ETR Virtuosa: "Game Changers is something people can look up to, proof that we belong in esports"

Eterna have earned their spot at the top of Europe, beating G2 Hel in the inaugural LoL Game Changers. Interview with their support.

Skylar “Virtuosa” Hew, support of Eterna at the LoL Game Changers 2025 in Paris.

"There are players like us all around the world. We had people watching from so many regions, and I hope it was inspirational for them."

It's a new dynasty in the making. Eterna have claimed their rightful crown, defeating G2 Hel at Paris Games Week in the inaugural 2025 League of Legends Game Changers (LGC). A transatlantic alliance, the rising squad brought pride not only to their fans but also to their partner organization, FlyQuest—getting a spiritual revenge for the team's result at Worlds 2025 against G2 Esports. In an exclusive interview, support Skylar “Virtuosa” Hew sat down with Sheep Esports to discuss her journey from the west coast of America to Paris, defeating her idols, and what the LGC scene means to her.

You’ve just won the inaugural edition of League of Legends Game Changers. From the west coast of America to Paris, how was the experience?

Skylar “Virtuosa” Hew: “I'm feeling pretty good. When I started playing, I didn’t think I’d end up in Paris. I thought everyone had already found their teams, so I probably wouldn’t be able to join anyone for open qualifiers. With the residency limitations for EEC, I couldn’t play either, so even the teams I talked to didn’t really work out.

I remember trying out for Nexus Reapers, who later became Blue Otter. Their manager, Atreides (Paul Quinn), was really nice—he gave me a lot of opportunities and was the first person to kind of start me on this path. I was pretty disappointed back then, but I got really lucky finding Eterna and all my amazing teammates. All four of them are just incredible, and I’m really lucky and thankful to have them.

Seeing how hard we worked and even beating G2—it’s just unbelievable. I always looked up to them because they were such a strong female team. It was already my dream to just play against them the week before, but then getting to play on stage and actually beat them... I can’t even describe how it feels. It’s just so amazing.

You played most of the tournament from home on high ping, along with your toplaner, before flying out to Paris. How was that whole experience, from competing online to finally meeting everyone and playing on LAN?

Virtuosa: I remember whenever I told someone I’d play in this tournament, they always asked, “How do you play on ping?” It used to be pretty challenging—I was playing on around 120, which made it really hard. My playstyle is very aggressive and right on the edge, and you can’t really do that when you have such a small margin for error. But honestly, I got used to it pretty fast, which surprised me.

The biggest challenge in the US was that I lived very far west, about a two-hour flight from California. I also don’t wake up very early, so that made things even harder. Some matches started at 5 a.m. for me, which meant waking up at 3- 4 a.m. It was such a tough adjustment. That was definitely the hardest part.

When we came here, I knew things would be different. We had already beaten G2 3-2, but now with way lower ping and being adjusted to the time zone, everything felt so much easier. We were really confident going in. We knew we’d beaten them once, so we could do it again. All of us came in expecting we could go 3-0. We almost had it—a little trolling, maybe—but still, we closed out day one strong, and we’re really proud.

There used to be LCS Game Changers in North America, but the project eventually faded away. How do you feel about the women’s scene in NA today? Do you think there’s still a player base and interest to justify bringing GC back to North America?

Virtuosa: We’re very lucky that this tournament allowed North American players, because hopefully it’ll show others back home that there are still opportunities to keep playing. I remember when we had the LCS Game Changers, so many people told me their dream was to play in it the next year. I had so many friends tryharding, people who hadn’t played in years coming back because they saw the potential and how big it could be.

When it didn’t return, everyone was completely heartbroken. People kept waiting and praying, but it’s been two years now, and it’s only made the scene die even more. Riot needs to take steps and bring back the LCS Game Changers—even if it’s in small ways. There might not be many players at first, but that’s the first step towards bringing them back. Every year, these tournaments are what aspire people from marginalized genders to compete and play. It keeps getting better.

If we build that up, we can have a scene as strong—or even stronger—than in Europe. And if both NA and EU have strong scenes, the community as a whole will grow. So I think it’s really important. Hopefully, after seeing tournaments like this and that NA players are interested, organizers will loosen residency rules and bring more NA players in. This is the start of how we make the program really big—and truly worldwide.

Broadly speaking, what does Game Changers mean to you—whether as a scene or as a tournament series?

Virtuosa: It’s proof women and marginalized genders belong in esports—not just in Europe, but also in North America, South America, China, Korea, everywhere. There are players like us all around the world. We had people watching from so many regions, and I hope it was inspirational for them.

To me, Game Changers is something people can look up to. It’s still very young, and there’s so much room to grow. Our story showed that as well—G2 had been champions for so long, everyone thought they were unbeatable, and yet our team came together in just two or three months and managed to win a best-of-five in the Grand Finals. It really shows how much potential there is. Who knows—maybe next year, five new players could come out of nowhere and beat us or them. That’s how fresh the scene is, and every time something like this happens, it just keeps getting better and more competitive.

