A gaming senior has become the new phenomenon on Twitch. While playing Apex Legends, he has shown how good one can still be in old age, without losing his typical gamer humor. For me, GrndPaGaming is a role model for my future in advanced age.
This is what “Grampa” has done: Since the release of Apex Legends, the 66-year-old gamer has been regularly playing the new battle royale shooter on his stream “GrndPaGaming” on Twitch. Recently, he showcased how good he is at it.
During one of his matches, while one of his two teammates was already down, and the second had to retreat, Grampa single-handedly took down the opponents – with the sniper rifle Triple Take and “no scope”.
He even had the time and humor to bombard his opponents with quips:
Eat that, bitch! That was a no-scope with a Triple Take!
The clip has already been viewed almost 250,000 times.
This is what makes Grampa so special: Grampa, as he is mostly called by his fellow players, is a former Navy soldier and now a passionate gamer. His journey resembles that of an other veteran who enjoys playing World War shooters with his grandson.
He is evidently facing not only the challenges of old age but also several other disadvantages. On his channel, he has written a short biography in which he talks about himself. He served in the Navy for 20 years and has also battled prostate cancer.
The chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer, as well as an old injury, have taken their toll. He has no feeling left in his thumb and index finger of his right hand, and also from the shoulder down, which makes operating the mouse and keyboard difficult.
Nevertheless, he does not let himself be beaten down. To demonstrate that it is also possible without a second arm, there is another player, who achieved his first victory with just one arm.
What makes this future so desirable?
Despite many problems and disadvantages, Grampa obviously enjoys his hobby, with which he now also earns money on the side.
It is this mentality that I hope to carry into old age. Gaming is a part of my life and now, of course, also my profession. It has provided me with many wonderful moments that I also want to experience even in advanced age.
Grampa shows that age is no reason to be held back. With his quips, he embodies a mentality that many younger gamers can relate to and that somehow shapes the hobby.
Furthermore, he consistently demonstrates how good he still is. He himself claims that he is not the best player. But anyone who watches him for a while will notice that he is anything but bad.
My wish for gaming in old age
Although “gaming” is currently not considered the typical hobby for older people, we gamers will also one day be old. I would find it very nice if we could keep, nurture, and further develop our hobby by that time.
I do not expect that there will ever be a “Senior Squad” that will really give the youngsters in eSports a hard time.
But the older among you will surely remember LAN parties. And just imagine how easy it would be to network all the computers in the network of a retirement home…
What do you think of the scene and the “Apex Grandpa”?
The distant future cannot yet be seen, but the near future of Apex Legends will likely bring 2 versions of the battle pass:
