My name is Kaedi Alexandra Peacecraft
- I am an American who immigrated to Norway.
- I am also Asexual (Ace), Trans and consider myself as a Demigirl (someone who doesn’t strictly identify as female).
- I left America because I felt too unsafe and sought out a new career in indie game community development in Norway.
- A part of the Innlandet Game Syndicate.
- I used to work for Blizzard Entertainment supporting Overwatch.
- I am originally from Colorado.
- I love strawberries, pizza, and waffles.
- My Norwegian Friends and my Colleagues are my family.
- Sammen skaper vi trivsel! (Together we create well-being.)
A long time ago in a land far, far away...
I started as a typical mall arcade attendant at a local arcade, playing fighters and DDR. After that beloved arcade shut down, I was hired by NAMCO to work as a service manager, running across the country setting up new arcade experiences. It was fun, but it wasn’t enjoying the games I loved to play. So, I returned home, and got picked up to work for a chain of premiere entertainment centers in Colorado, and eventually became their social media manager. It was fun and I got a lot of experience, but again it was getting involved with the games I loved to play.
What changed? Well, I picked up Overwatch on a whim the day it came out back in 2016 and I was hooked, and instantly became involved in its community as a player. Posting on the forums, helping others with tech issues, and just trying to be a positive voice. Even became a forum MVP on the Blizzard Forums and started to build connections in the game industry. I realized then what I wanted to do. I wanted to get involved in community management.
In 2022, the Community Lead for Overwatch brought me on and have since been working with a great team, we helped bring Overwatch 2 to millions of players. I was able to be involved in some amazing projects and working with over 200 of the best content creators from around the globe. I have been working for over 3 years in community management, and nearly a decade in social media management, and it has been quite a journey. I’ve always loved playing games, but I love even more sharing games with others. It’s kind of why I wanted to get into the game industry. More importantly, working in this career gave me the courage to be myself.
Becoming Kaedi
Despite having a great job, I was still struggling with being myself. I always struggled with my gender identity. I tried coming out in the past and was shut down by very hostile relatives and culture. Moving to SoCal in 2023 helped, but I was stressed every day. I even was throwing in games and started to burn out. I had to change myself and embrace my true identity.
I came out as Kaedi in late 2023 and have been welcomed with open arms by everyone. I know being transgender in 2024 is not easy, but being transgender is NOT a choice. It was a choice to stop living a lie and since coming out, I have never been happier. More importantly, my love for games became even stronger. That is why this industry are amazing, you can be who you are and be part of a fellowship with millions of other people who come together for one reason… to have fun play games.
Despite this, I had to give up everything I worked for up to this point, as my life was about the change forever.
Escaping the US
Even when I came out as transgender, I knew life was never going to be easy living out who I really was, and I also knew there was a growing evil in American politics. Donald Trump simply was not being held accountable for his criminal actions from 6 January, 2021 and I knew it was only a matter of time before America would have to choose again between the evil that was Trump and Joe Biden (and later on Kamala Harris). However, it was on 12 July, 2024 that my heart truly was shaken.
“I am going to end all ‘transgender insanity.’” Trump said in a campaign speech. Vowing to make Day 1 policies to enforce strict, assigned at birth, binary gender policy throughout the US. I realized it was only the beginning too of the fascist policies he wanted to put forward, and that if he was reelected, we could be seeing something that we have not seen since the 1930s. It was then I realized that I would have to plan on having to leave the US for my safety.
I picked up ridesharing on the weekends, I sold my belongings, I scoured the internet for any possibility of a way to emigrate. Sure enough my biggest fears took hold, Trump won the election, and sure enough he delivered on his promises to restrict gender marker changes on federal documents and pass other laws to restrict the lives of transgender persons. I struggled to find a way out. I first thought Canada would be an option, but it turns out I was too old, so I decided to find somewhere… anywhere… that would hire me and let me move abroad.
This was an insane challenge, as my skills were a hodgepodge blend of graphic design, copywriting, gameplay capture, and influencer management. Something that didn’t translate very well outside of the video game industry, and jobs for community managers are very rare to come by outside of the United States. Then one day, I discovered a small but wonderful opportunity.
A new life in Norway
Sarepta Studio who made narrative games was looking for a community manager for their new title based on their previous successful game, My Child Lebensborn. And they were based in Norway. I picked up the game and immediately fell in love with it and realized this was a godsend of a job, so I applied. In short, I got the job and I was moving to Norway.
I sold everything I didn’t need, forfeited my car, and saved up what I could to make the move. On November 3rd, I left the US for the first time in my life and travelled half-way around the planet to eventually land in the tiny but amazing town of Hamar, Norway. It has now become my home and a bright future is waiting for me.
Since then, I have worked to give back as much as I could to my new studio and my new community. I volunteer for the local chapter of the nation’s leading LGBTQIA organization and help support the upcoming Pride parade for Hamar. I helped out at major gaming events like Global Game Jam and The Gathering. I look forward to experiencing my first Norwegian summer and exploring the mountains and forests. I had to give up everything in my old life, but in exchange, I discovered I have a much better one today.
I cry for the US as so many are still at risk, and I can only hope to share their stories to the people I meet here, and maybe one day invoke the change that is needed to make the world a better place. For now, I am home… finally at last. (^^)v
