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Japan's First All-Senior Citizen Esports Team Is Here To Kick Ass

Imogen Donovan

Published 

Japan's First All-Senior Citizen Esports Team Is Here To Kick Ass

Featured Image Credit: MATAGI Snipers via Twitter

The Matagi Snipers are a new esports team out of Akita, Japan, with a roster of elderly professional players who want to show off that they've got what it takes to make it big. You wish you could be so cool.

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A stereotypical image of a gamer might be a young boy clutching a controller in his hands, sitting too close to the TV with his eyes illuminated by the glow of colourful sci-fi battles. Now, you and I know that a "stereotypical gamer" is a very difficult question to answer.

Recent research claims that the average sexagenarians in the United Kingdom spends over 400 hours a year gaming. That's not just on Candy Crush as a lot of them are loving Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft and even Call Of Duty.So, the announcement of this new esports team from Japan composed of OAPs is equal parts wholesome and kickass.

While you're here, let me introduce you to Ryuji Urabe, a 93-year-old former taxi driver who has fallen in love with Forza Motorsport 7. Check out his story here!

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Ranging from the ages of 66 to 73 years old, eight players were accepted into the Matagi Snipers of a pool of more than 20 applicants. NHK stated that they were selected for their proficiency and possible skill rather than how frequently they played video games. In fact, one of the team members had never dabbled in the hobby at all.


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"Up until now, I never played video games," said Eba. This didn't daunt her, though, and she found that gaming engaged her hand-eye coordination as well as formulating strategies with her teammates. As a result, she could see the benefit of the pursuit for staving off and ameliorating any age-related issues.

It's an inspiring story and it's not the only one, either. Kotaku also adds that there is an introductory training facility in Kobe for senior citizens who want to get into gaming. And, the Silver Snipers are a professional Counter Strike team with nicknames like "Knitting Knight," "Berra-Bang" and "Teen Slayer."

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You'll be able to see the Matagi Snipers in action when they start streaming on Twitch next month. As they are practicing three times a week together, they aim to enter tournaments and walk away with the prize. We've got our fingers crossed for them.

Topics: News

Imogen Donovan
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