CSGO community inspired by 9-year-old player with fatal disease

The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community has been inspired by the story of a young child with a genetic disorder who still plays and excels at the tactical shooter. 

A 9-year-old boy from China has picked up CSGO despite having Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This is a genetic disorder that has progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, with most patients only having a life expectancy of 26 years. While this would be something that may get some people down, Xiao Chen has decided to pursue a new passion: CSGO. 

With the support of his father, himself a Counter-Strike player, Chen has started learning how to play the tactical shooter. It has allowed him to experience things he can’t in real life, according to the video shared on Bilibili. The quick action represents things that Chen has never done outside of the game. 

When he’s not playing CSGO, Chen has to be carried around by his father. He’s unable to walk on his own. His parents take care of him all day, from when he wakes up to when he settles in for bed. 

In CSGO, the little boy is around a level 6 or 7 in FACEIT. That means he has ranking points between 1401 and 1700. It’s an impressive outcome for someone so young, particularly someone dealing with these health challenges.

The CSGO community reacted warmly to the boy and his determination. Many felt that video games are an important and inclusive activity that’s undervalued in some areas of the world. Others brought up that it’s important to not be toxic to people you’re playing with online, since you never know who is on the other side of the screen. 

Chen’s DMD will most likely progress further, leaving him unable to play CSGO in the future. But for now, the positive gamer is enjoying his time playing a game that he’s really good at.