Remember precisely the day your son managed to explain that he wanted to become an electronic sports professional.Video game competitions that for new generations -Centennials (born between 1994 and 2010) and Alfa (2010 onwards) - are more convening than traditional sports.“One night I went up to his room with a food tray and replied that he left it outside.The chain came out ... At that time, in his head, I stopped being the father to become an employee.In addition, it was a sample of its disconnection with reality.I kicked the door and he jumped that made him leave the computer.He thought he was going to shit it to trumpe.That night marked a turning point in the link between Rodrigo Figueroa Reyes (54) and his son Jerónimo (21).

On the day of the kick at the Jerome door he was in his father's house (his parents had separated), a duplex overlooking the river in the closed neighborhood Bahía del Sol, in the northern part of Greater Buenos Aires.The upper floor, which in the original design was a recreation room, had become its room.As it was a common space, I had no door.They added a not very heavy when Jerome's adolescence claimed privacy.

"A point came where Jero became very demanding.Subime this, help me, cook me ... and I, who was a mixture of attentive father and a little guilty for working a lot, listened to him.I cooked for both.

"Tournaments generate so much pressure that at one time you realize that you have no life, because to compete ten, twelve or more hours".Jerónimo Figueroa Reyes.

His son's request to leave the food at the door exhausted his patience, but he also opened a new path: “Jero was spent locked up, he shouted, he didn't give you ball ... That episode helped him to explain what he could explain whatpassed.He complained that we didn't understand him, he hyperventil, until he could tell me that he wanted to devote himself to this, that he was passionate because he saw a business ”.

An early passion​

Jerónimo had taken his first steps as Gamer at age 6 at Club Penguin, a virtual world with a wide variety of games and activities for boys.When Fortnite was launched in 2017, which develops on an island where it competes to see who is the last player or team, his passion became something serious.

Rodrigo understood that his son belonged to a generation that was related different: “He told me that he wanted to go to play at the house of a friend, and the name did not sound me anywhere.It was not from school or club.It was someone who had met playing online.I wore it, I introduced me to the parents, who didn't know Jero either, I saw that everything was fine and left him.At first I stayed close drinking coffee until it was time to go looking for it ”.

He was also accompanied to tournaments (although he played online, many competitive eSports events are face -to -face) and even remember to have taken it to the Streamer house (as those who transmit their games through platforms like Twitch) are known in Argentina: Martín Pérez Disalvo, aka Coscu.

He accompanied him, but until the day he kicked the door of the room, he thought it was something passenger.

Rodrigo Figueroa Reyes and María Luz Delgui, Jerónimo's parents, had met in the early '90s at the Pragma FCB advertising agency.Rodrigo is still in the industry, but Luz dedicated himself to politics: he worked for Francisco de Narvaéz and became a general director of the presidency hearings during Mauricio Macri's management.The couple waited for Jerome (who was born on October 19, 1999) turned a year to marry.In an image of the party it is seen, a blond baby with straight hair, bangs, white shirt and vest, in the arms of the bride, her mother.

Luz and Rodrigo separated five years later.

The first three years of Jerome spent in an apartment in Vicente López.Once separated, Luz moved to the bass of San Isidro, a few blocks from the cathedral.Jerónimo went to Infantes Storyland Playschool in Acassuso, and later did all primary and high school at Marín School.Until 15 years he played rugby at the San Isidro Athletic Club (almost).

"He has 21, he is still small, but he wins his own money since the age of 17 thanks to the games,” says Luz, Jerónimo's mother.

“It's something different and at first it cost me a lot to understand it.For me, Jero had to go to school, but suddenly I told me that I had a tournament ... I don't know, on Tuesday from 11 p.m. until 2 in the morning.Or it was the birthday of his grandparents or some uncle, and he said he couldn't go because he had to compete.I did not understand.As…?You play later ....I thought it was just a game, and today I realize what Jero chose, from what he works, ”says Luz, the mother.

