The battle royale video game, where 100 players are dropped on a map to fight until only one survives, has become a global phenomenon whether you play, or just spectate - and spectating is big business. His son wakes up every morning, barely saying a word, spooning breakfast into his mouth while watching Fortnite compilation videos on YouTube. I expected a circus, but it was more like a library.Īndy Miller knows Fortnite is a big deal. I anticipated the type of reality TV show drama you only find on The Bachelor, played out before my eyes, in real time. I readied myself for a chaotic mess of shouting and madness. I spent an afternoon in Click House, speaking to the some of the stars living inside. Making it big on the internet may be a dream for many, but there is a cost and, in the Click House, it's being paid in kind. Some personalities can't even find time to go to the gym, while others clock in and out like it's an office job. Inside, hours are spent creating and editing content for millions of adoring fans.
But hidden behind the screen, the work has only just begun. The videos on YouTube give off the impression that the house is filled with energetic, affable anybodies who get to spend all day playing video games. A payoff after years of hard work: Living in a mansion with your best friends. This house, known as the "Click House," allows Click's team of influencers to live and work together, 24/7, enabling collaboration and helping to grow "gaming influencers into superstars". This is a collaboration between US competitive video game giant NRG Esports and management team Click. The residents aren't "pro gamers," they're regular gamers but high-profile YouTubers with millions of subscribers between them.
Marketing speak will tell you it's "a gaming house," built for professional gamers to live and train together.