AKITA: S2, a Japanese server company, said Friday it will launch an elderly professional e-sports team, the first of its kind in Japan.

The members of the team will all be residents of Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, aged 65 or older. They will be called Matagi Snipers, after “matagi” Japanese traditional hunters.

S2, based in the city of Akita, aims to recruit about 10 members for the team by the end of August, regardless of whether they have experiences in computer gaming.

The company aims to have the team participate in competitions and stream videos of them playing games to earn revenue.

Senior professional e-sports teams have been formed in Sweden and elsewhere, with some competing in international competitions.

In Japan, e-sports has been attracting attention as a way to help elderly people maintain their cognitive functions and interact with younger generations.

“As well as promoting the use of e-sports for health, we want to show the world the traditions and attractions of Akita though video streaming and interactions with overseas teams,” S2 President Kohei Sudo said.

JIJI Press