Tue, Jul 7, 2020
After losing his left eye, one genius visual effects artist created a jaw-dropping Overwatch cosplay suit based on the Reinhardt character, whose left eye is also damaged. Chad Hoku lost his eye in a workshop accident in 2014, but was later inspired to embrace his injury by the Reinhardt character. The prop designer won TwitchCon 2016's cosplay contest with his stunning Overwatch cosplay, taking home the $15,000 prize. Chad, who runs the Los Angeles-based Hoku Props, told Totally Game: "It's important to not necessarily think about the things I can't do because of the accident, but instead try to figure out ways of doing the things I want to do. "I've always been fascinated with video games and interested in the process of taking something from a video game or fantasy world and pulling it into our reality."
Tue, Jul 14, 2020
A quadriplegic Call of Duty star is racking up huge kill streaks on the game - despite being forced to play with his mouth. Rocky Stoutenburgh from Detroit, Michigan, known to his Twitch and YouTube followers as "RockyNoHands", uses a mouth-controlled device known as a Quad Stick to demolish his opponents on online battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone. Rocky's life was changed forever after breaking his neck during a freak accident back in 2006, but popular streamer Rocky is now the proud owner of two Fortnite world records and looking to beat his current Warzone highest kill game of 13. Rocky said: "I'm the best in the world at playing video games with my mouth. These lips are deadly."
Tue, Jul 21, 2020
A cosplay queen has painstakingly built a life-sized replica of Cloud's Buster Sword from the Final Fantasy VII remake. Morgane Jarde from Versailles, France, spent two weeks making the colossal 1.84m (6ft) blade, which weighs 8kg (18lbs). Morgane, who goes by the name Siwen Cosplay online, decided to embark on the build after being inspired by Square Enix's updated masterpiece. And while the French cosplayer is extremely happy with the finished product, its sheer size and weight means she might not be slaying any enemies with it anytime soon. Siwen said: "Holding the sword is really physically hard. After swinging it for 10 minutes my arms were aching for days, but at the same time it feels so cool and badass holding it."
Tue, Jul 28, 2020
A speed demon's love of driving video games won him a $1 million dollar real-life racing contract with ex-Formula 1 star Jenson Button's GT team. James Baldwin from Aylesbury was officially declared "World's Fastest Gamer" in the tournament of the same name last year. Obsessed with cars since the age of four, James was an avid Formula 1 fan as a child and started karting as soon as he met the age requirements - but had to give up in 2015 due to lack of funds. However, after spontaneously buying a cheap driving simulator rig he quickly began to win competitive races, leaving his job to pursue Esports full-time. James is spending this year driving for Jenson Button's new GT3 team in a McLaren 720S and dreams of being simultaneously the world's top real-world and Esports racing driver.
Tue, Aug 4, 2020
Badass granddad Abbe 'DieHardBirdie' Borg is believed to be the world's oldest competitive gamer. The 78-year-old, who was born in the middle of the second World War, loves to play 'Counter Strike: Global Offensive' at least four hours a day. Abbe started playing Counter Strike when he retired, and enjoys playing both in solo mode and as part of a team - and is particularly fond of head shots. Known for his talent, and the unique bird whistle sound he makes before dispatching opponents, he credits gaming with keeping his mind and reaction times sharp.
Tue, Aug 11, 2020
A Fortnite fan is crediting the game with saving his life after his gamer friend in the USA realized he was having a seizure and called local ambulance services. Aidan Jackson from Cheshire, England, suffered from a potentially life-threatening epileptic seizure while playing Fortnite 'duo mode' online with Dia Lathora from Richardson, Texas. The pair connected online playing Fortnite - and it was Dia's quick thinking that Aidan was saved in time and taken to hospital.
Tue, Aug 18, 2020
Breaking your neck at 17 years old would usually be a debilitating injury, but for one gamer it hasn't stopped him from becoming a standout League of Legends players. Conrad Hildebrand is ranked in the top 15 percent of players in Europe on his server and is aiming to become the top player on the continent, despite not being able to feel anything below his chest. The Stockholm-native also can't move his fingers, which are permanently closed, but uses a track pad and low-profile keyboard to game online.
Tue, Aug 25, 2020
Call of Duty star Chad Michael Collins has found a unique way to engage with fans while embracing his love for video games. The actor plays Alex, aka 'Echo 3-1', in 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare', and has recently taken up playing as his character in Activision's massively popular Battle Royale game 'Call of Duty: Warzone'. Chad, who is also known for his starring role in the 'Sniper' movies, streams his online sessions on Twitch where fans from around the world can play as their hero, alongside their hero.
Tue, Sep 1, 2020
Fortnite players might not expect to be taken out by a man of God, but one pastor has no problem rising to the challenge in the 'battle royale' game - as long as he helps people along the way. Kiran Skariah, who goes by PastorSKAR online, is an ordained reverend who has built a supportive online community around his high-energy Twitch streams. The Sydney, Australia-based pastor streams Fortnite multiple times a week and says his ultimate goal is to "make an impact on as many lives as he can. My faith is very real to me. It's something that matters to me, it's important to me, and I'm unashamed of that. And I've also always been a gamer."
Tue, Sep 8, 2020
A father-of-six has made his retro gaming dreams a reality by building an entire 80s arcade in the basement of his family home. Jeremy Wagner of Warrenton, Missouri, is the proud owner of the Vintage Vault arcade. The 1,100sq foot space features 44 games cabinets, three pinball machines, pool and bumper pool tables, an air hockey, a vintage soda machine, a gumball machine and a bar area - as well as high score leader boards for each game.