As a new job related to gaming, streamers often face negative perceptions from society, especially from the older generation due to past consequences. The story of Ha Tieu Phu’s determination to pursue his passion against his family’s opposition is one such tale.
When it comes to Boy 1 Champ – the renowned gamers associated with a champion in League of Legends in Vietnam, Ha Tieu Phu cannot be overlooked. This “crazy Viking” and the champion Olaf once wreaked havoc in ranked matches, becoming one of the most beloved streamers in the Vietnamese League of Legends community.
However, many see the glory of Ha Tieu Phu today without noticing the darkness behind it, thinking that this young man succeeded easily by luck. In reality, to become one of the most famous streamers in the Vietnamese gaming scene, there is a full story of difficulties and sadness behind it.
Ha Tieu Phu, whose full name is Ha Huynh Phu Huy, was born in 1997 in Soc Trang. He became acquainted with League of Legends in season 4 and developed a special attachment to the champion Olaf – the reckless warrior. As Ha shared: “When I was young, I really loved the TV series ‘Viking Legends’ and was obsessed with the heroic image of Viking warriors. Olaf was also the first champion I chose when playing League of Legends.”
At that time, League of Legends was booming with a large number of players, opening up new career opportunities like pro-gamer, streamer,… With good gaming skills, Ha Tieu Phu quickly gained attention with the champion Olaf, and he began to entertain the idea of living and working with his passion.
Moving to Ho Chi Minh City to find a part-time job while streaming to nurture his passion, Ha Tieu Phu recalls: “In the morning, I worked as a waiter at a cafe, and in the evening, I went to an internet cafe to stream. At that time, my monthly salary was just enough to pay for rent; I had to eat charity meals, and luckily, the owner of the internet cafe sponsored my stream. The cheap rental house was next to the river, and every time the water rose, it flooded into the house. Fortunately, the bed was high, but I had to wait for the water to recede before I could go outside.”
Despite these hardships, Ha Tieu Phu managed to endure, but the biggest challenge he had to overcome, which almost prevented us from seeing a successful Boy 1 Champ Olaf today, surprisingly came from his father.
Ha Tieu Phu’s father belongs to an older generation that has experienced a time when society viewed gaming negatively, considering it only for those who indulge in vice, with no future and temporary. Therefore, for him, any profession related to this type of entertainment was considered temporary, harmful, and unacceptable.
With Ha Tieu Phu’s strong-willed and somewhat crazy personality, he matched well with the champion Olaf and made bold decisions. Faced with family opposition, especially from his father, Ha Tieu Phu decisively cut off contact with his family, hid his living situation from everyone, and was determined to pursue his passion to the end.
After six months of struggling in the glamorous Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Tieu Phu unexpectedly met his father during a business trip. Upon seeing his long-lost son, Ha Tieu Phu’s father rushed to slap him right in the street.
“After that, my dad forced me to go home, and I cried the entire 200-kilometer journey, neither of us spoke a word. At that time, I was both sad and worried, thinking my life was over, maybe later there would be no Ha Tieu Phu but a Ha Mechanic or Ha Laborer…” – Ha Tieu Phu recalls.
Once home, his father scolded him fiercely, even directly calling the military to request a spot for him to enlist the next day. Fortunately, just when Ha Tieu Phu thought his passion was coming to an end, a savior appeared: his aunt, his father’s sister, who had just returned from the US to visit.
Having lived abroad and seen the positive side of gaming and streaming, Ha Tieu Phu’s aunt worked hard to persuade his father and explain to everyone that the job he pursued was a legitimate, decent, and promising career. Even Ha Tieu Phu himself was astonished and overjoyed to find someone in his family who supported him.
However, it seemed that “like father, like son”; Ha Tieu Phu’s father was also somewhat conservative and… stubborn. He remained adamant that his views were correct and that Ha Tieu Phu’s future would lead nowhere if he pursued a career as a streamer.
Even the neighbors added pressure to Ha Tieu Phu and his father with gossip, claiming that his work was linked to vices like drugs and hired killings. Ha Tieu Phu, with the mindset of a new generation, ignored it, but his father did not: “I’m your father, Huy; your life is as good as over; from now on, do as you wish; I won’t recognize you as my son; I don’t have a wayward son like you.” – Ha Tieu Phu recalls with tears in his eyes, every word deeply etched in his mind even now.
Out of love for her nephew, Ha Tieu Phu’s aunt secretly gave him a few hundred to return to Ho Chi Minh City to continue pursuing his passion. Inheriting the stubborn character from his father, Ha Tieu Phu decisively left home for the second time to fully embrace what he loved. Surprisingly, this time, he quickly found a new place to stay that was both affordable and fully equipped.
With peace of mind to pursue his passion, and with his humorous personality, friendly communication skills, and impressive gaming skills, Ha Tieu Phu soon received an offer to become an official streamer from Box Studio – one of the prominent creator management and training companies in the country. From here, his life turned a new page, with a stable job that could cover his living expenses and allow him to send some money back to his family, but as he said, he still feared his father, so he only dared to send it through his aunt without sending it publicly and directly.
Until the recent Tet holiday, Ha Tieu Phu learned that the reason he quickly found a new place to live was that his mother had rented it for him. Knowing that her stubborn son was just like her husband and was very serious about being a streamer, Ha Tieu Phu’s mother had made arrangements with his aunt to help him out, and all the money Ha Tieu Phu sent back to the family was deposited into a bank account in his name.
“My mother hid this from my father; even now, after nearly two years, my father and I haven’t spoken to each other a word. My mother revealed to me that my father had actually forgiven me a long time ago; it’s just that both of us are stubborn and proud, so neither has taken the initiative to reconcile first.” – Ha Tieu Phu said cheerfully.
It is known that not only has Ha Tieu Phu’s father forgiven his son for a long time, but he has also secretly subscribed to his son’s YouTube channel and occasionally watches his livestreams to support him, liking all posts on his fan page and following every detail of Ha Tieu Phu’s Vlogs.
He shared: “I have always understood that my father’s anger is out of love for me; he wants me to follow a peaceful path, even if it doesn’t bring much money but is safe. He worries that I will end up like him, struggling for a lifetime before achieving stability. But I want to live the life I choose; that trait of mine shows in both the game and real life. I may be a bit crazy, but everything I do, I want to have my own color, not blend in with anyone else.”
When asked if he would take the initiative to reconcile with his father, Ha Tieu Phu nodded with a smile, his eyes shining, revealing that he would bring his father a big surprise as an apology in the not-too-distant future. At the same time, he also sent a message to his father: “I know you will definitely read this. I know you want the best for me. I know I have caused you a lot of trouble, but dad, I want my life to be my own. I realize that if I stay in my parents’ embrace, I will never see the meaning of my own life. I’m very sorry for making you worry. I will do my best to make you and mom proud of me.”
Hopefully, in the near future, Ha Tieu Phu and his father will reconcile. Thanks to his story, society will have a more positive view of this profession.