The biggest thing is that anyone, no matter their skill level, can reach this point if they try. There’s still a long way to go—maybe with more integrations with the LEC or LCS one day—but Game Changers is such a good start. People really need to give it a try, even just by playing open qualifiers or smaller tournaments. It’s fun, meaningful, and you meet a lot of great people. Everyone is supportive, and it’s just a really good environment to grow and be challenged by others.

In your eyes, what should be the ultimate goal of Game Changers?

Virtuosa: At least in North America, it should look at VALORANT’s VCT Game Changers because that model has already been really successful—and it’s proven to work. A lot of people look at that and assume VALORANT just had a bigger veteran community, but anyone who was there at the start knows it had all the same issues. There was hate, discrimination, and the players weren’t as good yet. Organizations were also really hesitant back then, but Riot stuck with it.

They bit the bullet and kept pushing for it, and over time, players got better, more orgs came in, more money started circulating, and now the viewership is huge. That’s the approach League needs to take. The first few years won’t be perfect—it probably won’t even reach EMEA’s level right away because the players still need to come back—but if you give it a few years, it’ll be amazing for the scene.

It’ll help the player base grow, improve the community’s attitude, and normalize seeing women in esports. I think that’s really important, because it doesn’t just help women—it improves the overall image of League of Legends and competitive gaming as a whole.

What do you think should be the next step for Game Changers in Europe?

Virtuosa: There are two main things. First, all other tournaments targeted toward marginalized genders need to loosen their residency rules. There are a lot of NA players who want to participate, and many of my friends were interested in trying out, even if they didn’t end up playing. EEC was the most challenging because it required two years of residency in Europe, but luckily they changed it to just needing European residency.

Playing from NA on around 100 ping is something people can get used to. Even my top laner, who plays mechanically demanding roles, adapted. I played champions like Neeko and Elise on ping. People like me and Ivy (Starrie – Ivy Starr) are willing to do that because we care about the scene, love playing, and love competing. As the scene grows and gets more popular, people will continue improving. Other tournaments should try to expand to as many players as possible and bring in the best competition.

The second thing is that Game Changers needs a long-term plan. From the NA perspective, when the 2023 season ended, there was no certainty about the future. Many of us felt it might be over, and that was demotivating. Seeing players who look like you is inspiring, but if you think the tournament won’t return, it’s hard to stay motivated.

League of Legends isn’t something you can pick up in a week or two. If Riot wants to run three splits in a year, they should say that clearly at the start. Even if someone can’t play in the first split, they can aim for the next. Organizations also need this clarity to plan budgets, sponsorships, and rosters. No LEC team would randomly skip a whole split—it’s too risky without a clear commitment. Giving that stability is one of the most important things Riot can do.

Do you have any plans for the Nova Series?

Virtuosa: We found out about it after we planned to come here, and honestly, we just wanted to focus on finishing LGC and doing our best there. But eventually, we talked about it a little, and our manager, Myra (Myra Davis), handles everything for us. I don’t see why I wouldn’t play, especially after winning Game Changers—we all really want to. It’s very short notice, but that’s fine. For the same reason, people are already looking forward to something new after Game Changers ended. I remember so many people going on Twitter posting LFTs for players I didn’t even know competed last time. It’s something to look forward to, and it just shows that people really want new opportunities to watch and participate.

Sheep Esports: You’re going to need a frequent flyer program after all this travel.

Virtuosa: Actually, my first flight was so bad—I get really motion sick. I thought I could never fly again. But I mean… I probably will have to.

Virtuosa: I definitely want to shout out my family, who let me take time off school and work to pursue League. They’ve given me this opportunity for two years, and I’m very thankful for them. Shout out to Soligo (Max Soong) who encouraged me to keep chasing my dream when I felt like giving up. He spent thousands of hours coaching me, and I’m really lucky to have him as a resource. Also, shout out to my partner Shannon for emotionally supporting me through everything. She’s been a rock, helping me push through the hardest times in League.

And of course, my biggest thanks go to the fans. It’s kind of cliché, but I’m always surprised when someone I didn’t even tell about the tournament reaches out to say they watched my game and congratulations. That support, even from people I’ve barely interacted with, means so much. I read every message and see everything on Twitter, and it really touches me. Huge thanks to all the fans, friends, acquaintances, and even people I’ve just spoken to once—I truly appreciate their support.

Sheep Esports: And I assume a shout out to FlyQuest, who sponsored you for the event?

Virtuosa: Of course. It’s actually funny because they’ve always been my favorite North American org, maybe even in the world. I look up to Busio (Alan Cwalina) a lot—I want to play like him and play the champions he does. He’s very mechanical. I’ve always admired the org and thought their brand was great. I didn’t even expect FlyQuest to sponsor us, and then they just reached out wanting to partner. I still can’t even believe it. I feel very lucky and really thankful for everything they’ve given us.”

Header Photo Credit: Elliot Le Corre / Webedia