One of India’s biggest YouTube women gamers: Payal Dhaare

Payal Dhaare, 20, had no idea she’d be live streaming gaming content on YouTube when she launched her channel in 2020 during the first nationwide Covid lockdown. However, Payal’s channel, PayalGaming, has become one of the biggest success stories, with nearly 2.55 million subscribers two years later.

Payal Dhaare’s Story

Payal was in her first year of college, and she used to play PUBG on her phone with her friends. She wanted to live stream but didn’t have time during her first year. She had no idea that live streaming her content could lead to a career. At the time, focusing on gaming seemed like a risky decision. There was also the added risk of convincing her parents, and the fact that her hometown Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh did not have the best internet connectivity added to her woes.

However, things changed following the first coronavirus lockdown. PUBG Mobile (PlayersUnknown’s Battlegrounds) was the most popular mobile game for teens and younger audiences at the time, and it had not yet been banned in India. Payal began posting clips of her gaming sessions on Instagram, where she quickly gained 100k followers, and once her followers and friends persuaded her to switch to YouTube to showcase her gaming skills in real time, there was no turning back.

“Instagram was easier for me so that’s why I posted there first. But then my audience wanted to see me play live. Even my friends encouraged me to put up live streams on YouTube, which is how I started on YouTube,” she said. She initially concentrated on PUBG and did not have a computer setup like other major gamers.

“I used to live stream and upload from the phone. Now I have a proper PC setup with dual monitors. I’ve learnt over the two years and I also keep asking audiences for recommendations,” Payal said.

Gaming live streams typically involve players posting videos of themselves playing a game for extended periods of time, sometimes for hours. She had to conduct extensive research on live streams, what types of content people prefer, and how live streams work. She’d get nervous at first because so many people were watching. Earlier, she didn’t even show her face on YouTube. But as she began interacting with the audience more, she gained confidence and began appearing in her videos as well, which is essential for success in these live stream videos. Payal’s channel also stands out because she is a female gamer in a male-dominated industry.

Payal’s success exemplifies how YouTube has come to dominate gaming-related views in India. According to YouTube, 90 million hours of game live streaming and over 250 million uploads occurred in the first half of 2021 alone. In fact, five popular gaming channels are among the top ten channels on YouTube in India. According to YouTube data, the gaming audience in India is expanding outside of major cities.

Success, on the other hand, did not come easily for Payal. She had to persuade her parents to relocate after her channel took off. She explained that she made the decision because she needed a better internet connection, which meant moving 30 kilometres away from Chhindwara. However, as her following grew, so did the number of hate comments on her live streams, which initially irritated her.

“It was in fact easier when I had fewer subscribers because, in the beginning, everyone shows support for a new streamer, they also appreciate and motivate you. But once your growth is very high or is too fast, then the haters also arrive and so does the negativity. I have faced a lot of this criticism as well. A lot of it is around how ‘oh she’s a good-looking girl that’s why she has followers’,” Payal said, adding that there has been body shaming as well.

Payal had to switch to PC-based games like GTA after PUBG was banned, and she wasn’t sure if the audience would accept it. She also streams for roughly three-quarters of the time live, which is never easy. She has even done a 10-hour live stream. While she continues to focus on GTA, the popularity of BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) has proven to be a hit with her fans.

Success on YouTube has also ensured financial success and brand opportunities beyond the platform. Liked this post? Don’t forget to check out our other short stories in our Quick Read section