Community Focus - P1ka

We’re back with our first Community Focus of 2023! It’s been a hot minute, but we’re excited to be back with this series to highlight a variety of great folks that make up the Destiny 2 community. We’ve shared meme lords, cosplay magicians, content creators who show what it means to kick butt and stay kind, and so many other different types of Guardians. We’ve got an incredible community, which is why we’re excited to introduce you to one person who you may have recognized from our send-off raid to her channel following the Lightfall showcase last year. Meet P1kapeach, the content creator that is as wholesome as her adorable gamertag suggests.

First up, how the heck are ya, P1kapeach? Let’s start by telling the community a little bit more about yourself, maybe even something nobody knows?

What is up, Destiny community! I’m Gia, also known as P1ka, and I’m doing well! I can speak for the universe when I say thankfully January is over because that is always the worst month (sorry, January babies) with how cold and dark it is.

Hm, a few things about me. I’m from Canada, and streaming is my full-time job now. I’m also starting up a non-gaming YouTube passion project that’s still underway. Previously, I worked as an exercise specialist, which some of you may not know, and I assisted people in their rehabilitation after getting injured at work. Another hobby of mine is going hiking and camping. I recently did a 75km (about 46.6 mi) hike this past September with my dad. It was a great time that I’ll always treasure!

I also love all cute things, like Squishmallows, and if I'm not online, then I'm probably hanging out with my family or friends. If you ever want to hang out, my favorite place to vibe is in cute cafes with delicious coffee.

Exciting to hear you’ve got some new projects in the works, like the YouTube channel you mentioned! How did you get your start in content creation and become involved in the Destiny community?

I was introduced to Destiny back in Destiny 1! I started playing right before The Taken King expansion. I had just moved to a new province and wasn’t employed yet, so I had a lot of time on my hands. I created a Hunter first and was strongly opposed to trying the other characters for a long time… maybe not even until Destiny 2 dropped (oops).

Content creation started more recently for me. I was too shy to start when I should have, but it was the pandemic that really allowed me the space and time to grow into the Destiny 2 content creator space. I was laid off from work, so I joined some scrim communities, met some other creators, and really leaned into finding myself and where I fit amongst all the amazing and talented streamers out there. I met so many friends around that time who are such important staples in my life—even now. The Destiny 2 community is like no other I have been a part of. There are always people around to help, befriend, and game with.

I love that you found what you enjoy doing, especially during a tumultuous time like the start of the pandemic. And agreed, there’s no denying that we’ve got special people in our community. We’re lucky!

I feel like content creation is such a wide-open space where literally anything goes—and sometimes finding yourself and where you fit in an authentic and sustainable can feel daunting! But that’s the beauty of it: You can be exactly you, and that’s amazing. I feel like I have experienced steady growth as a creator, and the space is limitless. I like setting goals along the way, like hitting 1k, 5k, 10k followers, or getting Partnered on Twitch. Smashing through goals like that is like anything else really that you have to work at. The immense satisfaction from seeing that challenging work payoff is addicting.

My goal now is vastly different from where I started. It can be hard to keep your identity or roots when the space is so big, so right now I’m focusing on keeping my routine, my authenticity, and my love for streaming and gaming.

What some in this space don’t warn you about when you make content creation your life is how it can take away from the joys of gaming. When something becomes your job, the sparkle can fade, and I always want to keep the magic of going live and sharing my gaming experience with viewers. One of my early cherished memories in content creation was one random night when I had a viewer come in, immediately follow me, and drop 20 subs all at once. That’s pretty cool in itself, but what took this to the next level was when I noticed it was DMG, the former Community Manager from ya’ll’s team! I was like, what?! There is no way, like... how is this real!? No way he knows who I am, let alone that he’s that generous [laughs]! But he did, apparently! And when he tweeted it out, it was wild. I remember feeling excited, shy—all of it. It was great.

Pour one out for DMG. That’s amazing. And well deserved. You worked hard at building your community, and that authenticity you spoke of is prevalent in any stream I’ve watched myself. Glad to have someone like you in this community!

Now that you’ve talked about the underside of streaming a little bit, do you have any advice for content creators out there looking to get their own start?

My advice is usually always the same: You don’t need special equipment or anything fancy. You just need consistency and genuineness. If it’s your dream to stream or create content, you just have to start. The space is wide open, there’s room for everyone, and viewers love to get to know you for you. Don’t be afraid to lean into everything that defines you, quirkiness and all. It’s all you, and that is a special, wonderful thing.

Diving just a little bit deeper with some things I wish I knew sooner in my journey. First, consistency is good so your audience knows when to expect you. I was very sporadic when I started, and that was due to my job at the time and my dedication. Maybe a full-fledged schedule isn’t possible, but if you say you’re going to stream for a particular night, then follow through. That being said, I also don’t believe you need to stream for crazy hours. Don’t stress yourself over streaming for 8+ hours at once or hitting an unsustainable amount of time. Burn out from gaming and entertaining viewers is very real! Protect yourself and your mental health, and you’ll find you have much more energy to tackle any goals you have.

