Fortnite Player Calls Mom and Makes Shocking Announcement on Livestream

Playing Video Games Pays Off in a Big Way

Aydan Conrad started playing Fortnite, a popular shooting and survival video game, the day it was released in 2017. He immediately became obsessed.

“It was bad," Aydan, then 17 years old, admitted. "I wasn’t doing homework. I was just going to school, chucking my bag, and playing the game until it was time for school again."

Turns out, all those gaming hours paid off.

After convincing his parents to let him take a year off after graduating high school, he kicked his gaming into high gear. He entered tournaments and started winning. A LOT. His YouTube and Twitch channels took off as millions tuned in to watch him play.

Not only did his scores rack up, so did his bank account. And he decided to use some of his hard-earned winnings in the most wholesome way possible — by paying off his mom's expensive college loans.

Crediting his followers for helping to make it happen, he shared the emotional moment he surprised her with the news on one of his livestreams.

(Grab the tissues.)

Young Gamer Changes His Mom's Life

"I paid all of my mom's college loans off so I'm gonna call her and tell her," he starts off telling his 1.4 million viewers. "But I want you guys to know that you guys did this. I wouldn't be able to do it without you guys so pat yourselves on the back."

After getting his mom on the phone he tells her he loves her (awwwww) and that he has a belated Christmas gift for her.

“Let's talk about this later," she responds. "I don’t need anything, Aydan – you’ve done enough for me."

Grinning from ear to ear, Aydan tells her, “Well, it’s too late, Mom. All your school loans are already paid for.”

Hilariously, she doesn't believe him. "No they're not. You can’t… you can’t… It’s not a federal loan. I don’t think you can touch that stuff at all.”

But Aydan's way ahead of her. He tells her that he's already talked to Lina (presumably a financial advisor at the college) and it's a done deal.

"Your school loans are all paid for, you don't have to worry about them."

She immediately bursts into tears. At the sound of his mom crying, Aydan breaks down too.

Not only are her loans paid, but it also means she can graduate sooner. Aydan didn't just give her a monetary gift, he gave her the gift to pursue her dreams without the weight of financial constraints. And that? Is priceless.

His mom ends the call by jokingly telling listeners to drop !prime and !sub in the chat (not only plugging paid subscriptions but also proving just how supportive she is of his career.)

Giving Back For All of the Support He's Received

Aydan is currently one of the top gamers in the world. An American competitive eSports gamer, he's known for dominating the leaderboard in Fortnite and more recently, Call of Duty: Warzone.

He makes a living off of playing video games and we don't mean chump change. As of 2023, he's racked up more than $600,000 in winnings not to mention the money he makes off his wildly successful YouTube and Twitch channels, which have a combined following of over 4 million people.

Add to that a number of sponsors, including Hello Fresh and Monster Energy, and the kid's doing alright.

He's gone from growing up in a trailer home just 20 miles west of Cleveland to living in a luxury apartment in Irvine, California.

But despite his fame and fortune, he hasn't forgotten his roots. Or the woman who has supported him through it all — his mom.