How different Americans and we Germans tick can be seen in a 7-year-old boy who streams CoD Warzone 2 with his father on Twitch and triggered a “Nuke”; a nuclear weapon. What is described as “so sweet” and “great father-son relationship” by English-speaking comments usually causes head shaking in Germany.
What kind of duo is this? The Twitch streamer “TheGigaDad” is a relatively small streamer on Twitch who averages 5 viewers.
Sometimes he streams with his 7-year-old son Taj: They sit side by side on the couch and go hunting in CoD Warzone 2.
Is it allowed by Twitch for a 7-year-old to stream?
- Actually, minors are not allowed to stream on Twitch – there have already been accounts banned. Under 13, it is completely prohibited.
- Between 13 and adulthood, teenagers need parental consent to stream.
- But technically the 7-year-old son is not streaming, but his father – and he is just a guest.
The “youngest player in the world” who nuked Al Mazrah
Why are they now well-known? The esports journalist Jake Lucky shared a clip of the father-son duo. The father proudly writes:
“My 7-year-old son Taj is the youngest player in the world to nuke Al Mazrah, and we are the first father-son duo that I know of to do it together.”
Getting a “Nuke” in CoD Warzone 2 is a gameplay achievement; it’s not that easy:
- You have to win 5 games in a row to unlock a contract
- And you have to complete that contract by finishing a series of tasks while being marked as a target for all opponents
Americans rave about a great “father-son relationship”
How is this viewed in the USA? The comments are practically cheering for the father-son duo:
- Jake Lucky himself mentions that the story “warms the heart”
- Others describe the story as “wholesome”, meaning heartwarming, simply beautiful, warming
- Or they recall their own gaming experiences with their fathers
Are there also opposing voices? In the USA, there are a few opposing voices on Twitter:
- One user says she finds it “irresponsible” to let a 7-year-old play CoD Warzone 2 – but is harshly criticized for it
- A Twitter user from Germany says: “In Germany we would say Jugendschutzgesetz and I think it’s beautiful.”
In Germany, minors are viewed quite differently in games like Call of Duty
This is what lies behind it: There is a strong cultural difference between the USA and Germany regarding such games where shooting and killing are involved:
- In the USA, many have no problem with it at all
- In Germany, many people throw their hands up in disbelief at such news. It is said: If adults play such things, it’s okay – but boys at that age have no business in such games. They should rather go outside and play.
How controversially this is discussed in Germany can be seen in the comments on this article:
2 Twitch streamers carry a 9-year-old to the highest PvP rank in Destiny 2