I'm a 42 year old, it makes my day when people ask my age on voice chat, because most of the time the sheer incredulity when I tell people I'm 42 makes for some hilarious exchanges for the rest of the game. From random kids calling me Valorant Dad for the rest of the match, to others asking my entire gaming-related life history, or being surprised that over 40s play games at all.

In a recent match, someone asked what kind of mouse I use (because i was absolutely sucking for the first few rounds), and when I replied with the fact that it's just a cheap wireless one from Officeworks*, they decided that was the reason I couldn't aim. By the end of the match, I was match MVP, and the whole squad of kids on the team was cheering.

As someone who grew up playing shooters, starting with Wolfenstein 3D way back in the early 90s, and whose Team Fortress Classic clan was #1 in Australia (long before the days of professional eSports), it's actually pretty awesome when you can surprise players with the fact that us oldies (and I use that term very, very loosely here) can still hold our own.

So thanks to all the younguns who make for very entertaining comms during random competitive matches, it's a good vibe.

*Edit: I did mention at one point that I have Logitech G502, but I use it at work because the extra buttons are handy. Quote of the match from one kid on the team was "You've got better aim in Microsoft Word than in Valorant" 😂