Luz and Jerónimo lived in a neighborhood closed in the bass of San Isidro: Three -story similar houses, without much from each other, park in the back with the pool, multipurpose room and safety checkpoints.“My 13 -year -old son played the screams until 3 in the morning online tournaments.The neighbor complained and I had to go work, with all the responsibility on top.It was an issue and I said, ‘What is this?’ ”.

Rodrigo and Luz identify anxiety attacks and little tolerance to frustration as common denominators between Jerome - a son of the two - and other boys of their age.“They are the generation of instant gratification because they have everything click.If they are not given something, they are already beginning to hyperventilate, ”describes Rodrigo.Or to break.Luz remembers a broken monitor and a little consistent excuse of his son: "I moved her foot and fell alone".

“I bought a computer, for example, and that it would last what it had to last.You break a monitor because a anger attack grabbed you ... well, there is no more monitor.I did not have the possibility to buy monitors all the time.What they use to play is very expensive and something new is always going ”, it was the light posture.The father adopted a different idea: “Jero called him and told him that the computer had fallen, or whatever.Rodrigo insulted a little and then bought a new.Despite having separated, we always get along, but at this point we did not match ”.However, she today recognizes that the complicity with her father allowed Jerónimo to professionalize in what she likes: "He has 21, he is still small, but he wins his own money from age 17 thanks to the games".

The first salary

Hidra is pronounced in Spanish.HYDR4 is written. Es el alias queJerónimo Figueroa Reyes eligió para el universo online.He ensures that the name does not have a special meaning.One day he saw a post on Facebook that invited users to create their own nickname and there Hydrasnation emerged, which then evolved to HYDR4.“I started with the stream in 2013.Only since 2014 I kept it constant.When Fortnite hit us as a boom, between the end of 2017 and early 2018, I started living on this.My first income was a Twitch salary, and with that money I invited my old woman and her family to eat, ”he says.

Twitch, the Amazon platform, began operating with the aim of broadcasting live video game games, and then diversified.Streamers or content generators have two sources of income: subscriptions and advertising.Each account has followers.Of the total followers, a percentage is willing to pay a subscription because it is interested.There are several types of subscriptions, the minimum costs five dollars per month.The raised is distributed 50/50 between Twitch and the content generator.

“Hydr4 has more than 130 thousand followers.Imagine that a thousand are subscribers;There are five thousand dollars per month.That is, he stays with an income of two thousand five hundred dollars per month.Although they were 700 subscribers, it is a good twine.In addition, if the transmission he makes calls for an important audience, he receives a percentage of advertising, ”explains Rodrigo.To have an idea of the level that a figure of this industry can reach, an example is enough: the current Spanish streaming star, the Basque Ibai Llanos, agreed with Twitch to receive 70 % of the subscription income from subscription.His channel has more than six and a half million followers.

That Twitch salary opened the way for his family to understand.His mother went from thinking that it was only a game to help him soundproof his room so that he could be more comfortable, and coexistence with her and the neighbors were developed in peace.His dad connected electronic sports with the advertising world and created a new business unit within his agency, and chose him, Hydr4, as a partner.From that day, in addition to working with his father, Jerónimo dedicated himself to training to compete.

"With my own team, competing in the main leagues of the United States of all games," Jerónimo projected his career in 2019, when Movistar Riders joined, one of the most important eSports clubs in Europe.That year he decided to settle in Madrid, in principle for three months, to train and take advantage of the quality of Internet servers and the best connection speed available in that country.

With his son in Madrid, Luz saw the opportunity to change politics for the tourism industry.He left his post at Casa Rosada, bought a inn at the Morro de São Paulo and moved to Brazil.“It cost me, but today I am his number one fanatic.If you compete in a tournament, I get on Twitch to see how you play, how you are doing.I live on an island and there is not always good wifi.I remember all the place with my phone in search of a signal to see it ”, admits.“Jero went to Madrid for three months and ended up staying.Rodrigo also settled and manages the agency from there ”.

