The Twitch streamer Narcissa Wright was once the star of the speedrunning community, but after coming out as a transgender woman and showing less gaming, her fans turned away from her. Today, the 33-year-old is said to be in a better place in her life.
What kind of streamer is she? Narcissa Wright is a transgender streamer known for her speedruns of Zelda games and for setting several records. However, when she came out as trans and shifted the focus of her streams from gaming to her personal life, the fans dwindled.
For years, Narcissa Wright documented her struggles with mental health online on YouTube and Twitch. This culminated in a notorious tweet where the streamer said she wanted to harm herself and shoot people at Twitch headquarters.
Although this was likely more of an expression of her mental health issues than a serious threat, she received a permanent ban from Twitch.
A new documentary film tells the story of the 33-year-old, from her rise to online fame to her downfall, and follows her attempts to make a comeback with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Successful with Speedruns
What kind of film is it? Break the Game is a documentary film by director Jane M. Wagner, funded through Kickstarter. The film premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, and can be streamed for a fee on their website until July 2.
How did Narcissa Wright become known? The streamer gained greater recognition in 2014 with her world record in Ocarina of Time. She completed the game in just 18 minutes and 10 seconds. Her specialty was exploiting glitches and finding new ways to beat games.
Narcissa Wright reached 150,000 followers and thousands of viewers on Twitch, which was relatively rare at the time. She participated in charity events such as Games Done Quick and even took part in the Nintendo World Championship, where she came in second place. It is said that she earned $80,000 in one year.
But suddenly, the streamer disappeared.
After Coming Out, the Fans Turned Away
How did it go for the streamer? In November 2015, Wright returned, came out as a transgender woman, and adopted the name Narcissa. While some fans supported the streamer, parts of the community that once revered her and admired her gaming skills turned away.
The sudden withdrawal of admiration from her fans apparently took a heavy toll on Narcissa Wright. In addition, she lost joy in speedrunning: she found it repetitive and only leading to frustration. Additionally, the streamer developed a hand injury over years of strain that was exacerbated by long gaming sessions.
Wright gave up speedrunning and turned to games like Super Smash Bros. She also showed more of her life, streaming herself eating or chatting with her viewers. However, the deterioration of her mental health also became increasingly visible.
The streamer apparently developed an obsession with reading everything that was posted about her online. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to do, she said: she would get up and read negative posts about herself.
Streamer Wanted to Try Again, Finds Positive Role Model
In 2017, the streamer wanted to attempt a comeback, to set a record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and reach 20,000 viewers. During this time, she met streamer d__gurl, who exemplified a healthier relationship with online activities.
She has a job, enjoys hiking, and is in a band. Director Wagner states: “She is able to enjoy being on Twitch without letting it consume her.” Throughout the movie, it should be seen how she helps Narcissa to do the same:
I think one way to break the cycle is to have other people in your life who can provide a different perspective. In the film, you can really see how Alex does that for Narcissa. She is not only there for her, she opens up her world to her.
Jane Wagner via Polygon
Today the Streamer is Said to be Happy
Where does she stand today? Break the Game consists of clips from Narcissa Wright’s online appearances as well as her own recordings and has been positively received at the Tribeca Festival, where Wagner received a special jury mention as the best director of a documentary. However, Wright herself did not appear as she apparently wants to take a break from the public eye.
Her Twitch account is still banned, and her last YouTube video is more than a year old. However, she is said to be happier now, maintaining social contacts and taking care of herself:
I was very proud of Narcissa because she realized what she needed and stood up for herself. She is taking this time to reach the next level of her life.
Jane Wagner via Polygon
Although the streamer is no longer in a relationship with d__gurl, they are said to have a close friendship.
Among Narcissa Wright’s YouTube videos, there are comments that are only a few weeks old. In them, her fans express their support and hope that she will return one day. Whether that will really happen remains to be seen.
At just 13 years old, the Fortnite prodigy Ewok captured the hearts of major streamers and viewers. This was in 2019. How it went for the young deaf streamer afterward can be read here:
Deaf Twitch streamer captured all hearts with Fortnite – What happened to Ewok?
