Have tryhards ruined gaming? Viral video divides opinion

Alan Bernal

A viral video is splitting opinions among people on whether or not ‘tryhards’ are ruining gaming, as players are saying that competitive games have progressively become less fun online.

TikTokker ‘mbeen22’ posted a clip of Twitch streamer ‘BOBBYWASABl’ playing Fall Guys in a match of Hex-A-Gone. Throughout the gameplay, the broadcaster was actually holding up really well in the increasingly stressful mini-game.

Meanwhile, Mbeen22 was commenting over the clip showing why he “stopped playing video games” since online titles get really competitive, even ones that are meant to be fun like Fall Guys. “This game has been out just one week and people are this tryhard at a party game,” he said. “You lose the fun in a game when you turn everything so competitive

Mbeen22 later admitted he did come off sounding ‘salty’ and clarified that he feels a game like Fall Guys will just end up “stale and boring” like Fortnite where casual players who queue up “are bound to lose.”

Still, his clip sparked a larger conversation among gamers outside of BOBBYWASABl or Fall Guys entirely.

“It gets to the point where 90% of the players who win or even get top 10 are super tryhard,” one person said on Twitter. “So casual players are forced to either find a new game, spend a lot of time in Load screens, or become a try hard themselves.”

Some people view tryhards negatively since more casual players can get instantly overwhelmed by people in matchmaking that are hard-pressed to win rather than to just have fun. But that’s where an important distinction is being asked: is tryharding the same as simply trying to win.

“Sometimes people just want to hop on, have a good time with their friends, play around. But next thing you know, they see sweats like this guy winning every single game he plays, then the game becomes unfun after five days,” Mbeen22 said.

People are having a conversation on ‘tryhards’ and their impact on gaming.

It’s here where people are split since there are players in the world who just approach games in a different way. For some people, shooting the breeze in a game is as far as it goes, to others, winning is the ultimate form of fun.

“It seems that the guy that is playing the game is doing his best to win, and that’s fine,” another person said of the clip. “You don’t have to be the greatest in any game, people just like to try harder to win something that has a competition or competitive aspect to that game. If you want to play casually then go for it, but people play it differently from others.”

So, have tryhards ruined gaming? Let us know on Twitter @Dexerto to hear about where you fall under the conversation.

Related Topics

About The Author

Alan is a former staff writer for Dexerto based in Southern California who covered esports, internet culture, and the broader games/streaming industry. He is a CSUF Alum with a B.A. in Journalism. He's reported on sports medicine, emerging technology, and local community issues. Got a tip or want to talk?