With Lightfall coming up, what are some of your favorite memories from being in the Destiny community looking back?

The Destiny community has shared so many ups and downs together through the years. It’s special how well one giant community comes together for events, reveals, and even just game updates. One of my favorite memories from being in the community is being a part of a scrim club. It was every Wednesday night, and it really gave me a quick lesson on how bad I was at the time, while also motivating me and changing the direction I went with the game. I immediately changed my focus to PvP, getting better and learning the game in a different light. I met so many people through the scrim community who are still major parts of my life and are true friends. It was like a whole different world when I learned that people gathered and gamed in private matches. I loved it.

What about what’s next for the Destiny universe are you the most excited for? Any personal theories that you have in your noggin that you hope to see reflected in the story coming up? Any story elements you’re hoping not to see?

I am excited for Strand, oh lord! It always seems wild to me that we get cool new powers in this crazy space magic story. This magical aspect of Destiny really shifts the whole game and gives it a refreshment that brings in a wave of excitement and creativity with builds, mods, and near-limitless potential.

Admittedly, I am not really a big theorizer with regard to the story. I feel like Destiny has always had a way of capturing its audiences, so I usually just let it pull me in. However, I am interested to see what the next chapter is for the Witness. There are some storylines that I am ready to see the next evolution of because that means new story missions, new activities, and a new raid!

As for things I wouldn’t want to see… anything goes for me, but I really don’t like to see any of our main characters die because it makes me sad every time. I’m not looking to get that kind of feeling, OK?

With Strand coming out soon, it’s time for our favorite Q: If you could create your dream subclass, meaning no limits—can look however you want, feel however you want— what would that look like?

This is really hard! Subclasses shape the game and the story experience, so creating my own really makes me think. I guess if I were to make my own, it would be a more passively played subclass. It would be pink and maybe focus on healing my teammates from a distance or up close, like little healing streams that operate like axion grenades. The Super could be like an aura that if you stand in it, you retain less damage, and enemies that walk in take more damage. Or something? Gah, I don’t know. This is a really hard question! And this is why I stick to playing games [laughs].

Is there anything about your relationship with the Destiny universe that feels unique to you? I know for me personally, I love going into each day with a full RPG sheet: my Guardian and their Ghost have an entire backstory, daily story—something to make the experience lean more heavily into those RPG elements.

I lean towards the Guardian drip. If you look good, you play good. So, my unique experience may be needing a specific look for each type of activity, like how I like to make myself look cooler and tougher in PvP versus the usually bright and colorful me in PvE. I know that creating cool looks that are unique and stylish is one of my favorite things, while also judging my clan members for their drip when I log in (sorry, guys). There are limitless possibilities with Destiny 2 fashion, and I love that. Bring on more shaders with Lightfall. I am so ready.

If there was one thing you could say to the Destiny community if you had the chance (like in a Community Focus, perchance), what would you say?

I would just like to say thank you to everyone. Destiny 2 and content creation have really changed my life. In a wild cosmic way, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. I have made so many friends and had so many unique opportunities because of this game that I am truly thankful for.

Thanks so much for hanging out! Before we let you go, go ahead and shoutout anyone else you’d like to shine some love on and tell folks where they can find you.

No, thank you, Hippy and team! There are SO MANY COOL CREATORS IN THIS COMMUNITY. HOW CAN YOU MAKE ME PICK?! OK. So, I must mention my ride or die, TaylorLiz. She and I have spent countless hours sweating in Trials of Osiris together, and she’s been one of my biggest supporters with streaming and creating. You can find me live most nights of the week on Twitch, on Twitter where I’m usually silly or posting that I'm streaming, and Instagram for all things day-to-day and silly.

Thank you again for this opportunity. I am so excited for Lightfall, and everyone at Bungie is doing an amazing job.

Much love, everyone!

See? Wholesome! And that’s a wrap on our latest Community Focus and the start of a whole new year of meeting stunning folks from all over the world that help make the Destiny 2 family feel like no other. Sure, we’ve got some in-fighting like any other fam, but when you look at our community as a whole? It’s beautiful.

Don’t believe me? Just look how quickly the community mobilizes when there is a new charity cause worth devoting to, or when players decided to wear gold in support of one community member whose child was fighting against cancer. You are amazing, and we’ll keep doing everything we can on our side to remind you of that every chance we get. So. Yeah. Take that, you loveable nerds.

In the meantime, you know the drill. Make sure you’re drinking that water, indulging in that self-care, and always leading with your kindest foot forward.

See you next time, friends.

“I should go,”

<3 Hippy