The most popular video game on the planet anoints its youngest star yet.
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Just 90 minutes into the first day of the inauguralFortniteWorld Cup, 12-year-old H1ghSky1 has a problem.
The event, if it had gone as planned, would have lasted all afternoon.
Fans of pro gamers would meet their idols and pick up limited-edition merch.
Meanwhile, gamers are taking photos with ecstatic fans.
Seated at the front of the group is H1ghSky1 (in real life, Patrick Bragaru from Seattle).
This is his first-ever meet-up, and he says hes shaking from nerves.
Victory is almost beside the point: less Golden State Warriors and more Harlem Globetrotters.
Trink estimates that H1ghSky1 has earned between $200,000 and $300,000 since joining FaZe this past March.
He made $40,000 alone from broadcasting himself playing on the livestreaming platform Twitch.
Amid the chaos of the meet-up, H1ghSky1 cant fully explain his success.
I just play with online friends.
Many members of FaZe Clan are in their late teens or early 20s.
H1ghSky1 didnt have an Instagram account before March; now he has1.1 million followers.
He is arguably part of a second generation ofFortnitestars.
He citesNinja, the 28-year-old prowho became the games first bona fide celebrity in 2017, as an inspiration.
Its also the age he cites in a video from this past spring announcing his induction into FaZe.
(The complaint also alleged underage drinking at FaZes L.A. residence.
FaZe countersued this month.)
What we didnt sort of calculate is what it did for our young fan base, Trink adds.
Now going pro is something any kid could theoretically do before high school.
H1ghSky1 is still young, and hes hanging out with gamers who are almost twice his age.
As the teams bus pulls away, it abruptly stops.
The roof hatch pops open as three young men work the crowd from above.
The crowd loses its mind while the officers and private-security guards milling about fume over the minor recklessness.
Our guys are the rock stars of gaming, Trink boasts afterward, having watched it all unfold.
Im not going to tell them to be who theyre not.
He managed to get the YouTube account back, though now he has to stream with parental supervision.
Hes otherwise taking the reveal in stride.
