#dps only!

Gaming Spotlight: DPS Only! ( @tapasapp )

DPS Only! is a coming-of-age tale that explores what it means to be a woman in eSports—to be part of that underrepresented and passionate group often overshadowed by and hidden within a traditionally male-dominated world. We chatted with celebrated female digital comic creator and artist, Vel, about the webcomic, in which Vicky ‘Vic’ Tan overcomes her social anxiety, self-doubt, and society’s expectations, to pursue her dream of becoming a professional eSports gamer. Combining first-hand experiences of women gamers with a fictional game world inspired by globally loved games such as Super Smash Bros. and Overwatch, DPS Only! is a premier story by gamers, for gamers.

What were your inspirations for DPS Only!?

A combination of my love for sports anime, the eSports scene, and video games in general! I’m passionate about gaming, and I always thought there was so much untapped potential in an eSports story, especially one surrounding a female player.

Are there any personal experiences that you put into the characters you write?

Oh yes. A few instances in the comic were lifted from real events I experienced when playing online, particularly where Vicky gets harassed while playing. I think a lot of readers (female gamers, especially) may find some of these negative experiences familiar as well.

There are happier memories that inspired some parts of the comic, though! The joy of gaming with friends, for example, as cheesy as it sounds. Playing with friends is just so much better than solo-queuing—something Vicky learns in the course of the story.

What aspects of eSports can we expect to find in the story?

To fit everything in 30 episodes, we had to cut down on a lot of the eSports elements we had in the initial draft. However, readers will find certain aspects popping up now and then, such as gaming conventions, player jerseys, streams, powerhouse teams, sponsorships, and of course, tournaments! There are a lot of more subtle details that we snuck in, but I hope that readers more familiar with eSports culture will catch them and maybe have a giggle.

Xiao Tong🦋 @Velinxi on Twitter:

“It's about the sister of a top esports player who wants to follow in his footsteps to play competitively, but hides her identity in fear of disapproval and ridicule. May or may not be an esports anime in disguise.”