A 20-year old video game streamer from China just died. He used to play the popular online mobile game “King of Glory” 9 hours straight for every night. His handle “Lonely King” was one of the most successful ones among 200 million monthly active players.
The 20-year old had over 170,000 fans on his streaming platform. He used to showcase his gaming sessions for many consecutive hours every day. His last live playing session was on November 2nd. His fans, who were so used to watching his online sessions noticed his continued absence and started speculating about his fate. They thought he was probably exhausted and taking a break as he had been having 9 hour long sessions from midnight to 9 in the morning every night since July.
According to Chinese media sources, Lonely King’s family posted a message on his social media pages that the 20-year old had passed away after his last online session. The official cause of death has not been declared as of yet but it is speculated that the gamer died due to his exhausting gaming schedule. This untimely death made headlines in China and prompted an official statement from the popular streaming platform urging users to put their health first.
This is not the first time King of Glory has been accused of posing a threat to the health of the users. In August, the Chinese media stated that a 17-year old gamer suffered a stroke after playing the game for 40 straight hours and another young lady who suffered a retinal artery obstruction in her right eye after playing the game non-stop.
The concern is not limited to the media. The Chinese government has shown concern as well that King of Glory might have a huge impact on the youth of the nation. Back in August, the People’s Liberation Army Daily newspaper reported officer’s outrage after discovering that almost all the soldiers in one dormitory were playing the game over a weekend.
“There is certainly a security risk that can’t be overlooked,” the author of the article warned. “The game requires constant attention but a soldier’s job is full of uncertainty. Once a soldier is cut off from the game for an urgent mission, he could be absent-minded during the operation if his mind remains on the game.”
Tencent is the Chinese internet giant behind the popular game and has acknowledged the risks posed by it and has begun limiting daily playing times to not cause any harm.