The Philadelphia Eagles presently have the very best document within the NFL, with 10 wins and solely a single loss. And when you would possibly anticipate this nice document is the results of onerous work, plenty of apply, proficient gamers, and a few luck, you could be stunned to find that Grand Theft Auto and on-line roleplaying are additionally a possible a part of the staff’s profitable season.
Grand Theft Auto V is a really, very talked-about open-world online game that has been launched on practically as many consoles as Skyrim at this level. It additionally has a big on-line mode that’s nonetheless—practically a decade after its 2013 launch—some of the performed video games on this planet. However, for a lot of gamers, GTA On-line isn’t the multiplayer expertise they crave. As a substitute, gamers have flocked to modified variations of GTA V to play on-line in roleplay servers. These mods and fan-run servers enable folks to roleplay collectively as cops, EMTs, firefighters, criminals, taxi drivers, and extra. And it’s this particular kind of on-line GTA expertise—which Rockstar Video games doesn’t regulate or management as tightly—that many Philadelphia Eagles staff members are taking part in when off the sector.
As reported by The New York Occasions, many Eagles gamers get excited to hop on-line and play with different staff members after spending hours watching previous video games, learning, practising, and weightlifting. For a lot of, this presents them the possibility to cease being NFL gamers and to be somebody completely completely different. It additionally helps gamers in numerous positions, who don’t usually spend a lot time collectively, bond extra, growing nearer friendships that Eagles security C.J. Gardner-Johnson says is the staff’s “secret sauce.” He additionally runs one of many staff’s personal GTA roleplay servers from his basement, the place he has a gaming PC setup that price him $10,000.
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Different gamers informed the Occasions that after taking part in GTA collectively on-line, they’re all extra linked and happier for one another, resulting in gamers eager to do extra for one another on the sector. For a lot of Eagles, taking part in Grand Theft Auto with fellow teammates matches completely into their schedule, too.
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“Lots of people, particularly me, are simply at house doing nothing,” Eagles working again Miles Sanders stated. “Since I’ve received my PC, I’ve been on the sport extra and calling folks extra.” Different Eagles teammates who play GTA with one another embrace defensive gamers Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, linebacker Stewart Bradley, and working again Miles Sanders. Actually, in keeping with The New York Occasions story, Sander’s GTA character was caught in jail on Gardner-Johnson’s server earlier within the season. Some gamers, like working again Kenneth Gainwell even stream themselves taking part in GTA on Twitch for hours at a time.
Not solely has roleplaying collectively in modded GTA servers helped gamers join extra, however it additionally presents them extra issues to speak about off the sector past soccer. And for gamers like Gardner-Johnson, it’s all they wish to do after working onerous all day.
“I simply wish to play soccer, come house, and play video video games,” stated Gardner Johnson.