The first woman worldwide to qualify for a FIFA Major Tournament, ‘FabienneXIII’ spoke to us afterwards about her beginnings, her success and her standing as a woman in the FIFA eSports scene.
It’s the culmination of Fabienne ‘FabienneXIII’ Morlok’s success story so far since signing with FOKUS just over two years ago: The 20-year-old became the first woman in the world to qualify for the FIFA Global Series (FGS) last FUT season and is now playing for a place in the FIFAe World Cup (eWC).
Discarded console gets the ball rolling
It all started small for her, too: “My sister brought a Playstation home from work,” Fabienne says. First, she tried out the career mode in FIFA 16 as a fan of VfB Stuttgart, before she later got into Ultimate Team and “that’s how the whole thing got rolling.”
However, she never had the ambition to play FIFA professionally: “I wasn’t that involved with eSports or watched a lot of eSports and it’s not like I really wanted to get into eSports.” Instead, something else came first: “I just played just for fun.”
“Just for fun” is also how she took part in the tournament that brought her to the attention of FOKUS. At first, she didn’t realise at what level she was performing on the virtual pitch: “I wasn’t aware that I was so good for a girl. I only realised it when FOKUS contacted me.”
The “Queen of FIFA” didn’t even give any sceptics time to express doubts after her signing: “I think after the first Eligella Cup I played, they were quiet again very quickly.” After all, she had performed promptly – which apparently also surprised her own camp a little: “I got Elite in the first week, although a ‘Road To Elite’ format was actually planned with FOKUS. “
Not only performance deserves respect
However, the talented FIFA player makes it a point to stress that video games are for everyone outside of the competitive realm: “I don’t think performance is the only way to earn acceptance and respect. Gaming is for everyone, whether it’s a girl or a boy. In gaming, everyone can be equally good.” After all, she says, there are no crucial physical differences between women and men, as in real-life football.
A statement that she impressively proves herself time and again. Also because of her unique selling point, from which she draws a clear stance: “Up until then, there were no women at all in FIFA and so I could only win. So there was really nothing for me to lose.”
Except perhaps authenticity. But the eSportswoman from near Stuttgart places a special focus on this in her public presence: “I always try to give myself as I am.” However, you also have to watch what you say: “You can make jokes sometimes, but you should also know when to stop. “
This also applies to her own community, to whom Fabienne “made it clear from day one that it’s not about looks or anything else with me.” The attractiveness of her game is more important to her: “I want to convince with my gameplay.” After all, she says, even with nicely-intentioned messages in her chat, you’re on a streaming platform where one thing is true for her: “That’s not what Twitch is about, we’re not on Tinder.”
Nevertheless, there are always questions, for example about her place of residence, for which she has no understanding. “But then they get banned or I ignore them,” she says, summing up how she deals with more intrusive viewers.
With discipline to success
In the eSports scene, meanwhile, she has not had any negative experiences because of her gender – which is why she wants to encourage other female players to follow a similar path: “I didn’t think I would get this far myself from the beginning, but I think if you’re disciplined and just do what you’re into, then it can definitely be something and you shouldn’t hide in the process.”
Sometimes this is not easy, “because FIFA can get on your nerves very quickly”, but “nothing comes from nothing”.
She is aware of her role model function for other female gamers. That’s also why she took part in the ShEsports Cup or other women’s tournaments in the past and made a pleasant observation about women in FIFA eSports: “I think the whole thing is developing quite well.
She attributes a pioneering role to Germany’s point of view – also due to her own FGS qualification: “I think that was already a statement. Maybe now there are girls who also want to achieve this and see that you can also do it as a girl. “
Fabienne proved this emphatically. And despite her success, she of course has further goals: “At the upcoming tournament, I want to do as well as possible, even though it won’t be easy. Everything that comes now after this qualification is a bonus for me,” she classifies her chances of advancing. Nevertheless, a participation in the eWC would of course be a dream for her, but one has to “see how it turns out.”
Regular guest at the Cannstätter Kurve
But football, which Fabienne has been passionate about since her earliest childhood, is also a big part of her life apart from the console: “My father and I both have season tickets at VfB.” And even though her favourite player, Silas, is always struggling with injuries in the current season and Stuttgart are playing against relegation, she regularly tries to attend matches of her favourite club.
However, a collaboration with VfB Stuttgart has never been in the cards and is not in the offing: “I’m happy at FOKUS and that’s why I’ve never thought about anything else.” FOKUS should be similarly happy to have signed Fabienne – and hope that a few more chapters will be added to their joint success story.
