College certainly isn’t for everyone, and neither is school in general. But back when I was in elementary school, dropping out to pursue a career as a professional gamer wasn’t even a thing.
I mean, that also wasn’t a career choice we heard of in the early 2000s, which was a time before iPhones and Fortnite, but it’s neat that some people do make a living this way now that we’re in 2026.
What would you do if your child approached you today about dropping out of school in order to switch their focus to being a professional gamer? Would you be supportive, or would you tell them no way?
A 12-year-old boy living in Japan made waves on the internet after sharing an announcement on X about his future plans, and they are certainly unconventional.
The boy, who goes by Tarou and uses the handle @fn_taro, said in a post on the platform that he was no longer going to stay in school in favor of becoming a professional Fortnite streamer.
“After graduating from elementary school, I decided not to attend junior high school. This is the result of discussions over the course of a year with my family and school, in order to create a lifestyle where I can seriously pursue both competitive Fortnite and YouTube while ensuring sufficient time for sleep, exercise, and studying,” Tarou explained.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Tarou’s parents said that he was just three when he began playing video games, and it didn’t take him long before he could beat out the pros.
Tarou’s mom and dad believe he’s got what it takes to reach the top, and many talented people in the industry work more than the rest of us do every day at our jobs to stay there.
It can take 13 to 14 hours a day to train appropriately for gaming, which is a stark contrast to the five hours a day that a number of athletes invest daily into their respective sports.
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“Top contenders on the Asia server usually practise 10 to 12 hours daily, and they have done that consistently for five or six years,” Tarou’s dad said.
“If he had to go to school every day, he would be exhausted after class. It would be impossible to guarantee the focused training time he needs.”
Five years ago, Tarou made accounts on social media, and his goal is to be able to compete in the Fortnite World Cup, which has a minimum age requirement of 13.
Tarou recently posted that he hit 100 million views on his videos, so it appears his Fortnite streaming is working out well for him!
You can view the original post on X here and the interview with Tarou’s parents here.
By Bre Avery Zacharski
Hi, I'm Bre, Chip Chick's CEO! I have a degree in Textile/Surface Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology, and... More about Bre Avery Zacharski
