One-armed Marine veteran wins ‘Apex Legends’ match using his feet

By Gabe Gurwin February 11, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you thought it was difficult to win an Apex Legends match using a standard controller setup, imagine trying to do it with only one arm. That is exactly what one disabled Marine Corps veteran managed to do, and it brings a whole new meaning to going “toe-to-toe” with your competition.

Twitch user ToeYouUp is an avid competitive shooter fan who previously streamed games like Battlefield 1 using a unique strategy. Because of a motorcycle accident that left him with one arm, he holds a DualShock 4 controller in one hand while controlling certain actions with his toes.

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That sounds difficult enough in a slower shooter like Battlefield 1, but he uses the same technique in Apex Legends with impressive results. ToeYouUp’s technique involves switching between the left and right analog sticks on the controller while pulling the trigger with his toes, and if he weren’t visible in the gameplay footage, you wouldn’t even realize it.

In the above stream footage, you see he takes on an enemy with both teammates already incapacitated. He fires a few shots, taking down an opponent in the distance and successfully winning his first match. It was his second kill of the match and while that doesn’t sound like a huge number, you can often go an entire match without getting a kill in Apex Legends and still manage to win with your team.

ToeYouUp doesn’t just play a few matches whenever he streams using this technique; his full videos regularly clock in at around four hours. On a PlayStation 4, his options are limited for other controller inputs, unlike the Xbox One with its Adaptive Controller. However, it appears he’s doing just fine with the standard equipment included with the console.

There are many other disabled video game fans who haven’t let their conditions stop them from enjoying and competing in their favorite games. Mike “Brolylegs” Begum started out in video games by using his face and mouth to press the buttons on a Super Nintendo controller and now plays Street Fighter competitively. As game accessibility options continue to improve and expand, it appears more players will be able to enjoy playing video games more than ever before.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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