View source for Minecraft:Lydia Winters

{{Infobox person
|title          = Lydia Winters
|image          = mcchick.png
|imagesize      = 300px
|real_name      = Lydia Winters
|date_of_birth  = {{Birth date and age|1987|4|22|mf=yes}}<br>{{w|Florida}}, {{w|United States|U.S.}}
|occupation     = Chief Storyteller
|nationality    = American
|languages      = English
|spouse         = [[Minecraft:Vu Bui]]
|website        =https://www.lydiawinters.com/ 
|known_for      =Conducting Minecraft Live/Minecon 
|also_known_as  = 
|twitter        = MinecraftChick
|twitter2       = LydiaWinters
|instagram      = lydiawinters
|wiki_name      = 
|minecraft_names = MinecraftChick<br> LydiaWinters
|youtube= MinecraftChick & LydiaAndVu}}
'''Lydia Winters''' is [[Minecraft:Mojang Studios]]' former Chief Storyteller. Prior to 2020, she was the Brand Director, and before that the Director of Fun. She was best known as the host of the [[Minecraft:MINECON]] and [[Minecraft:Minecraft Live]] livestreams, and was also a special advisor at [[Minecraft:Block by Block]], a charity dedicated to using ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft]]'' to improve public spaces worldwide.

She was the first woman to be hired by Mojang, in June 2011.<ref name=PopSugarInterview /><ref>https://clios.com/clio_juror/nojs/2007</ref> She announced her departure from Mojang in October 2024, after over 13 years at the company.<ref name=Resignation>{{tweet|LydiaWinters|1842219182634459638|After 13 incredible years, it's my last day at @Mojang. @Minecraft has truly changed my life – moving to Sweden, speaking on world stages, and using the game to build a better world.|October 4, 2024}}</ref>

She shares a [[Minecraft:YouTube]] channel with [[Minecraft:Vu Bui]], where they post videos about photography.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/@LydiaAndVu</ref>

== Early life ==

Winters graduated in 2008 from {{w|Florida Atlantic University}} with a bachelor's degree in "Elementary Education and Teaching".<ref name=LydiaLinkedIn>https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiawinters/</ref> She then taught fourth grade for a year before delving into photography, often shooting local weddings.<ref name=PopSugarInterview>[https://www.popsugar.com/news/Lydia-Winters-Mojang-Brand-Director-Minecraft-Interview-44228973 The Incredible True Story of How a Florida Teacher Became Head of 1 of the Biggest Brands on Earth] - PopSugar; November 17, 2017</ref> Later, she discovered video blogging after attending a photography workshop, and began making daily videos about random topics. Despite her style becoming popular, which also led to her raising $10,000 for breast cancer research, she then decided to focus her videos on videogames after consulting with friends.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/> Although Winters had played only one video game by then, ''{{w|The Oregon Trail (series)|The Oregon Trail}}'', she decided to play ''Minecraft'' as her friends thought it would be hilarious. On November 15, 2010, she uploaded her first video to YouTube under the name "MinecraftChick" as "Minecraftgirl" was already taken.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/><ref>{{ytl|OcprEG4vTV0|The Misadventures of MinecraftChick - Learning Minecraft Episode 1|MinecraftChick|November 15, 2010}}</ref>

== Career ==

By June of 2011, Winters sent an email to Mojang asking if she could interview the creators of ''Minecraft'' at that year’s {{w|Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011|E3}}. [[Minecraft:Carl Manneh]], the CEO of Mojang at the time, replied, asking her if she could host a portion of their booth dedicated to ''Minecraft'' on the {{w|Xperia Play}}.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/> She accepted, and was soon at the booth in Los Angeles. Manneh was so impressed with how she acted that he had told the rest of the staff that Winters would be hired. She was then hired on June 28, 2011, and flew to Stockholm that December.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/><ref>{{tweet|notch|85622694581768193|As of today, @MinecraftChick has joined Mojang as the official Director of Fun!|Jun 28, 2011}}</ref>

Over time, Winters' job evolved from being a community builder to a more senior role toward merchandising, licensing, and events. Winters said that she also had an instrumental role in adding [[Minecraft:Alex]], the predominantly female character, to ''Minecraft''.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/> As with licensing, Winters would tend to avoid using gendered typecasting as a way of making ''Minecraft'' accessible to everyone, saying that she wouldn’t approve descriptions of [[Minecraft:Steve]] and Alex if they weren’t gender neutral.<ref name=PopSugarInterview/>

Winters announced on October 4, 2024 that it would be her final day with Mojang Studios.<ref name=Resignation/>

== Filmography ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width: auto; text-align: center" data-description="Filmography"
! Year
! Work
! Role
! Reference
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Minecraft: Story Mode]]''
| [[Minecraft:Story Mode:Lydia|Herself]]
| In-game credits
|-
| 2017–2018
| ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft Mini-Series]]''
| [[Minecraft:CommuniKate]]
| <ref>{{ytl|oNYgRzJ6lUQ|The First Night - Minecraft Mini Series - Episode 1|Mattel Action|October 26, 2017}}</ref>
|-
|2023
|[[Minecraft:Bedrock Edition|''Minecraft'']]
|[[Minecraft:2023 Mob Vote Event|Tiny Lydia]]
|
|}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Lydia - Mojang avatar.png|Winters' official Mojang avatar. She is seen holding her pet spider.
Vu Lydia Logdotzip 2.jpeg|Lydia with [[Minecraft:Tyler Pappas]].
Lydia Winters Action Figure.jpg|Lydia in action figure form.
</gallery>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== Navigation ==
{{Navbox employees|former}}
{{Navbox event|Participants}}
{{Navbox Story Mode}}
{{Navbox Mini-Series}}
{{Featured}}

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