After He Died at 25, His Parents Took Comfort in His Secret Life

When Mats Steen passed away at 25, his parents were heartbroken- not just by the loss of their son at such a young age, but also by what they believed was his lonely, isolated life.

Steen had been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as a toddler, a genetic disorder that causes muscle deterioration, eventually robbing him of the ability to walk, eat on his own, or even cough. By the time he died in 2014, most of his time was spent playing World of Warcraft, an online game set in a fantasy world.

Steen also kept a blog, and when his parents posted news of his death, they were surprised to learn how vibrant and connected his life had actually been. His online life was far more extraordinary and filled with community than they had realised.

The family learned how their son had found friendships and even romance among the game community.

As Redmoore, Mats had been a wonderful player of World of Warcraft. Redmoore was heroic nobleman and monster slayer with Mats controlling his every move, all while sitting alone in an apartment upstairs from his parents in Oslo.

Redmoore, had build up an extensive network of friends over the years and had become known for his kindness and empathy.

Like many parents, Mats parents also discouraged him from spending too much time online and suggested him to try to form connections in the real world.

Robert his father said, “We thought he lived , for many reasons, a wasted life. And then we get these stories sharing just the opposite. The sad thing is that we were very strong on condemning the time they were spending in that world, and that the condemnation was based on five minute analysis.”

He added, “We did all the right things, and we were so present in our children’s lives, with one exception – and that is the digital part of their lives.”

The incredible life led by Mats has been explored in a new Netflix documentary, The remarkable life of Ibelin, due out on Friday.

The documentary sees a world where online gaming can be a place of opportunity for disabled players. Using the World of Warcraft archive within which thousands of words of interactions between Mats and his friends were recorded, the film recreates his digital life, using animation in the style of the game and voice actors speaking his words out loud.