LoL Streamer Beats Blindness

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Streamer NoArmWhatley in League of Legends had a near-death experience when he fell from a three-story building and landed on his head. Remarkably, he managed to survive and retained nearly all cognitive functions following his recovery from a prolonged coma.

After waking up, he declared with enthusiasm that he was eagerly anticipating playing League of Legends once he’s discharged from the hospital, a sentiment that proved challenging. Due to an accident where he fell on his head, the streamer has been grappling with temporary blindness caused by blood accumulating in his eyes.

Streamer No Arm Whatley, who goes by LoL, fell out of a third-story window and astonishingly lived through critical injuries. Upon awakening from a coma, he expressed his excitement to get back to playing League of Legends, and humorously ranked his injuries on a tier list.

— TopMob (@TopMob) October 24, 2024

Despite having a scheduled surgery ahead, he hasn’t halted his passion for League. Initially finding it challenging due to his injuries, this dedicated Tahm Kench player has persisted and ascended on his chosen champion, managing to reach Master rank once more. This places him among the top 0.5% of European players, showcasing an impressive level of skill and determination.

His secret? Animation cancelling blindness. Somehow.

NoArmWhatley finds a way around his blindness to play LoL

During his initial live stream following the event, Whatley employed Microsoft Paint diagrams to illustrate his visual perspective after the incident. Although he’s made some improvement over the past few months, these drawings remain a realistic portrayal of the challenges he continues to face.

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The scroller’s upper display presents both eyes, one affected by Submacular Hemorrhaging in the left eye. This condition signifies a severe bleed so deep within the eyeball that it cannot drain naturally. Consequently, he has limited central vision and can only perceive objects to some extent in his peripheral field of view.

He’s experiencing thickened bleeding in his right eye, which, although not immediately harmful to his vision in the long run, is still concerning. This is because there’s bleeding occurring inside the eyeball itself, specifically in the vitreous humor, leading to blurry spots in his vision.

Whatley is progressing towards healing, yet his blindness persists. He’s described it as the most challenging aspect of his injury, expressing frustration by saying it’s “really tough.” The streamer also shared that when he falls asleep, blood accumulates at the back of his eyes, causing him to wake up completely blind. To regain some vision, he needs to get up and allow the blood to disperse to other areas.

So, how does he get around this issue? What he calls “animation-cancelling”.

Previously mentioned, but let me clarify: If I quickly close and immediately open my eyes while looking upward at the same instant, the blood in my eye momentarily shifts, offering me a temporary advantage in vision. This trick is particularly useful in group fights and one-on-one situations.

— No Arm Whatley (@WhatleyLeague) March 19, 2025

In response to someone questioning how he manages to excel at League of Legends given his near total blindness, he explained that he’s mastered the technique called “animation cancelling”.

In a quick blink and swift glance skyward, it feels like the blood in my eyes momentarily shifts, granting me a brief yet crisp vision. This comes in handy during intense team fights or one-on-one encounters, as I can see more clearly for a few precious seconds.

By 2025, Whatley intends to undergo eye surgery in order to possibly regain his sight and avoid the need for a strategy similar to a Mario 64 speedrun, which grants him brief moments of somewhat clear vision.

🎉 EXCITING NEWS 🎉

HELLO TO EVERYONE!
I’M THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I’LL BE ORGANIZING A ONE-OF-A-KIND ESPORTS EVENT!
It will feature 15 streamers, all geared up and ready in Bootcamp!

Mark your calendars for 12:00 GMT on the 20th 🫡

— Tubbo (@TubboLive) March 18, 2025

Currently, he has touched down in London for an event hosted by Minecraft Streamer Tubbo, where he’ll be competing against two other teams in diverse games. Even though he’s still on the road to recovery from his injuries, Whatley continues to push forward with unabated enthusiasm as a content creator.

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2025-03-21 18:53