Rocket League star Zen listed in Forbes 30 Under 30
Rocket League wonderkid Alexis "Zen" Bernier has been named amongst Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Europe, Sports and Games, alongside world-renowned athletes like Jude Bellingham, Luke Littler, and Lando Norris.
The Forbes 30 Under 30 list earmarks the next generation of talented individuals in their respective industries, with the Sports and Games category highlighting extraordinary athletes, developers, and businesspersons.
But among 11 athletes, nine sets of entrepreneurs, five game developers, four sports business professionals, a single esports player has made the list in 2024: Zen.
Zen listed as the only esports athlete in Forbes 30 Under 30
Click to enlargeAfter finally making his breakout in 2023, Zen has become a sensation in Rocket League and the wider esports industry, as the then-16-year-old star became the fastest player in RL history to win a Major, topping off a perfect split (Three Regionals and an International LAN) in just one month and 18 days after making his debut.
He soon went on to win the World Championship and then set the record for the highest-ever skill rating in Rocket League history.
Now, he's been listed in Forbes 30 Under 30, as the third-youngest person throughout all eight categories, only ahead of professional Darts superstar Luke Littler and Actress Alisha Weir (roles in Matilda: The Musical and Abigail).
Zen also amassed a whopping following on social media, accumulating 430,000 followers on TikTok and 137,000 YouTube subscribers.
Forbes names gaming businesspersons in 30 Under 30 list
Click to enlargeForbes does have a history of naming gaming personnel in their gaming category, having recently famed CS:GO and VALORANT streamer Tarik "Tarik" Çelik in the North American category in 2024, while people like Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag and Rachel "Valkyrae" Hofstetter have been named in years gone by.
For Europe, this year, the other gaming people honoured were Vijay Gill (Warner Bros. Games Producer), Giovanni Laerte Frongia (Aimlabs VP), Lucas Hauchard (Co-Creator of Gentlemates and YouTuber), Dana Sydorenko (Founder of LGBTQ+ app GameTree), and Stoyan Stoyanov (Game Director working on Cyberpunk 2077).
Zen's 2024 hasn't reached the same level as his breakout season just yet, but having matured into his roles for Team Vitality and continued growing his online presence, the wonderkid has one of the brightest futures in the industry.
