By Leo Black
Meet the 71-year-old military veteran who says his real-life gun skills have helped him become a proficient gamer.
Will, who didn’t wish to reveal his last name, served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years before he retired in 1992.
He has always been a gamer and started gaming in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he started streaming.
Will often plays as a sniper in games like Battlefield and Fortnite, and he’s now become an “expert marksman.”
According to Will, the ballistics of some games are so real that he can apply the skills he acquired during his Navy career.
This allows him to be surprisingly successful in the traditionally young world of online gaming.
Will, who lives near St. Charles, Missouri, USA, said: “I wonder how many kids break their consoles when they get killed by an old person like me.
“It has a lot to do with my military career. I know how to shoot, and I’m not just a gamer-shooter. I’m a real-life shooter.
“I revert to my training in-game and judge distance in-game. Battlefield 2024 has very realistic ballistics.”
His skills have earned Will quite a following with 1.5 million followers on TikTok and 223k on YouTube.
And he has his sights set on the most coveted of Gen-Z statuses – professional streamer.
Will isn’t yet able to live off gaming, but he expects he will be able to do so when he hits 1 million subscribers on YouTube.
Between YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms, Will makes just under $1,500 a month.
He said: “People watch me all over the world. My numbers are growing so fast. I’m growing faster than Ninja when he started out.
“I’m not making a living off it yet. We need one million on YouTube – that’s when it will take off.”
Will has been a lifelong gamer, and he says it helps fight off the problems of old age.
Thanks to gaming, Will says he’s able to stay sharp, physically active, and social and urges people of his age to take it up.
He explained: “I’ve watched the gaming industry from cassette tapes to CD-ROMs to digital downloads.
“Gaming keeps my senses sharp, my motor skills sharp. You have to think your way through a lot of games. It keeps you going.
“I also put the message out there that the older generation can’t be afraid of the digital age. They should get out there. It helps keep you social.
“I’ve had people come into my chat and say ‘I’ve just had your dad come on my stream and now we’re having a blast playing games together.'”
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