present Anaëlle Giroud aka Črįs as our latest female highlight in our series Women in Swiss Esports.

Črįs lives in Martigny in Valais and works in architecture. Since she obtained her CFC in 2020, she has been working on several projects at the same time and is currently refurbishing a chalet in Verbier. She regularly creates 3D models to help her clients visualise their future home.

As far as her passion for video games is concerned, what she loves most is being able to play with her friends online, as most of them live hours away from her... it's a real pleasure for her to play with them without having to leave her house! Črįs is also very competitive, so she mainly plays multiplayer games. Another type of game that she really enjoys is the Pokemon licence, her favourite game that she grew up with. Exploring, having companions, putting together the team you want and completing the Pokedex is what motivates her to spend hours on it.

As for esports, she regularly plays in online tournaments on Overwatch and doesn't hesitate to travel to Paris if there are no tournaments in Switzerland. Črįs is addicted to Overwatch tournaments and is so passionate that she also manages a community server with other fans of the licence in order to keep up to date with what's happening on Overwatch and organise tournaments on the game. She has also created a website for the Overwatch Swiss Community.

Now that you have had a glimpse of who she is, it is now time to dive into her interview!

Seven Getting to Know You Questions:

Q1. What is your favorite dish?

"I love food. I don’t really have a favorite dish, but if I had to choose I would say either Raclette or pasta aglio e olio."

Q2. What is the best game you have ever played?

"Again, a difficult question. The first game that comes to mind would be Hyperscape. But if I have to choose a competitive game, it would be Overwatch and if I had to pick one just for the lore and exploration, I would choose Pokémon."

Q3. Who made you love video games?

"My dad had a PS2 when I grew up and we played a lot of games. In particular, Jak and Daxter was my favorite PS2 game."

Q4. If you could host an esports event anywhere in the world, where would it be?

"I would host it in London because it’s in the “middle’’ of Europe and it kind of forces the different languages to regroup to English."

Q5. Are you on PC, Console or Mobile?

"I play on PC, and use my switch for Pokémon games."

Q6. If you could join any Esports team, who would that be ? (Swiss/Worldwide)

"I don’t have a favourite esports team, I’d rather see if the team members and I share the same mentality and values about the game."

Q7. If you were a professional player, which game would you like to compete in?

"Overwatch, but in 2018-2019."

About Your Background And Career:

Q1. What made you come to esports and how did you get started?

"I enjoyed the competition and I was eager to get more of it. But what made me really start was the OWWC 2018. It gave me the determination to compete and to set my goal to compete in the next World Cup. I also wanted to prove to everyone back in the days that a girl could be good at video games."

Q2. How are you involved in esports at the moment?

"I currently play for my team, Overwatch Reforged, on the national scene and for some teams in France. I also play for the Swiss team in the upcoming Overwatch World Cup 2023. Beside playing, we create content for Overwatch to entertain the Swiss scene, feel free to check out our website here."

Q3. Where do you see yourself in esports in the next five years?

"I don’t know. My only goal was to reach the World Cup. I love tryharding so I’m wondering whether I should keep going to get on an international level and compete against the best players. Either that or I’ll just keep playing in the national scene."

Representation & Inclusivity Questions

Q1. Do you feel that women and marginalised genders are represented well enough in esports? How about in Switzerland?

"No, I don’t think so, but I see efforts coming along. In general, I don’t know much about the entire pro scene in Switzerland, since I’m mostly involved in the Overwatch scene. To be honest, I focus on the competition and just ignore toxic behaviour."

Q2. What is currently the biggest challenge related to this topic and how would you start to overcome it?

"I think we should judge people by their skills and not by their genders. I think that will solve most of the common problems."

Q3. Do you feel there is any progress being made for representation on the scene?

"Yes, there is progress. I see more women in the gaming/esports scene in general and I’m happy to see it."

Q4. If you could bring one thing in the industry to promote more inclusion, what would that be?

"I can’t answer that. I personally feel included, so I don’t really have a view on the issue. I can only speak for my personal experience on the Overwatch Scene."

Q5. What do you think women can bring to the esports scene?

"They can be role models and mentors for other women who are interested in esports. The more there are, the more will come!"

If you want to know more about Črįs and her work within the Swiss esports scene, we invite you to visit her profile here.