Maya “Caltys” Henkel and Olivia “Lizia” Calistus have been part of the Equal Esports Initiative since October 2021. They have been playing for G2 Hel since September 2022 and compete in the 3rd Division of the NLC. Most recently, they also took 2nd place at the GirlGamerFestival in Bahrain.
Hello Olivia and Maya, you both play for the most successful LoL organization in Europe. How does it feel to play for G2 Esports? What have been your highlights so far?
Caltys: It’s a great feeling to be able to represent the colors of G2. Since we started playing for G2, we have played and won several tournaments. We are still at the beginning of a long journey.
Lizia: I am very proud to play for such a successful and large organization. My biggest highlight so far was the offline final of the GirlGamerFestival.
There is another epf talent in the team, Tifa. How would you describe your collaboration with her?
Lizia: Tifa is our most experienced player, I would describe Tifa as the glue of our team. She always creates the necessary positive atmosphere inside and outside the game.
How would you sum up your time so far? Tell us about your short and long-term goals.
Caltys: At the moment I just want to improve as a player so that I can play at a higher level.
Lizia: In the short term, I want to win all the women’s tournaments and move up to the 2nd division of the NLC. In the long term, I want to reach Challenger and play in a mixed team.
Since the beginning of the year, you’ve also been playing in Division 3 of the NLC. How would you summarize the NLC chapter?
Caltys: I think we started the season with expectations that we weren’t able to fulfill, which was disappointing. Nevertheless, I’m glad that we got additional training through the NLC.
Lizia: We had a difficult start, but in the end it was a good experience to learn and play in a mixed league.
Another competition you are taking part in is the GirlGamerFestival. You are now runners-up. How do you rate your performance in this competition?
Caltys: Qualifying for the offline final was a great achievement. I think we performed well in most of our games, but we couldn’t keep up against King.
At the end of the day, the defeat was of course a big disappointment, but it showed us that we have to keep working hard to achieve our goals.
Lizia: Second place is confirmation of our hard work over the last few months. We put in a very strong performance overall in Bahrain, only King proved to be too strong. Of course we are disappointed, but second place is a great success that we can build on in the coming months.
In which area have you developed the most in recent months?
Caltys: Over the last few months, I’ve focused on expanding my champion pool and I’ve made great progress here. At the same time, I’ve been working on getting out of my comfort zone more.
Lizia: Above all, I have learned to deal better with pressure and nervousness. I used to be nervous before official matches, but now these matches have become routine and I’ve found a way to deal with them.
How would you rate the development of the female and non-binary LoL scene in recent months?
Caltys: G2 is an excellent example of the development of female and non-binary teams. More and more organizations are recognizing the potential of female and non-binary players, which is a great step forward.