For years, Zhong Juanjuan noticed video video games as one thing that was taking her son away from his research.In the present day, the 60-year-old Chinese language girl spends hours taking part in them herself, with hundreds of individuals tuning in to observe.Recognized on-line as “Auntie Juan”, Zhong has turned an uncommon household story into an sudden second profession. She began taking part in laptop video games in 2020, when she was in her 50s. Six years later, she has greater than 5 lakh followers and sometimes attracts round 10,000 viewers to every of her each day livestreams, based on the South China Morning Publish.However the shocking half is not simply her age. It’s how she received right here.She as soon as dragged her son out of gaming cafesZhong grew up in Meizhou in Guangdong province and accomplished solely major faculty. Through the years, she labored quite a few jobs, together with promoting garments, working in gross sales and taking care of youngsters. She retired round a decade in the past.Gaming, nonetheless, had already been a part of her household story lengthy earlier than she picked up a mouse.Round 20 years in the past, her youthful son, recognized on-line as Suode, grew to become closely concerned in gaming whereas he was nonetheless in secondary faculty. His grades suffered, and Zhong would go searching for him at web cafes.Generally, she would merely pull him out and take him residence.So when the identical son was spending lengthy hours gaming once more years later, Zhong’s first response may simply have been to repeat the previous argument.As an alternative, she determined to search out out what he was so fascinated by.It began in the course of the pandemicIn 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic stored households indoors, Zhong watched Suode spend hours taking part in video games at residence after leaving his job.She was curious.Slightly than merely telling him to cease, she requested him to show her.Suode was shocked, however he agreed.The primary classes weren’t precisely clean. Zhong struggled to regulate her character, usually strolling straight into partitions, turning the improper approach and even having hassle getting up digital stairs. Her eyesight was additionally declining, whereas her reactions had been naturally slower than these of youthful gamers.However she stored going.And that turned out to be the start of one thing neither mom nor son anticipated.From struggling newbie to severe gamerZhong did not simply be taught to play casually. She began spending hours practising and step by step grew to become good at taking pictures video games, significantly Counter-Strike.Her son, who had spent years taking part in video games himself, taught her issues reminiscent of positioning, aiming and when to assault or defend. The 2 additionally began discussing gaming techniques, generally disagreeing over what transfer to make.The roles contained in the household had been slowly altering.The mom who as soon as complained about her son’s gaming was now asking him about weapons, methods and gameplay.At one level, Zhong grew to become so engrossed within the sport that she misplaced monitor of time. In accordance with Financial Observer, she would generally play till late at night time, prompting Suode to finally set the house Wi-Fi to change off mechanically so she would cease taking part in and get some sleep.Her gaming hours quickly started so as to add up.By early 2026, stories put her Counter-Strike taking part in time at greater than 8,000 hours. She additionally performs different video games, however taking pictures video games stay her most important focus.Her son instructed her to start out livestreamingAfter seeing how a lot time his mom was spending on video games, Suode steered that she attempt livestreaming.Zhong took the thought significantly.She started streaming in 2022 and slowly constructed an viewers. Her fundamental setup, her age and, most of all, her gaming abilities made her stand out from the gang.There was one thing nearly surreal about watching a lady who had solely lately realized to make use of a gaming mouse sit in entrance of a pc and play a fast-paced taking pictures sport with the arrogance of somebody who had been doing it for years.Her streams additionally grew to become recognized for her informal use of gaming slang.After which got here the doubts.
Do you consider older adults can excel in areas historically dominated by youthful folks, like gaming?
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Some viewers thought she was not likely taking part inAs Zhong’s abilities grew to become extra noticeable, some viewers refused to consider {that a} girl approaching 60 may truly play at that stage.Individuals on-line accused her of utilizing another person to regulate the sport or steered that the movies had been one way or the other pretend.Her son determined to deal with the accusations in a quite simple approach.He put in a number of cameras so viewers may see Zhong, her palms and the display from totally different angles whereas she performed. That allowed folks watching the livestream to see that she was truly controlling the sport herself.There have been much more uncommon rumours about her previous. Some on-line customers speculated that she will need to have been a extremely expert machine operator or an skilled industrial employee due to the precision of her taking pictures.Zhong reportedly laughed on the thought.She had no thought what the job they had been speaking about even meant.The Counter-Strike match that modified every partZhong’s greatest breakthrough got here in 2024.In December that 12 months, when she was 58, she was invited to participate in a Counter-Strike exhibition match. One of many gamers on the opposite aspect was Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, the teenage Russian esports star who had grow to be one of many greatest names in aggressive Counter-Strike.And Zhong managed to remove him with a single exact shot.The second didn’t instantly flip her into a worldwide web sensation. In accordance with Financial Observer, the clip obtained far more consideration months later when first-person footage was launched and players started analysing the play body by body.That was when many youthful players started taking note of the lady that they had come to know as Auntie Juan.Experiences in 2026 additionally mentioned she later took half in one other pleasant exhibition match involving skilled gamers, the place she managed to remove each donk and fellow Group Spirit participant Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov within the sport. The second unfold extensively amongst gaming communities.It was, after all, one spherical in an exhibition match and never proof that she had instantly grow to be knowledgeable esports participant. However for a girl who had picked up gaming only some years earlier, it was sufficient to make her a viral identify.“Ought to I solely be relegated to family chores?”Her reputation has additionally introduced a wholly totally different dialog.Some folks have questioned why a lady her age spends a lot time gaming. The belief, as Zhong has identified, is that girls of her technology ought to persist with extra conventional roles.She has pushed again towards that concept.“As a mom, ought to I solely be relegated to family chores?” she requested, based on India In the present day. She has additionally mentioned that gaming retains her thoughts lively and helps with hand-eye coordination. Her message is easy: beginning one thing new does not have to come back with an age restrict.And maybe the most important irony is that the lady who as soon as tried to cease her son from taking part in video games is now the one who must be instructed when to change them off.Suode, who as soon as had his gaming interrupted by his mom, is now her full-time agent. He helps along with her movies, livestreaming and different work round her on-line profession. He additionally makes positive she does not keep up gaming all night time.From promoting garments to turning into a gaming starZhong’s story is not solely about gaming.Earlier than turning into Auntie Juan, she had spent a lot of her life working to help her household. Financial Observer reported that she had bought garments on the streets, labored as a salesman and later labored as a childcare supplier. She had no formal larger schooling and had lived most of her life in Meizhou.Gaming modified that.By 2025, her revenue from gaming was reportedly round ten instances what she had earned earlier than she grew to become a streamer, and she or he had grow to be the principle earner in her household. Her son, who as soon as had a job as a software program engineer, now works behind the scenes managing her on-line profession.Her household has even created a devoted gaming room for her, full with computer systems and tools.But Zhong apparently does not make a giant deal about her on-line fame in on a regular basis life.She has reportedly been hesitant to inform folks in her neighbourhood that she is a gaming streamer as a result of she worries they may assume she is boasting. On one event, she was shocked when somebody from her village instructed her that they had seen her on Douyin.Then there are moments that remind her simply how far issues have gone.Lately, a person recognised her at a moist market and instructed her that he had watched her gaming on-line.For Zhong, the journey started with a easy query: why did her son take pleasure in video games a lot?She thought she was coming into his world to know him higher.As an alternative, she discovered a world of her personal.