“I never considered my entry into the esports world as a ‘pursuit of career’, but rather a ‘pursuit of passion’.”.

This is how Rachael Melati “Aeterna” Nalapraya describes how she was able to break into the esports business.

Nearly three years to the day the talented Indonesian esports broadcaster made her first big break in 2021, Aeterna is now an integral part of the Indonesian – and the global – Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene.

“I actually never thought gaming could be a career,” Aeterna told Fragster via email. “Growing up, it was always about conventional jobs; doctor, lawyer, businessman, etc. Games were always something I kept with me through the years as a way to cope with life.”

Growing up, Aeterna was an avid gamer – no thanks in part due to her family being gamers themselves. “My parents had me when they were very young, so gaming was still a big part of their lives as I was growing up. Gaming was our bonding activity. I must have been 5-6 years old when I first started playing games, under parental supervision of course!”

When she grew older, she never let go of the gamer roots – and even ventured into streaming and cosplaying.

“As a hobby, I picked up streaming to share that love of gaming I’ve always had. That process slowly opened my eyes to the possibilities, and the knowledge of an entire world that I hadn’t realized existed,” Aeterna reveals.

It is through that first stream, and the succeeding ones after – where Aeterna was able to make her mark. In 2020, she opened up a YouTube channel where she started playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and other games such as Cyberpunk, Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto.

 

Aeterna and her boyfriend Gonie in their couple reveal or “hard launch” photo. (Courtesy: Instagram/@aeternaaaa)

 

FINDING HER LIFE (AND LOVE) IN THE LAND OF DAWN

 

Aeterna started casting Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in 2021 – and her introduction to the scene was in one of the most important dates in the MLBB esports calendar, especially in her home country: The Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup or MSC.

“[MSC 2021 was] my first-ever casting gig – and it was for an international event! It felt like everything happened so quickly and I had only a few weeks to prepare,” she says.

After that historic cast, the MLBB community opened several new opportunities for her – and she became part of the broadcast roster for MPL Indonesia Season 8 and up until today.

Not content with the local scene, Aeterna took on the challenge of becoming one of MLBB esports’ leading voices, as she was also able to broadcast the M4 World Championship in her home country, Indonesia, as well as also becoming part of the 2023 ONE Esports MPL Invitational.

Aeterna in the MPL Invitational. (Courtesy: Instagram/@aeternaaaa)

“I can’t exactly put it into words, but I feel like I finally found where I belong. I’ve worked and been exposed to a couple different industries before esports and gaming but I felt like I could never fit in 100%; couldn’t be myself,” she said.

And by daring to be great, Aeterna literally went better than great – in part because she looks to fellow women in esports to fuel her own career.

In only two years since she started casting, Aeterna won her first Best English Talent award during MPL Indonesia Season 11.

“Honestly? At the beginning it was Pokimane (Imane Anys). But as I continued to delve into the world of esports in particular, I highly looked up to Clara Mongstar and Momochan (Monica Mariska), and I was honored to be guided by them personally. However, the one that truly changed and forged my identity and confidence was Mara Aquino,” Aeterna said.

Aside from awards, a great career, and recognition from the MLBB community, Aeterna was able to find friends and colleagues in her co-casters.

One of which, Albert “Gonie” Serafin, is now the love of her life.

She and Gonie publicly revealed their relationship only last February, much to the delight of her fans.

Aeterna at backstage before a broadcast (Courtesy: Facebook/Aeternaaaa)

 

DEALING WITH NEGATIVITY

Having been on various ends of the esports spectrum – as a broadcaster, a streamer, and even a fan – Aeterna had her fair share of misogyny, sexism, and all forms of negativity that women in esports currently face.

“You can’t possibly be good at gaming, you’re a girl, You can’t possibly have the knowledge to be a professional shoutcaster, you’re a girl”. I would even see comments like “Aeterna only won the award of Best Talent because she cosplayed”, as if months and weeks of hard work wasn’t put in to be a professional shoutcaster,” she recounts.

She says she deals with these things with her own no-nonsense attitude to negativity.

“How do I deal with it? I don’t let it get to me. I tell myself that these are narrow-minded people that don’t deserve a single sweat nor tear; that they have absolutely no idea the hard work that is put in to survive and flourish in a previously male-dominated industry,” she says.

Aeterna adds, the proof that women can be successful in various fields in esports is already enough to destroy turrets of negativity from naysayers.

“To be honest, I believe there IS already enough proof that people in esports can succeed regardless of their gender,” Aeterna says.

“We have Mara and Clara as amazing hosts in the industry. We have shoutcasters like Momochan and Chantelle (Hernandez) that have proven their worth. We have pro players like Vivian that time and time again, also prove that women have a place in esports, and there are other amazing women behind the scenes as well that continue to propel that idea forward. There’s more than enough room for everyone here to shine.”

“Simply put, esports is for everyone,” she says.

 

Aeterna with Frederick “Mirko” Lo during the AURA Fire roster reveal for MPL Indonesia Season 13. Aeterna has long voiced that she is a big fan of world champion player Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera.  (Courtesy: Instagram/@aeternaaaa)

ON MORE FEMALE OPPORTUNITIES IN ESPORTS

Aeterna says, the new opportunities coming female MLBB players’ way is something that can shake up what she called a “stale” female esports scene, especially in Indonesia.

“I can say that the women’s scene, for MLBB, has reached stagnation,” Aeterna says. “I think its no secret that BTR Era has held the crown for a bit too long, making the scene quite predictable. However, recently things have taken quite an interesting turn. The Champion of the Ladies MLBB scene will now get to compete with the Male MLBB Proplayers at MDL Indonesia, so thats a start! Big props to the ones that made this happen!”

And with the 2024 MLBB Women’s Invitational coming to the Esports World Cup and having its own history-making prize pool of US$500,000, the women’s scene may find itself rejuvenated.

Aeterna believes, with more and more opportunities like these, women’s esports – especially in MLBB that is highly successful and popular in her country – can thrive if given the right ecosystem and the right support.

“In small ways, it shows us that esports and gaming is for everyone. Whatever socioeconomic background, gender, culture, etc. It creates a safe place, community, and haven for not just male gamers but females as well. Today, we see plenty of female streamers, professional shoutcasters, pro players, and I’m a firm believer that the interest of being such will grow alongside the growth of the female community in esports,” she says.

In the end, Aeterna’s eternal passion for doing what she loves and for representing women in esports brings her the kind of success that she is experiencing now.

Whenever she puts on the headset for English analysis in the broadcasts or answering who she’d choose between her boyfriend Gonie and a player she is hugely a fan of – AURA Fire’s Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera (we of course knew he picked Gonie) – one can be sure Aeterna is showing why, like the MPL Indonesia slogan says, she owns this success.

“I found family, myself, and other things that I couldn’t have imagined having [in esports]! I also found a special person! Hehe!” She ends.