@refinery29

Amira Virgil, a.k.a. @Xmiramira,⁠ isn’t your everyday streamer — she’s actually creating a more equitable, more inclusive gaming space through the creation of custom content. Virgil was originally drawn to the fast-paced nature of SimCity and its sequels, The Sims allowed her to tap into her inner storyteller. With each character that she conjured in Create-A-Sim, a new story was born, and Virgil was in charge of every twist and turn that would follow. But as she got deeper into the world of The Sims, playing the second, third, and fourth (and current) generation of the EA game, Virgil began noticing something unsettling: it was damn near impossible to create Sims who looked, well, like her. Always the problem-solver, Virgil decided to take matters into her own hands. Thus, the Melanin Pack was born. First released in 2016, the groundbreaking mod pack offered players 18 new skin tones (and undertones), two contour palettes, and melanin-friendly makeup options. It was an immediate hit, instantly garnering thousands of downloads by Simmers who were tired of their dark-skinned Sims looking ashy and lifeless. Finally, Sims of color had some dimension to them and could look realistic because of Virgil's modding. The Melanin Pack spoke to a real need in the Sims 4 community, and even EA had no choice but to acknowledge that Virgil had done something they could not. Virgil joined Refinery29 to tell us about her journey with The Sims, creating a community for Black women in gaming called The Noir Network, and more. Find the interview at the 🔗 in bio. ✍️ @ineyekomo #R29Article #XMiraMira Photography: @_olivia_joan_⁠ Photo Assistance: @jack_casto⁠ Styling: @isaiahdorty Styling Assistance: @iyania.iam Makeup: @molliegloss for @opusbeauty Hair: @karla_julianna for @saintlukeartists Nails: @chrmbysarah for @blondeandconyc Entertainment Director: @melissahyang Senior Executive Director Photo & Design: @sarah_f____ Senior Photo Editor: @j.arbaje Senior Photo Editor: @kelseybennett333 Design Director: @ndre Designer: @marissa_illustration