I had the chance to attend Gamescom this year as a partner of OpenSea, and it was an unforgettable experience. It was my first time at the event, and it quickly became one of the most memorable weekends of my career, not just because of what I did, but because of what it represented for gaming, web3, and the IRL community. 

The first day of Gamescom started off with an absolute bang as we set up Fortnite 1v1s on the deck of the OpenSea ship. It was absolutely packed and looked incredible. I was playing on a big platform, and kids started lining up to 1v1 me. Any of them who managed to beat me were rewarded with OpenSea-branded fidget spinners and other prizes. 

One of the questions I get asked the most is to “1v1 me” so it felt great to bring the online community in-person and to fulfill some of those wishes. These days, whether it’s a Fortnite LAN or an in-person gaming event like Gamescom, I’m almost always going to say yes to meeting my fans in person. I love to see the smiles, hear people yelling my name, and take pictures with everyone. 

Below is an impromptu sign we made to get the public's attention. You’ll probably recognize it as our own version of dudewithsign! 

While I was playing, Oliver Maroney captured one of the most viral moments from Gamescom with 5.5M+ views — a clip of me building in Fortnite, that caught fire online inciting curiosity about the event and the OpenSea jersey I was wearing. 

Shoutout to Jake Lucky, Dexerto, BRGaming, Red Bull Gaming, and all the others who shared this moment. I guess people just haven’t seen a Fortnite pro in action before!

On day two at the OpenSea booth, I had the chance to play some web3 games, including one that I’ve played before, Off The Grid, and a new one called Parallel Colony, that had some cool AI mechanics. 

One of the reasons I love being an OpenSea partner is that they’re always putting me on to new and emerging games and recommending the most popular to try. 

Whether it’s blockchain, in-game economies, or AI, I’m fascinated by what the future of gaming holds and will be here every step of the way. 

Once we finished playing web3 games, I switched to IRL streaming and explored the other areas of the convention. 

Over the course of the next couple of hours, I visited all 10+ halls and bought a ton of merchandise, which I always try to do at these events. Later, my friend Amar hosted a Fortnite tournament and invited me to go on stage with him. I showed up way too early, so I decided to sprint out and surprise him mid-event. The crowd went nuts, and I even caught Amar off guard with a fun little scare.

This was one of the coolest moments for me, not just because I was surprising one of my friends, but because the crowd went crazy. Here’s a picture of me after a fan gave me his phone. I think it’s a super cool shot.

To close off stream and say goodbye to the online viewers, we made our way back to the OpenSea booth, where I was swarmed by fans who were waiting for me. 

All in all, it was a very successful weekend! 

I am extremely proud to represent OpenSea at a culture-first event like Gamescom, and hope to be back next year.

As for what OpenSea and I have planned for the rest of the year, we’re running back the Fortnite 1v1s on stream on November 10th! 

We’ll also be playing a variety of web3 games such as Pudgy Party, Off the Grid, Anichess, and more with some other fan-favorite creators. 

See you soon!

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