Interview: ThePeachCobbler — “The Milk Cup Isn’t Just a Tournament, It’s Where Change Starts”

We’re counting down the days until The Milk Cup Finals. A LAN that’s bringing together 33 all-women Fortnite teams to compete for a share of North America’s biggest prize pool ever offered in women’s esports. It’s an important event in the esports calendar, and one that has so far garnered over 2.5 million views across its three qualifiers. 

Behind the tournament are some of the most prominent names in women’s esports, including ThePeachCobbler who, not only knows Fortnite like the back of her hand, but believes we shouldn’t be shocked to see women’s esports pull in such serious numbers.

“I think there's a stereotype around women in gaming that they just play cozy games,” Peach said. “Or if they're gaming, they took a controller from their boyfriend or their brother and they're just not good at the game. Regardless of people admitting they have that stereotype in their head, it's definitely there. So when you see someone compete, especially a female and they bring in their energy, it's captivating.”

Peach is one of the main partners of The Milk Cup, alongside Women of the eRena (WOTE), and Raidiant’s all-women production team. It’s a tournament that not only aims to give platforms to upcoming women pro players and talent, but also offers a safe space for anyone who identifies as a woman to compete to the best of their ability.

I wanted a level playing field. I wanted qualifiers, and I wanted no invites. I didn't want people to be invited because of their following. I wanted them to be able to make it because of their skill. 

“The Milk Cup is literally a dream come true,” Peach said. “I worked with them on a project, an activation out in California. After we were done, I was really inspired by just their passion to see more, not just quantity, but quality in gaming for the people that were participating. Especially for women. The event that they had me at had all women competing on stage, and I thought that was really cool. And so I had this idea: with Fortnite there's the FNCS and that's really male-driven. I thought it'd be so cool to have a female version of this. Something that displays women's ability to compete on a different level, and they loved the idea.

They absolutely wanted to be here for women in gaming and wanted to make that space happen, which I was blown away by. Because a lot of people are like, ‘Sure that sounds good, but how can we benefit from this.’ But from the very get-go, GonnaNeedMilk has always been like ‘How can we help you benefit from this.’”

For Peach, The Milk Cup is all about offering a tournament of quality, and one that allows any woman to compete based on their skill and hard work. To ensure this, there were certain key elements to nail down.

“I wanted a level playing field,” Peach said. “I wanted qualifiers, and I wanted no invites. I didn't want people to be invited because of their following. I wanted them to be able to make it because of their skill. So, the fact that [GonnaNeedMilk] did not just one qualifier but three separate qualifiers, over 800 women were able to sign up through their own hard work.”

Brought to life by GonnaNeedMilk, The Milk Cup Finals will be taking place on October 5, at L.A. Comic Con, putting women’s Fortnite front and center. It’s here that the 33 Trios will be competing for their share of a $250,000 prize pool. Much like the FNCS, GonnaNeedMilk has removed the financial barriers that may prevent competitors from attending the LAN. The company has committed to covering the full travel and accommodation costs for each player. 

• Read more: Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo — “I Think The Milk Cup is Going to be One of Those Historic Moments.”

“What [The Milk Cup] is doing in terms of merch for the women, or the stage for the women, is all the best quality they can get. It's not skimping,” Peach explained. “I think a lot of sponsorships and people that I've worked with in the past, you can feel the quality isn’t really there. It's kind of a quick fix band-aid, so to speak. But to see Milk say instead, ‘Okay, how can we make it an even playing field? We'll do three [qualifiers] instead of one. Then, on top of that, we're gonna fly and pay for all the girls to come out,’ which is something that I wanted as well. FNCS covers their players and gives them that extra feeling of specialness.”

Peach’s passion for gaming began from a young age, like so many women gamers, and has remained a part of her life ever since. “I'm from a family of 15. I have 11 brothers and three sisters and we were all gamers,” she explained. “My dad got us the console when we were really young from a thrift store. My brothers fixed it up and got it working. We just had so many broken controllers, but that's how they babysat us. They gave us a controller, put us in their laps and played.

So we grew up watching them play. Then, as soon as we were old enough to compete as well, we were just up in the energy of everyone. It became the glue to our friendships and sometimes the breaking points to them, as well. But from a very young age, from the moment I could walk, just competing against my brothers was our favorite pastime. It was like a reward in our household. If we were good, mom let us play.”

From a hobby, however, Peach grew her passion into much more further down the line through Fortnite. An eFUSE tournament with a $75,000 prize pool gave her a first taste of the competitive scene, and sparked what would quickly become a dedication to women’s esports. “I did well in the tournament. I took my earnings and I created my own tournament for the first time, and just prioritized women. Then it kind of snowballed from there. I've been continuing to do that with Milk, hosting scrims while we've been getting ready for The Milk Cup, on top of connecting with the female competitors and seeing how they want to be seen in the scene.”

It’s no secret that women face some of the biggest barriers when it comes to gaming, be it competitive or casual. From daily harassment to lack of opportunities, it’s no surprise why so many often feel deterred from the industry. But events like The Milk Cup serve to break down the walls, giving women the space to compete as their authentic selves, with only their performance to worry about. As we invest more into women’s esports, we’ll see the sector expand in more fresh and exciting ways, and more women will feel comfortable to take that leap into competitive gaming.  

“I want them to know that The Milk Cup isn’t just a tournament, it’s where change starts. We’re here to celebrate you and give you the spotlight you deserve. Women have been put down for so long, and we’re all about changing that and creating a safe space. Come join us, we've got you covered!”

The Milk Cup Finals will be taking place at Los Angeles Comic Con on October 5, 2024. 99 women players will be competing in trios for a $250,000 prize pool. Those that can’t make it to the event in person will be able to catch the action, in full, on Twitch.