Shanghai Dragons' Geguri Makes TIME's List of "Next Generation Leaders"

Time Magazine recently released its list of 10 “Next Generation Leaders.” Among a list including everyone from climate activist Greta Thunberg to action-movie, Hollywood-actress Tessa Thompson, esports fans can spot a familiar face, Se-Yeon “Geguri” Kim.

Geguri’s strength and perseverance through her esports career earned her a place on the list, having blazed her own path from small Overwatch tournaments to the main stage of the Overwatch League. As the only female in the league, Geguri has shouldered a lot of pressure, being seen as a role model and an ambassador for female gamers.  

Many first learned of Geguri due to a minor controversy following the Nexus Cup qualifiers in 2016. It was then that she was called out as a cheater, many believing her Zarya tracking was too good (it didn’t hurt that she had a staggering 80% win ratio). While Blizzard cleared her name, it took Geguri appearing live on stream to finally silence some of her more aggressive accusers.

The next challenge Geguri faced came in the league’s inaugural season. A member of the Shanghai Dragons, Geguri found herself on a team that ended the season without a win. Despite enduring 42 losses and lack of a proper translator to help her communicate with her Chinese teammates, she still kept a positive attitude and gave her best during matches.

With a largely new roster, the Dragons have looked stronger in Season Two, currently sitting at seven wins and seven losses. The current meta has forced Geguri off of Zarya (many teams have opted to put a DPS player in that slot), but she has flexed onto D.Va to help support the team’s Young-jin "Gamsu" Noh.

“If I were to give advice, it would be to not give up,” said Geguri, in a video filmed for TIME’s feature. “Work hard just like anybody else, better than anybody else.”