Gamers like Gronkh and FabienneXIII fill arenas
In Germany, 41 million people play computer games. Some have built successful careers in eSports or streaming.
Anja Leuschner Gronkh
Erik Range, better known as Gronkh, is one of Germany’s most famous YouTubers. His career began on 19 October 2010 when he posted a Minecraft Let’s Play video on YouTube, in which he filmed himself playing and added his own live commentary. It became a success story: today the video has over 17 million views, and Gronkh has firmly established himself in the German gaming scene while also broadening the range of games he plays. His main presence on YouTube now hosts morethan 18,000 videos and has built a community of 10.3 million followers.
FabienneXIII
Known as the “Queen of FIFA”, Fabienne Morlok is one of Germany’s most successful female eSports players and was the first woman in the world to qualify for a FIFA Major Tournament. It all started with a Playstation. She is now signed with VfB Stuttgart eSports.
Wheely
Dennis Winkens, alias Wheely, has always loved gaming. Since a serious mountain bike accident at the age of 17, he has been paralysed from the neck down. But he continues to pursue his favourite hobby: using a so-called quadstick, he can operate a computer and console with his mouth. Wheely streams on Twitch, uploads videos to YouTube and has now turned his hobby into a career. He also campaigns for inclusion in gaming.
