Zhong Juanjuan, a 60-year-old woman from southern China, has transformed her unexpected passion for gaming into a successful career as a popular streamer. Initially, she began playing video games in 2020 to understand her son’s long-standing interest. Known as “Auntie Juan” online, she now has around 527,000 followers and hosts two daily live-streaming sessions that attract about 10,000 viewers each.
Zhong’s journey into gaming started after retiring from various part-time jobs. She faced challenges early on, particularly with her eyesight and slower reactions compared to younger players. Despite struggling initially, she dedicated herself to practice, accumulating over 8,000 hours of gameplay, primarily in shooting games.
In 2022, she began live-streaming, quickly captivating audiences with her unique perspective as an older woman in a traditionally younger-dominated space. Her fame surged in December 2024 when she competed in an exhibition match of “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” astonishing viewers by eliminating a world champion player.
Zhong has since garnered some criticism for her gaming habits but strongly believes that older women should not be confined to traditional roles. With her son serving as her full-time agent, their roles have flipped: he now manages her gaming schedule to ensure she doesn’t stay up late playing.
Zhong emphasizes the mental benefits of gaming and advocates for continuous learning at any age, declaring, “It is never too late to start learning something new.”