Perhaps these changes were, perhaps the demand for competition, or exposure on social networks.Or everything together.The truth is that something began to weigh.“Tournaments generate so much pressure that at one time you realize that you have no life, because to compete ten, twelve or more hours.Suddenly I saw that I played, I took the dog for a walk once a day, and nothing else.That is why I decided to stop competing and dedicate myself to the creation of content.I keep playing, but without the pressure of a tournament, ”he says.His Black dog, a ten -year -.

Remembering its beginnings like Hydr4, Jerónimo makes a mea guilt: he regrets his impulsivity.He does not mention anyone in particular, but a quick search on social networks leads to several uncomigable exchanges with the popular Argentine streamer Coscu, which has 2.9 million followers on Twitch and is the leader of the community that bears his name, Coscu Army.The last public invoice pass is not very distant, it was in April on Twitter.Jerónimo argues: "This is an industry in which it matures quickly and without a network".

In Madrid, Rodrigo and Jerónimo faced one of their first works as business partners: "Not a Game", a documentary that premiered in 2020 in Netflix.

To avoid the pressure of competition and exposure, he decided not to raise content to his channel regularly.His mother remembers a recent visit to Madrid: “I went in January and it had not been long for a long time.One day he decided to do it and asked me to go to another room.I didn't want me to look at him.From the other side of the door I could hear how it had fun.As well as he, acidic, sometimes spicy.Says things and don't know if they are true or lies.Your community asks you to stremely.I think he is an excellent content creator and goes to that side, but you have to hold that every day ”.

The advertising agency led by Rodrigo has offices in several countries.In 2019, when his son decided to try his luck in Spain, he did the same.The first two years lived in an apartment five blocks away, in the Retiro Park area.There they faced one of the first works that father and son did as business partners: "Not a Game", a documentary that they copied with Movistar+ and that premiered at the beginning of 2020 in Netflix.He tells stories with common points with his: the film explores what eSports represent for new generations and the look of their families.

Determined to surf the Emotional Subse.Today he assures that he feels better and that he found a place in FNATIC (Fanatic is pronounced), a professional electronic sports organization with headquarters in London.He joined as a content creator."They really understand and bet on me,".

However, father and son continue working together in Firesports and lived again.About work with his dad, Jerónimo says: “It's good.There is a confidence that is perhaps more difficult with a co -worker because it can compromise you.The only problem is that we are very the same and we collide ".In Rodrigo's words: “He has a very clear vision and is very focused despite his age.Since I was little, he always had a lot of discipline to achieve what he wanted and the ability to see what is to come.He is persevering, goes forward and does so.The bad thing is that it has a shit character like me ".

The look of light on the employment relationship between father and son illuminates a balance: “Rodrigo is backed by experience and recognition, but I have to say that today the company he has thanks to Jero put in the world of eSports.He knows a lot about brands, but electronic sports are a new world that came thanks to Hydr4 ”.

Los premios que ganó la agencia de publicidad de Rodrigo, FCB&FiRe, por “Unboxing”, un corto para Playstation y Netflix protagonizado por Ibai Llanos, son la prueba de que la sociedad por ahora funciona.The Fireports business unit has also launched the monthly magazine printed "Latin Power", a space to highlight the Latin American figures of the eSports.

Father and son, now partners, the departments of the Retiro Park for a house in the Madrid residential neighborhood Arturo Soria.For Rodrigo "it's like a San Isidro in Madrid", only closer to the city center.You get to the Gran Vía after a one -hour walk.In a recent photo they are seen on their backs, walking in sportswear on a street in the new neighborhood.One looks a dark brown hair;The other, gray hair.The Son embraces the Father.

In the end Rodrigo makes a virtual tour of the house: “It's great, if you don't want or cross yourself, but you live together.On the ground floor are my office, a kitchen and a living room with view of the garden.I sleep on the first floor, and jero in the recreation room.There they enter their bed, armchairs, a large table and another mouse.It is armed as if it were a separate apartment, but it is still a common and open space.He doesn't care that he doesn't have a door ”.