For streamers, every opportunity to collaborate introduces new audiences, new creative challenges, and sometimes even a new perspective on their careers. That’s part of what brought creators like Emiru and PlaqueBoymax to Season 5 of Gamerhood, the creator competition series that places internet personalities in a mix of gaming-inspired and real-world challenges.

While the State Farm series provides the backdrop, both creators say the experience reflects something bigger than a competition: the evolution of streaming itself.

For Emiru, the show arrives more than a decade into a career that has seen livestreaming transform from a niche corner of the internet into mainstream entertainment.

“I’ve actually been in the gaming entertainment industry for 11 years,” Emiru said. “So I’ve done tons of tournaments, tons of productions, probably over 50 I would say. I haven’t done anything like this with this many cool people working on it, this level of production.”

Having spent years building her own community, Emiru said one of the most exciting parts of streaming today is watching a new generation of creators emerge.

“I’m always happy to be invited to stuff and included in things,” she said. “It’s awesome to see new streamers come up. Like I said, I’ve been a streaming veteran basically, and seeing all the new faces come up and new people to do stuff with and collab with is so fun.”

That perspective also influences the advice she gives to aspiring creators hoping to turn gaming into a career.

“I would definitely say you have to do it because you’re passionate about gaming, you actually love doing it,” she said. “I think a lot of people get into it because they think about fame or money. But the thing is people that are watching can always get someone’s vibe, and people don’t want to watch someone whose heart isn’t really in it.”

Instead, Emiru believes authenticity is what separates creators who build lasting communities from those chasing viral moments.

“I feel like it’s obvious that we’re all very into what we do,” she said. “Whether it’s gaming or IRL or music, traveling the world, meeting people.”

As someone who started streaming while still in high school, Emiru said she still remembers the creators who inspired her early on.

“All the people that I looked up to, I still remember all of them,” she said. “It’d be cool to be able to be that for someone else. I would be very flattered.”

PlaqueBoymax entered Gamerhood with a different goal: stepping outside his comfort zone while feeding his competitive nature.

“It’s important for me to be a part of this season just because honestly, it’s a new experience for me,” he said. “I haven’t done something that’s like an extended shoot.”

The creator, whose content spans livestreaming and music, said viewers can also expect to see another side of his creativity soon.

“I have a project coming up where I’m going to make a whole album live on stream,” he said. “I’m excited for that.”

On Gamerhood, however, music took a backseat to competition.

“I need to get some more gifted subs,” he joked before adding, “I would say I want to win that Good Neighbor Award. I really don’t want to win it. I wish there was a bad neighbor award because I’m really here to cause some disruption and sabotage.”

While he laughed about embracing the role of the “bad neighbor,” PlaqueBoymax admitted the competitive mindset comes naturally.

“It’s the competition. It’s the competitor in me,” he said. “I’m competing.”

The experience also reaffirmed something he already knew about himself.

“I’m starting to learn how much I love to win for sure,” he said. “Which I knew that, but I’m just really seeing it firsthand.”

That mentality dates back to his childhood playing basketball, where he says he developed the mental approach he now brings into creator competitions.

“I grew up playing basketball,” he said. “Mentally, competing, for sure.”

Although some of the show’s challenges demanded speed and athleticism, PlaqueBoymax said his biggest advantage comes from strategy.

“I would say the strategy because I feel like I have all my competitors beat in that area,” he said. “It’s my strong suit. The puzzles, the mind games.”

Though Gamerhood gives both creators another opportunity to compete in front of their audiences, their takeaways extend beyond the leaderboard. For Emiru, it’s another reminder of how far streaming has come,,and how important it is for creators to stay genuine. For PlaqueBoymax, it’s a chance to channel the same competitive drive that has followed him from sports to streaming, while continuing to expand his creative ambitions beyond gaming.