We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
I’ve been asking myself this question for over a decade. I’ve been part of the real-time strategy (RTS) gaming community for years — playing games like StarCraft 2, Age of Empires, Warcraft 3, and Command & Conquer — and one thing has always stood out to me: Black players are almost nowhere to be found.
Not in casual play. Not in streaming. Not in pro competition. Just… nowhere.
In a genre that has produced some of the most legendary esports moments in gaming history, Black representation is virtually nonexistent. And after more than a decade of thinking about it, I finally decided to talk about it on camera.
This blog post is the written companion to my YouTube video of the same name. Whether you watched the video or stumbled on this post through a search, I want to keep this conversation going — because it’s one that the RTS community needs to have.
Table of Contents
- My Personal Experience Growing Up as a Black RTS Player
- The Black RTS Streaming Scene — A Handful of Us
- Black RTS Pro Players — Where Are They?
- Why Are Black Players Underrepresented in RTS?
- What Needs to Change
- Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
1. My Personal Experience Growing Up as a Black RTS Player
Growing up, I could count the number of Black RTS players I personally knew on one hand — and still have fingers left over.
There were exactly four of us:
- Myself
- My cousin J
- My boy Curt
- My boy Brennan
That’s it. Four people. In all of my years growing up, playing RTS games, going to friends’ houses, gaming online — those were the only four Black RTS players I personally knew.
Think about that for a second. In the broader Black gaming community, you’ll find plenty of people who play shooters like Call of Duty or Halo, sports games like NBA 2K and Madden, and fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. But RTS? It’s like we never showed up.
And this wasn’t just a local thing. As I got older and the internet connected gamers from around the world, I started to realize that my experience wasn’t unique — it was the norm. Black players were scarce in the RTS community at every level.
2. The Black RTS Streaming Scene — A Handful of Us
Fast forward to the rise of game streaming on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, and you’d think things would be different. More visibility means more representation, right?
Not exactly.
Over the years, I’ve been able to identify just five Black RTS streamers — myself included:
| Streamer | Platform |
|---|---|
| RoccosGamingJourney (me!) | RoccosGamingJourney.com / Kick / Twitch |
| Temp0 | twitch.tv/temp0 |
| spsdebo | justin.tv/spsdebo |
| deechii504 | twitch.tv/deechii504 |
| FinesseHLGaming | twitch.tv/finesse_hlg |
Five. Five Black RTS streamers across the entire history of game streaming. In a genre with thousands of content creators worldwide, we can count our representation on one hand.
If you’re a Black RTS streamer and you’re not on this list — please reach out. I want to know you exist. That’s not a joke. The fact that I genuinely might have missed someone and still only get to a handful says everything.
3. Black RTS Pro Players — Where Are They?
This is where it gets even more stark.
I am aware of zero Black RTS pro players.
Not one. Not in StarCraft 2. Not in Age of Empires IV. Not in Warcraft 3. Not in any competitive RTS scene that I’ve been able to find.
Professional RTS has produced legends — players like Flash, Serral, Stephano, and TLO. The global esports scene for RTS games, particularly StarCraft 2, is massive. Millions of dollars in prize money. Millions of viewers. Global tournaments.
And yet — not a single Black pro player that I know of.
If you know of one, please drop their name in the comments on the YouTube video or reach out to me directly. I’m not saying they don’t exist — I’m saying I can’t find them. And the fact that I can’t find them is itself part of the problem.
4. Why Are Black Players Underrepresented in RTS?
This is the big question, and it’s one I’ve thought about deeply. There’s no single answer — it’s a combination of cultural, economic, and community-driven factors. Here are some of the reasons I believe contribute to the gap:
Cultural Gaming Preferences
Different gaming communities tend to develop around different genres. In many Black gaming communities, the dominant genres have historically been sports games (NBA 2K, Madden, FIFA), shooters (Call of Duty, Halo), and fighting games (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter). RTS games never really broke through in those same circles — and that shapes who gets introduced to the genre early.
The “Entry Barrier” of RTS Games
Let’s be real: RTS games have a notoriously steep learning curve. Games like StarCraft 2 require mastery of build orders, resource management, unit micro, map awareness, and game theory — all simultaneously. If you don’t grow up with someone showing you the ropes, the genre can feel completely inaccessible. For communities where RTS wasn’t part of the gaming culture, that barrier is even higher.
Lack of Representation = Lack of Entry Points
This is the cycle that’s hardest to break. If you don’t see people who look like you playing a game, you’re less likely to get into it. If no one in your circle plays RTS, you don’t get introduced to it. If there are no Black streamers you can relate to covering RTS content, the genre feels like it’s not for you. Representation creates entry points. Without it, the cycle continues.
Hardware and Access
Competitive RTS gaming — especially StarCraft 2 — historically required a solid gaming PC. This is a real economic factor. Communities with less access to high-end hardware naturally gravitated toward console-first genres, where the barrier to entry was lower.
The Streaming and Esports Pipeline
Even among people who do play RTS games casually, making the leap to streaming or pro play requires a support system: mentors, communities, time, and resources. Without existing Black RTS streamers and pros to look up to, that pipeline simply doesn’t exist for most Black players who might have otherwise pursued it.
5. What Needs to Change
I don’t think there’s a single magic fix here, but there are things that could genuinely move the needle:
More visibility for existing Black RTS content creators. The five streamers I mentioned above deserve more eyeballs. Share their channels. Watch their streams. Help them grow. The more successful Black RTS creators become, the more entry points exist for the next generation.
Community outreach and inclusion. RTS gaming communities need to actively be welcoming spaces. That means examining toxicity, gatekeeping, and the unspoken cultural signals that tell newcomers whether they belong.
Grassroots introduction to the genre. If you’re a Black RTS player, introduce someone in your circle to the genre. Be the person for someone else that you wish you’d had growing up.
Recognition at the esports level. Tournament organizers and esports organizations should think about diversity pipelines — not as a PR checkbox, but as a genuine investment in growing the player pool.
6. Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
I’ve been sitting on these thoughts for a long time. Putting them in a video — and now in writing — is my way of opening a door that I hope more people will walk through.
So I’m asking you directly:
- Where are you from? Did you grow up around other Black RTS players?
- How many Black friends did you have growing up who played RTS games?
- Why do YOU think Black players are underrepresented in RTS compared to other genres?
- Who are the Black RTS streamers that you watch?
- Who are the Black RTS pro players that you follow? (Because I genuinely count zero — prove me wrong.)
Drop your thoughts in the comments below, or find me on any of my platforms. This conversation is long overdue.
Watch the Full Video
▶️ Where Are The Black RTS Players, Streamers, And Pro Players?
Find Me Online
- 🖥️ Website: RoccosGamingJourney.com
- 📺 Twitch: twitch.tv/RoccosGamingJourney
- 🎮 Kick: kick.com/RoccosGamingJourney
- 🎵 TikTok: @RoccosGamingJourney
- ▶️ YouTube: Subscribe Here
