Senior Esports Team Matagi Snipers Takes Part in Tokyo Game Show 2026
The talk treats aging as a strength rather than a weakness, tying esports to Akita Prefecture's high aging rate and the local push to build a scene outside the big cities.
Reporting from 1 source: GAME Watch (Impress).
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, the Matagi Snipers, a senior professional esports team based in Akita Prefecture with an average age of 67, held a talk event on the first business day at the G TUNE/NEXTGEAR booth. Speakers included operations manager Yu Domon, players mark25 and NAGI, and Akita Prefecture Esports Federation secretary-general Musou Ogata. The team runs 16 members, the oldest 75, and practices VALORANT on weekday afternoons.
The Matagi Snipers are operated by S2, an Akita Prefecture IT company founded in 2021. The team's founding came out of the region's declining birthrate and aging population, and Akita Prefecture has Japan's highest aging rate.
All 16 members are 60 or older, four are women, and the oldest is 75. They gather from 13:00 to 17:00 on weekdays for joint practice on VALORANT. In May 2025 the team played an international exchange match against a senior team from Malaysia, winning 2-1.
The G TUNE/NEXTGEAR booth event also covered what PC makers can do to support the scene.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 平均年齢67歳のプロチーム「マタギスナイパーズ」が東京ゲームショウに参戦！ シニアeスポーツの可能性を提示【TGS2026】