In early 2022, the Lady Arcaders was established with the goal of bringing a community of women and femme people together to uplift and showcase women in the gaming community. “I had been streaming for a few years on Twitch. I was playing with the idea of starting a women's stream team and community so that we could share information and uplift each other in the larger gaming community,” said Lady Arcaders Founder and Organizer, Metroid Crime. Taking inspiration from Namco’s recognition of the originally-bootleg Ms Pac-Man to thank the “lady arcaders” for playing Pac-Man, Metroid Crime registered the new name everywhere for the organization.

Since the first Attract Mode! Showcase of the 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog in May 2022 and the first Super Showcase in September 2022 that raised over $3000 for Rethink Breast Cancer, Lady Arcaders has rapidly grown. The emphasis on uplifting one another has created a welcoming group of gamers. “Lady Arcaders are so willing to share knowledge and personal experience and be the welcoming arm to bring someone in, and that's really special,” said Jaypeg, a Lady Arcaders’ Community lead. “People aren't afraid to throw out new ideas, try something new, learn a new skill they haven't done before.”

Each year, Lady Arcaders runs an annual Super Showcase exhibiting women and femme people’s speedruns, challenge runs, and game showcases while raising money for charity. Last year, Lady Arcaders also debuted the Out of Bounds in-person speedrunning event and the Lady Arcaders Game Jam for game development. In addition to Lady Arcaders run events, members are also encouraged to submit and create for other gaming events. LinearC, a Community Lead, commented, “The Lady Arcaders are involved in so many things both in and outside of the community. Watching each member grow and develop in many things is amazing.”

With the third anniversary of Lady Arcaders this week, there is optimism and excitement for the future. “We are really pushing ourselves this year. We've expanded the team, and it's been so fun to see their enthusiasm for our upcoming projects,” IndyVillain, the Executive Producer, Media Lead, and Business Outreach Coordinator said. “It's wonderful to see the community grow and watch people grow personally as well. We've come a long way in three years!” In a similar sentiment regarding the growth of Lady Arcaders in the past three years, Metroid Crime shared, “I had no idea the kind of impact we'd make in people's lives. It's been wild to see people grow, learn, and change; and become more confident in themselves. It makes me so incredibly happy (and emotional) seeing them go for new exciting opportunities, and nail it. I can't believe how far we've come, and I'm so excited for the future.”