14-year-old Warzone pro skips school after winning $75k tournament

Theo Salaun
call of duty warzone money rivs teenager

In one of the most understandable school skips ever, a 14-year-old Call of Duty: Warzone player decided to take the day off after his duo won the $75,000 Last Dance in Verdansk tournament.

Rivs is a really good Warzone player who happens to be 14 years old. And after just barely qualifying for the $75,000 Last Dance in Verdansk Grand Finals with Destroy — the duo went ahead and won it all.

In total, they netted $28,000 of the tournament’s full prize pool. And, while it’s life-changing money for many, can you imagine how much it would feel like at 14 years old?

So we asked Rivs if he, after winning $14,000 on a school night, was able to make it to class the next day. And, of course, we also had to ask how his parents reacted and how he intends to spend the money.

14-year-old Warzone pro wins $75,000 tournament

Just winning the tournament was wild, as it featured the best players in the world in custom lobbies. But, after hours of gameplay and some ridiculous hacking drama, the duo secured first place and the bag.

So, how did Rivs celebrate? By not going to school the next day. And it’s unlikely his parents minded, as they’re probably still confused. When asked how they reacted to the tournament win, Rivs said “they couldn’t believe me and were super proud of me and just were super shocked.”

And, as for whether the prize money would go to a new PC or Mother’s Day, he assured us that “for sure, probably Mother’s Day,” but that “it’s a lot of money” and he hasn’t made any other decisions yet.

Warzone pros react to 14-year-old winning major tournament

Other pros have also responded to the huge sum of money awarded to someone still in school. One player, LouiCM, called it “mental,” noting that his mom was trying to block his Xbox access when he was 14.

On the contrary, Rivs’ parents let him play in a long tournament on a school night (and then skip class the next day). That’s a pretty stark difference and proves just how far the gaming industry has come. And, if Rivs gets his parents some nice gifts, maybe more parents will stop locking their kids’ Xboxes.