Cath Bowie, a 78-year-old grandmother from Scotland, has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest female Fortnite streamer. Known online as “grumpygran1948,” she plays and streams the popular battle royale game for up to six hours a day and has gathered more than 24,000 followers on Twitch.
A Gaming Journey That Started in 2017
Bowie's gaming journey began in 2017 when she watched her grandson playing Fortnite shortly after the launch of its Battle Royale mode. Instead of dismissing it as a “young person's game,” she decided to try it herself — and she has been hooked ever since. Nearly nine years later, she continues to play and stream the game daily.
“Nearly nine years later, I am still playing it, still absolutely loving it and although still growing older, I have never made my age a deterrent,” Bowie told Guinness World Records. “Although I have tried several other games, I have never found the excitement that I get from Fortnite. I call myself a 'Fortniter' more than a gamer.”
The Story Behind “grumpygran1948”
Her online alias, “grumpygran1948,” was suggested by her granddaughter as a joke. Bowie explained that the name does not reflect her personality, noting that everyone knows she does not grump. On her Twitch profile, she describes herself as “chatty, friendly, never toxic and a true bot.”
Her achievement is featured in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027, which also highlights other record-breaking gamers, including Max Baker, who became the youngest video game developer after creating his own game at just 10 years old.
Gaming for All Ages
Alice Bell, editor of the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027, emphasised that gaming is for everyone. “At Guinness World Records, we believe gaming is for everyone, and this Edition showcases gamers of different generations and cultures from around the world,” she said.
Bowie also shared a message for older people, encouraging them to try gaming and not let age stop them from exploring new interests. “The most important thing of all is that in all these years I have continued to enjoy every day, every week, every month and every year that I have played and streamed,” she said.
With her controller in hand and thousands of fans watching, Cath Bowie is demonstrating that age is no barrier to learning something new — and possibly even breaking a world record while doing it.
