Phantom Miria’s dedication to Chun-Li and subsequent success on Twitch are inspirational for players of all skills.

We spoke with the Street Fighter V pro following her Women of the FGC interview. She shared insight on her goals for future tournaments and how far the fighting game community has come in terms of accepting players from all walks of life.

How did you end up as a Chun-Li player?

I wanted to learn the fundamentals of the game. Chun-Li covers the three areas that are very important when it comes to neutral fundamentals. Those are pokes, approaching, and whiff punishments.

I quit Street Fighter V for a year or so and when I got back into it, I wanted to learn the game the way I feel it should be learned.

Did you ever expect her to take you this far?

She’s not a character that you pick up and are just good at. She doesn’t carry people. You have to put in a lot of work with her. She is rewarding when it comes to neutral if you study that.

I never thought I’d actually learn the game and be where I’m at now. With Chun-Li especially. She’s a very perfectionist character. You can't make mistakes with her and that’s one thing I love.

What were your early aspirations in the community?

I entered back in 2012 and wasn’t expecting much. My first tournament was West Coast Warzone and I looked at the top players. I was far behind them. I was in nursing school back then and didn’t really have a competitive drive. I wanted to be a part of the community, but not a competitive player.

Then I made it out of my pool for the first time and thought that maybe I could make it. That’s when I started putting in the work. By then, it was too late, though. This was in Street Fighter IV and the game was coming to an end. So, I got ready for Street Fighter V by learning what I could from Street Fighter IV.

How have your goals changed?

I’m a Twitch streamer. I want to grow my brand and work with as many companies as I can. Do a lot of marketing and networking. Not only as an esports professional.

I want to level up as a player. I’m practicing every single day for at least five hours on stream. I’m also putting the time into practicing for tournaments. I’m not a fan of online tournaments. When the pandemic hit us, I stopped playing. My competitive drive was gone.

I’m finally preparing for offline tournaments. My first will be CEO in Orlando, FL at the end of the year in December. That’s one of my main goals. I’d be happy with top eight or even top sixteen. It is going to be a very hard tournament.

What was your first impression of the fighting game community?

It was like 50/50. There were people that were really nice to me and people that were really mean to me for no reason. That didn’t stop me, though. I had the impression that everyone is different in the community. Once I put myself out there, I found that everyone started to respect me.

What is your impression of the FGC now?

It is definitely different. I feel much more welcome. Back then, my gender was a huge issue for a lot of people. Now, I’m someone that people can look up to. I’m someone people want to approach and talk to.

The community is amazing. It has changed a lot throughout the years. When I first joined, there weren’t many girls or many newcomers. Street Fighter brought a lot of newcomers. It is much more friendly and welcoming. I love that.

You've called the community an amazing place for you, but have there ever been any times where the community made you doubt yourself in the FGC?

When I first joined, there were some people saying mean stuff. They were calling me names and telling other people not to talk to me because I’m trans. It was dumb and ignorant stuff. It was hurtful, but I’m a strong person and didn’t let it get to me. If I had to say I doubted the FGC at some point, it was then.

I started in Los Angeles, CA and there was a group of players. They are really good players, but were really mean to other people. Or at least to me. I tried to make amends with them. I talked to some of them personally and asked what their problem was. We’re actually cool now.

Adversity can almost feel inevitable in the age of social media and anonymity. How do you personally overcome it?

Everyone is different, but the way I deal with it is to just never let it get to me. I’ve come a long way and I know how hard I’ve worked to be where I am right now. Whenever I read bad comments, it is always online. It is always the YouTube comment section or the Twitch chat.

I would go as far to say that that isn’t the FGC. They don’t represent the FGC. The FGC are the people that gather in the offline tournaments.

You told women and other marginalized genders on joining the FGC to not be afraid. Expanding on that further, what are some specific reasons the FGC would be right for them?

In 2019, right before the pandemic started, a lot of people started making statements about really private stuff. We started hearing about girls getting raped and harrased. Seeing the community gather to defend and stand up for these women made me think that the FGC is amazing.

Just because one person may have fucked up doesn't mean the entire community is that way. Seeing all of the community support women in a way I’ve never seen before was an amazing experience. It was also sad that all of this had to happen for them to stand up for us.

What circumstances, if any, would you tell someone the FGC isn't right for them?

None right now. Back when I started, maybe, but now I feel like we’ve cleansed the FGC. We’ve gotten rid of the bad people. I’m sure there are still some, but the FGC is safer than ever.

When people spoke up and told their experiences, we got rid of those bad people. They’re banned from tournaments. We have Combo Queens and XO Academy. These organizations are here to help women overcome those things.