Armless college student becomes host of online gaming livestream

A college student who lost both of his arms 16 years ago has become the host of an online gaming livestream, Chengdu Economic Daily (CED) reported on June 4. Now a sophomore, Peng Chao currently runs a two-hour broadcast almost every night of the week.

Two years into his courses at Sichuan University School of Law, Peng has been able to keep up with all aspects of college life. He started playing the online game League of Legends (LOL) in 2012. He told CED that he received an invitation to become a livestream host right after he was admitted to college. However, he chose to decline it because his family worried that the job would distract him from studying.

In April, Peng chanced upon the profile of another livestream host, who was using Peng's photo as his profile picture. The host was also armless, and excelled at playing the game with his feet. Peng first requested that the host to remove his picture, and then decided to become a host himself. Peng officially started livestreaming in mid-May.

“I’m a platinum LOL player, and I'm good at communicating with other players,” he said. But most of his viewers ask him more about college life rather than game-related issues, Peng added.

Vice Party Secretary Jiang Hua of Sichuan University School of Law said the school hopes Peng will continue to concentrate on his studies and pursue further education. Peng’s father noted that his family respects Peng's decision as long as the hosting gig doesn’t negatively impact his studies.

Peng told CED that he only considers broadcasting a hobby, and it won’t affect his studies because he has enough time to do both. Peng said he will find a balance between broadcasting and studying if the livestreaming platform offers him a contract with longer working hours. He has also decided to pursue a master's degree when his internship ends next year.