S2 Co., an IT company, based in Akita Prefecture, has formed Japan’s first professional team of Esports players made up of older players.
The announcement came in the form of a press conference held here on September 21st.
The Matagi Snipers are a group of ten people between the age group 61 and 73. Among them, two are “juniors” who are 65 years old or younger. A team member was present during the conference, and he stated enthusiastically, “I want my wings to spread around Japan and the globe.”
If the name sounds strange, it comes from a local “matagi” hunting group. They revealed that their focus is on shooter games for now. The scouting for players finished around June, and the whole team has been practicing hard since July. The percentage of Akita Prefecture’s total 65-year-old population is 38%. This is significantly higher than the national norm.
Many esports players compete with their in-game name rather than revealing their actual name. This is also true for the Matagi Snipers. 72-year-old “Mr. Kita,” said during the press conference that he was doing his best and having fun every single day. He says he will give it his all and try to be the best professional player.
Another team member is Eba, a 67-years-old, is one of three female team members. She moved back to Japan three years ago from Tokyo. Eba said that she missed her hometown and wanted to move back to Akita. She wants to spread the wonder of Akita and help it grow. She realized that Matagi snipers share a similar motive, and she was ready to take on the challenge.
The team will stream its games on YouTube and Twitch by the end of this month, the earliest. It plans to take part in events and competitions starting next April of 2022.
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