The Twitch streamer Diogo Pé plays FIFA 20, even though he has no hands. In the interview, he explains how it works – and why he does it.
This is Diogo Pé: Diogo Pé is a Brazilian streamer who primarily plays FIFA 20. It’s not that simple though: From birth, Diogo Pé has had no hands and arms – and therefore plays with his feet.
He does it so well that he performs quite strongly in the Weekend League: “Usually, I reach rank Gold 2, my record is Gold 1,” the streamer tells us. How that is even possible, he explained to us in the interview.
“I have been playing FIFA since childhood”
Gamer since childhood: Diogo Pé is not a newcomer when it comes to gaming. He started to develop an interest in video games at a young age – and played them with his feet instead of his hands: “I have been playing FIFA since I was a child. I started at 12, maybe 13. My first FIFA was FIFA 06,” he says. In the meantime, he has expanded his repertoire: “I love playing FIFA. I also enjoy playing PUBG or Counter Strike – but the most is FIFA.”
Playing FIFA with his feet alone sounds challenging already. But shooters? That may sound almost impossible – but it isn’t: “I prefer to play FPS games with a mouse and keyboard. Otherwise, it’s hard to hit opponents,” Diogo explains, who only plays FIFA with a controller. But how is it even possible to control such precise games with feet?
Playing FIFA 20 with feet – how does that work?
This is how Diogo Pé masters FIFA 20: One thing upfront: No, Diogo Pé does not use a special, modified controller. He plays with a completely standard Xbox controller, which he operates with his toes. A technique that, by the way, doesn’t work as well with the PS4 – because the controller is not ideal for that: “I had problems using the triggers. I tried to adjust the layout, but it is difficult. I can play on PS4, but not competitively.”
The Xbox controller simply fits the streamer better. The start was not easy: “I tried a lot of layouts, just like different foot and sitting positions,” says Diogo, who eventually settled on the “alternative” layout. That means, he shoots with the X button and crosses with the B button.
In addition, he reassigned a few functions: “I use RB to switch players. RT remains the sprint button, LT becomes the finesse shot. And I use LB for ‘containing’ in defense. So I just swapped out the trigger buttons.” Overall, it’s a layout that doesn’t differ much from the standard settings. How it looks in the end, he shows in his streams:
That you can keep up with that is proven by Diogo Pé time and again in impressive streams. Reaching Gold 2 in the Weekend League is not exactly easy – and he manages to do that on average every time: “There are a few small movements that I cannot execute. But the skills you need are not a problem,” he explains.
That used to be even better: “Games used to be less complex than today. They have progressed, though. Today you have to use all the buttons, often two or three at the same time, sometimes it’s a bit hard with the feet.” Nevertheless, Diogo Pé successfully masters the game – and aims to use it to solve several problems.
Between Work and Streaming
Why Diogo Pé streams: Diogo Pé is on Twitch, he also runs a YouTube channel – and tries to show the challenges he has to overcome in daily life. Diogo Pé started streaming three years ago: “I started in 2017. At that time, I was still streaming the career mode,” he says.
However, he then had to take a break – due to serious financial problems: “At the beginning, I used streaming for fun and to tell people my story. But back then, I had to stop streaming for six months because I simply didn’t have time next to work,” says Diogo, who earns his money as a software developer – but not enough.
That’s why he decided to try both and also earn money through streaming – at the expense of his private life: “I only sleep four hours a night,” he says.
With the stream, he drew attention to himself. Also in the football world: Chelsea FC invited him to London, for example:
“I was supposed to be part of a movie and was invited to play FIFA in London. That was my first trip out of Brazil. To get to know England, to see Stamford Bridge – that was incredible,” the streamer tells. More people became aware of him and his story: “I met the players. It was a lot of fun to play against them.” He announced on Twitter that he recently made a commercial deal with a large Brazilian company.
He continues with streaming – and also has a wish for FIFA 20: “I am a Botafogo fan, my favorite player is Garrincha. Pulling him would be awesome,” hopes Diogo Pé, who does not invest money in packs. Maybe he will have luck with the packs from the Gold ranks of the Weekend League – since they should consistently keep coming in with Diogo’s skills.
What else is happening in FIFA 20? For example, the Copa Libertadores is now up and running:
