Nowadays, you can control your character in almost all PC games using the WASD keys. Often, this is even the default control method – in combination with the mouse. However, this was not always the case.
In the 1990s, the first MMORPGs and their predecessors emerged. But if you remember games like Meridian 59, Neverwinter Nights, or Ultima Online, one thing should stand out: You did not control these games with WASD.
In Ultima Online, you determined your character’s movements with the mouse, while in Meridian 59 and other games, the arrow keys were the default control method. In Neverwinter Nights, even the number pad played a role. WASD keys were often just an alternative control or had to be assigned themselves.
In a 90s Shooter, WASD Becomes Popular
In 1996, the first-person shooter Quake, developed by idSoftware, was released, featuring a roughly 5-hour single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode. Shortly after, players of the shooter held tournaments to prove their skills to each other.
In 1997, the online tournament “Red Annihilation” took place, which saw over 2,000 players participating. The final phase of the tournament with the top 16 players was held in Atlanta (USA). One of the participants was 48-year-old Dennis “Thresh” Fong.
In the tournament finals, Fong faced Tom “Entropy” Kimzey, but his opponent was outmatched. Fong won the final match 13:1 and received a Ferrari from Doom and Quake developer John Carmack as a prize for his victory.
This week, you can expect exciting articles every day about MMORPGs. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic recaps, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Here is the program for the big MMORPG theme week 2025 from MeinMMO
The First Professional Gamer Makes Key Mapping Modern
Since then, Fong is considered one of the first eSports athletes. The Guinness World Records even lists him as the “first professional video gamer” of all time. His success certainly drew the attention of other gamers who noticed back then: Fong does not control his character in Quake using the default selected arrow keys.
Dennis Fong actually changed the key mapping of Quake and used the WASD keys for movement. Today, it is clear that this was not entirely new and there were other players who played this way back then, but it was still rather unusual. This was set to change with Fong’s success.
Today, almost every PC game is controlled with WASD or at least offers this option as an alternative. It is now an indispensable key mapping in many MMORPGs, but also in shooters and other games – and Fong is credited with popularizing the use of the WASD keys for character control. And on top of that, he received a Ferrari: The first pro gamer of all time received a Ferrari for winning a tournament in Quake
