13-year-old drops out of school for Fortnite and his parents are in favor of it. Case sparks heated debate on the internet.

In Japan, a 13-year-old has dropped out of school to become a professional Fortnite player. His parents’ approval has been met with criticism online, as compulsory education in Japan lasts until the ninth grade.

Let’s be honest: who among you didn’t dream of making big money playing video games when you were a kid? But for most of us, this dream inevitably fails at some point due to reality – or parents who force you to turn off the computer and focus on school.

In Japan, however, the exact opposite caused a stir last year. At the beginning of 2025, 12-year-old YouTuber Tarou announced that he was ending his school career to devote himself full-time to his career as an e-sports player. The curious thing about this is that his parents fully supported this radical step.

Thanks to an article in the South China Morning Post, the debate about the case has now reignited online.

All on one card

Japanese media reported at the time that Tarou did not want to go to junior high school after graduating from elementary school so that he could invest more time in building his esports career. According to his parents, the boy has been playing video games since the age of three and was already able to keep up with professional players while still in elementary school.

With the help of a professional, he started his own YouTube channel in 2020. With his Fortnite videos, he broke the 100,000 subscriber mark on the video platform in 2024. In February 2025, however, controversy arose when Tarou announced on Twitter that he would not be enrolling in secondary school after finishing elementary school in March.

The reason: He wanted to compete in the Fortnite World Cup in the future. However, in order to reach the training level of professional players, he would have to play at least 10 hours a day. School would be a hindrance and, according to his parents, would only wear the boy out. So the family decided against him continuing his education.

After graduating from elementary school, I decided not to attend junior high school.
This is the result of a year of discussions between my parents, myself, and the school in order to ensure that I can get enough sleep, exercise, and study time while seriously pursuing both Fortnite competitions and YouTube. …

— Tarou (@fn_taro) February 8, 2025

Link to Twitter content

The problem with compulsory education

Thanks to the recent article in the South China Morning Post, the debate about Tarou has now also reached the English-speaking  discussion forum Reddit, where many users are questioning whether Tarou’s decision to drop out of school is even legal. This is because, similar to the US, school attendance is compulsory in Japan. This comprises six years of elementary school and a further three years of middle school.

Only after that, i.e. from the age of 15, is high school attendance voluntary. Since Tarou was twelve years old at the time, he should have continued attending school. From a legal perspective, there is no provision for deregistering from school. In practice, this career move meant that Tarou became a truant.

Japan gamer, 12, plans to quit school for esports, backed by parents, sparks debate
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Link to Reddit content

Although parents in Japan are rarely prosecuted if their children do not attend school, the social consequences are enormous. Without a middle school diploma, the path to high school is blocked – and with it, access to the regular job market should the gaming career fail.

Reactions in Japan and internationally have been correspondingly critical. Many critics see dropping out of school as neglecting the boy’s education and social development. This is because middle school years in Japan are often particularly formative for children due to their participation in school clubs and activities. Many users warn that Tarou is missing out on the best years of his youth and criticize the decision to burden a child with such intense training schedules. Supporters, on the other hand, praise Tarou’s determination and compare him to athletes or artists who also put all their eggs in one basket at an early age. In Tarou’s case, the decision seems to have paid off, at least so far. He now has over 231,000 subscribers on YouTube and is part of a professional e-sports team. According to his parents, the income from his social media channels is sufficient to secure his professional independence. Since his 13th birthday, Tarou has also been officially allowed to participate in regular competitions. So nothing stands in the way of his professional career.

What do you think of Tarou’s decision? Write your comments below!