Gaming duo meet in real life for first time ever after spending hours playing together online

Bjetka Zmelikova, 25, and Jacob Stewart, 26, first connected virtually in 2020 during an online game of Among Us. Throughout the pandemic, the duo clocked up over 1000 hours of shared gaming time.

Now the two friends have finally met in at a gaming event in London after Bjetka flew from her home in Prague to visit Jacob who now resides in London.

Bjetka revealed that her sister was the introduced her to the online game, Among Us, and it's through a discord chat specifically for the game that she met Jacob: "Covid meant that basically everything was cancelled, so I spent a lot of my time gaming online"

“The friendship really helped me get through the isolation of lock down, a time where I really leant on online interactions for my mental health.”

Jacob, who is set to tie the knot next year and has invited Bjekta to the wedding, didn't anticipate meeting her in person until then, and said it was an unexpected surprise to be able to meet before.

"I thought that would be the first time we'd meet in person, so the chance to have this meet up before then makes it even more special - we're even going to do a mini stag do whilst she's here in London," he said.

The two were invited to Hisense's Game At First Sight event, along with a host of other gamers, to play the newly launched C2 Ultra and PX3 Pro.

The virtual realm brought together friends like 36 year old Luke Brewton from Hailsham, along with Edd Pearson, 44, from Hertfordshire who have shared a gaming bond for 15 years and communicate daily but had never met face-to-face.

On encountering each other in the real world, Edd reflected: "We've been there for each other through the births of our children, our relationship breakdowns, all sorts of life's ups and downs. It's crazy to think we're only now meeting each other in person for the first time."

The occasion was also marked by the meeting of best pals Robyn Bruce from East Kilbride, Scotland, and Stefica Schwarz from Montreal, Canada, who saw each other in person for the very first time.

Internet gaming sensations, including Ireland's own Mr Gibbon, famous for his over 100k Twitch subscribers, and UK's Anna Demetriou, played hosts at the much-anticipated event. Both are prominent figures in the online gaming community and, although familiar with one another digitally, this was their initial real-life introduction.

Sharing his thoughts on the event, Mr Gibbon expressed: "Hosting this event has been amazing as I don't think people realise how much online gaming leads to people forming really strong friendships."

It's evident that gaming is more than just play; over three-quarters of the gaming population confirm having cultivated significant connections, stating that the community aspect has significantly reduced feelings of isolation or provided support during challenging times.

"Having online friends that you game with, for many, can really help improve mental well-being, with them providing a support network that many might struggle to find in their offline lives," Gibbon adds.

Chris Joughin, spokesperson from Hisense, commented: "The online gaming community has become an essential space for fostering connections and reducing feelings of isolation, especially in a world that's increasingly digital."

"Through shared experiences, gamers are able to form meaningful relationships that transcend geographical boundaries."