Armenian gamer is one of world’s top female ‘Counter-Strike’ players

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian-American gamer Benita Novshadian has been a professional gamer, specializing in the multiplayer shooter “Counter-Strike” for the past 11 years. According to an article published by the Los Angeles Times, Novshadian is considered one of the world’s top female ‘Counter-Strike’ players.

For her, flying to China, winning gold in an Olympics-style e-sports competition and coming home $60,000 richer — all of which she did last month — is just her day job.

In March, Novshadian and five female teammates trekked to the World Electronic Sports Games in Chongqing, China, where they battled their way, virtual guns in hand, to the women’s grand finals in “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.”

Facing off against a team from Russia, the American team, called CLG Red, won with a score of 2-0.

“Your average person might think of a gamer as stuck in their mom’s basement or stuck behind their monitor or not taking care of themselves or overweight or something, but we really emphasize being mentally in a good place because the game is mental just as much as using your hands and keyboards,” Novshadian said, describing the rigorous underpinnings of what’s known as e-sports.

According to Novshadian, who is Armenian American, there isn’t a big gaming culture among the Armenian community.

When she first started gaming, her non-immediate family expressed confusion about her passion-turned-profession.

“Now, they all love what I do, but it is just really unique,” Novshadian said. “I think that’s why they’re so supportive, because it’s something different.”

For the foreseeable future, Novshadian plans to continue her work as a professional gamer. After all, it’s a great conversation-starter during Uber rides, she joked.

Down the line, she said she hopes to use her bachelor’s degree in information systems that she earned from Cal State LA.

“[My career] has already given me so many cool, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” Novshadian said. “I basically kept riding the wave. I’m still riding the wave.”