
London - Like millions of mothers, Lisa Dallman had often despaired of her son’s obsession with computer games.
Desperate to make 15-year-old Jaden do his homework instead of sitting in his bedroom staring at a screen, she at one point threw out his X-Box and even snapped his headset.
But now young Jaden Ashman has had the last laugh – by playing his way to almost £1-million (about R17.6-million) in the first Fortnite World Cup.
Fortnite – a free online game where contestants fight to be the last man standing on a digital island – has been played by about 250 million people since its launch two years ago and has been dogged by controversy.
Essex teenager Jaden flew to New York last week to compete at the inaugural World Cup – said to be the biggest e-sports event of its kind. With his gaming partner, from the Netherlands, he came second in the early hours of Saturday. Their prize was $2.25-million between them – or around £1.8-million, giving them £900 000 each.