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How Sonya Haskins' Unique Journey Helped to Redefine Expectations about XR
Episode Summary
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Sonya Haskins (Head of Programming at Augmented World Expo) shares her unexpected path into the world of XR—from a homeschool mom and non-gamer to a competitive VR esports athlete and community advocate. Joined by Lewis Ward (Research Director at IDC), we explore her inspiring story of healing through VR, battling harassment in immersive spaces, and her vision for more inclusive, player-driven virtual worlds.
This one’s raw, real, and packed with insights on XR safety, community building, and the untapped power of play.
🔑 5 Key Takeaways- VR as a LifelineSonya discovered VR in 2017 and credits it with helping her manage chronic pain, regain physical independence, and even lose 40 pounds—all while seated, gaming daily.
- Esports as EmpowermentStarting in Echo Arena, Sonya became one of the top players—despite being a middle-aged woman in a male-dominated space. She proved that skill, not stereotype, determines success.
- Toxicity in VR is Real—But FixableShe shares harrowing experiences of harassment and doxxing, but also offers hope: community-led moderation, tools like ToxMod, and peer pressure can shift the culture.
- Why Gorilla Tag WorksThe smash-hit XR game owes much of its success to player autonomy and a dev team that listened from day one. Players invent their own rules—just like on a playground.
- AWE's New Gaming HubSonya teases a massive new initiative debuting at AWE: a full-on Gaming Hub featuring a Games Pavilion, dev stage, networking events, and hands-on VR experiences. Gamers, take note—June in Long Beach is going to be big.
- How a VR headset at Best Buy changed Sonya’s life
- Using Echo Arena to recover from physical limitations
- Sexism and harassment in early XR environments
- The evolution of moderation and safety tools in VR
- Gorilla Tag’s runaway success and community-first model
- The future of AWE and why gaming is taking center stage
- Personal resilience, reinvention, and the human side of tech
- AWE (Augmented World Expo): https://www.awexr.com
- Lewis Ward, IDC: XR & gaming industry insights
- Sonya's Handle: Hasko7 across social platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Facebook)'
Sponsor:
🎮 This episode is brought to you by Nexys Mobile – the only wireless carrier built for gamers, by gamers. Whether you’re grinding ranked or exploring open worlds on the go, Nexys delivers ultra-low latency, unlimited data, and reliable performance when it matters most. No contracts. No throttling. Just pure mobile power for the player in all of us.
Level up your connection at nexysmobile.com
View all episodes
By GregEpisode Summary
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Sonya Haskins (Head of Programming at Augmented World Expo) shares her unexpected path into the world of XR—from a homeschool mom and non-gamer to a competitive VR esports athlete and community advocate. Joined by Lewis Ward (Research Director at IDC), we explore her inspiring story of healing through VR, battling harassment in immersive spaces, and her vision for more inclusive, player-driven virtual worlds.
This one’s raw, real, and packed with insights on XR safety, community building, and the untapped power of play.
🔑 5 Key Takeaways- VR as a LifelineSonya discovered VR in 2017 and credits it with helping her manage chronic pain, regain physical independence, and even lose 40 pounds—all while seated, gaming daily.
- Esports as EmpowermentStarting in Echo Arena, Sonya became one of the top players—despite being a middle-aged woman in a male-dominated space. She proved that skill, not stereotype, determines success.
- Toxicity in VR is Real—But FixableShe shares harrowing experiences of harassment and doxxing, but also offers hope: community-led moderation, tools like ToxMod, and peer pressure can shift the culture.
- Why Gorilla Tag WorksThe smash-hit XR game owes much of its success to player autonomy and a dev team that listened from day one. Players invent their own rules—just like on a playground.
- AWE's New Gaming HubSonya teases a massive new initiative debuting at AWE: a full-on Gaming Hub featuring a Games Pavilion, dev stage, networking events, and hands-on VR experiences. Gamers, take note—June in Long Beach is going to be big.
- How a VR headset at Best Buy changed Sonya’s life
- Using Echo Arena to recover from physical limitations
- Sexism and harassment in early XR environments
- The evolution of moderation and safety tools in VR
- Gorilla Tag’s runaway success and community-first model
- The future of AWE and why gaming is taking center stage
- Personal resilience, reinvention, and the human side of tech
- AWE (Augmented World Expo): https://www.awexr.com
- Lewis Ward, IDC: XR & gaming industry insights
- Sonya's Handle: Hasko7 across social platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Facebook)'
Sponsor:
🎮 This episode is brought to you by Nexys Mobile – the only wireless carrier built for gamers, by gamers. Whether you’re grinding ranked or exploring open worlds on the go, Nexys delivers ultra-low latency, unlimited data, and reliable performance when it matters most. No contracts. No throttling. Just pure mobile power for the player in all of us.
Level up your connection at nexysmobile.com