Video games.They found love on "World of Warcraft"

This is our Christmas tale to us.Because if this December 25, you were tempted to watch one of these syrupy German TV movies, full of love under the snow, gifts under the tree and engagement rings, - like the snow fiancée, of hope forChristmas or the Christmas guest (yes, they all exist) -know that on the spot!A better in stock.

We exaggerate a little, because the beautiful story between Bérangère and Arnaud has been going on for over 15 years and that it would be really dishonest to reduce it to a scenario of Christmas sauce-in this one Julie and Rob claim to be in a relationship forbe left quiet by their respective families.But quickly, their difference in religion complicates things - ok, sorry, I stop!

100 million players and a meeting

For those of you who do not know World of Warcraft (abbreviated in WOW), it is a massively multiplayer online role -playing game, abbreviated MMORPG (and not a "Meporg", for those who rememberof this mythical sequence on France 2).The title has been proposing since 2005 to embody one of the races of the Warcraft universe (human, elves, dwarf, gnome, tauren, pandaren etc.), to choose a camp - the horde or the alliance - and to play in groups with other people from around the world.Fight monsters to rise level, organize shipments with several in dungeons or against the enemy: at its peak, the game brings together nearly 100 million players on 244 different territories.The story of Bérangère and Arnaud is also the story of an era (and which ends better than that of Ted Mosby).

In short, among these 100 million players, there are Bérangère and Arnaud.They both play for the alliance.She is mage, he paladin."But a somewhat special paladin," she explains, "he didn't wear heavy armor, so he was praising on objects that could interest me".A detail that will not remain a.But let's be patient.If you do not know what a paladin is, remember this fabulous claim carried by Alexandre Astier Himself:

For the moment, these two are playing together without really speaking the floor.Everyone is part of a different guild (a gathering of players under the same banner), which is grouped to form raids to 40 players who go on the storm of dungeons to defeat enemies and raise a rarer loot.Suffice to say that it is not easy to talk to each other, but "we found ourselves like that regularly, several times a week, for several hours" adds Bérangère.A hard core of players then forms, those who remain well after the end of the dungeon to continue to discuss.

The voice - and the sword - of discord

To communicate, they use Teamspeak software, which allows you to use your microphone to discuss."Officially, there were three rallies per week," says the couple, "but when a game session ended around midnight, some remained.We continued to play together, fill out quests or simply discuss ”.And as much to say that the charm did not operate by the ears for Bérangère: "Her voice did not like it at all.When he spoke, he knew me!"She laughs today.

Happened what was to happen: a headache."We really started to talk to each other after an argument around a loot on the Molten Core raid".A loot is an object released by a monster.And Molten Core, an area where only players who have reached level 60, and more, can regroup to defeat Ragnaros the Lord of the late.Suffice to say: the more monumental the enemies, the more the rewards are.

To share these lots, there is a system of points established by guild leaders, the DKP (for Dragon Kill Point)."The more we participate in raids and the more we store DKP points" decrypts Arnaud, "and the objects are more or less expensive in DKP according to their rarity".

And this is where both are eyeing the same sword."When this sword fell we fought and Arnaud made a carpet with his points.At the time I really wanted him!"Remember Bérangère.

40 km apart

In reality, nothing brings them closer, with the exception of a common friend on the game."This friend decided to leave our outings to play at night with Canadians.We knew that we would not see ourselves since we lived in full shift ": a situation that depresses Berangère.Arnaud notices it and will take news from Berangère more often."We started to discuss.A few minutes, a few hours and then all night, ”they say.The paladin also sends virtual gifts via the mailboxes of the game, small winks to make it smile in this complicated moment.

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"We were not at all in a research of Relati on Amoureux" points Bérangère, "as soon as we said that we were a girl, we received dredge messages.I would refer direct, especially since I was already in a relationship ".There is then only within her guild and during the raids that she opens the microphone and that she is revealed.

Good news for Arnaud: he is not one of the "big heavy" of World of Warcraft.Over the course of the discussions and the months, the fateful question comes, that of being "in real".Luckily, they both live in the Paris region.Him in Val-de-Marne, she in the Yvelines: 40 km apart.

Meet otherwise?" Impossible "

Could have met differently?Bérangère and Arnaud respond in the negative.Even by crossing yourself by chance?"40 km apart in Ile-de-France it's huge.Three hours on public transportation between buses, trains, RERs ... And then with population density, to cross otherwise than by video game, it would not have been possible, "notes Arnaud.Their respective daily newspapers could not bring them together: he, a computer student, hesitates between a resumption of study or working life.She works in a supermarket to pay for her studies, and has just passed her license, "conditions that could not have favored a meeting outside," concludes Arnaud.

So for the first meeting, they choose a place halfway: Paris and the Montparnasse district."A public place of course," says Bérangère, "The friends were aware", "it's true that I could have been a serial killer", adds his spouse by laughing.

"We were not predestined to play this game either".Bérangère discovers it a little before it out.She was then a student in a nurse school and meets Céline, a friend."We got to know another joint boyfriend who had keys to testing the beta, the Grail at the time!"She does not yet know what an MMORPG is, nor what the Warcraft universe is," but curiosity won and it was gone!»».

The diagram is similar for Arnaud.He is not at all fond of this kind of game.It is a friend who tells him about it and makes him try: "I was caught up in the game.I set up the levels to the maximum and this is where we could cross with Bérangère ".

A second online family

Flirts, couples, there were thanks to World of Warcraft, "but I believe that, of those we knew, we are the only ones to be always together" notes Bérangère, "because WOW, C 'was also a lot of meetings during the IRL ”.

The "IRLs" for in real life, these are meetings organized "in real life" to get to know his game partners, who often become friends.Bérangère and Arnaud are still in contact with part of them.

"It was a great period" says the couple, "when we play five to six times a week with the same people, they become like a second family".And when you love your family, you tend to visit him: for the New Year, in Marseille, meetings in Brittany, Switzerland or even Disneyland.

Parents of another generation

On the side of their "first" family, this meeting did not shock anyone."Knowing that I left my boyfriend at the time, with whom I had been for five years, for Arnaud.So at first, I just didn't talk about it!»».And then a piece of a month, after Arnaud did three hours by train to find her, he finds himself drinking the coffee with her future mother-in-law.For Bérangère her mother "had understood that he was going on something but she never asked me anything.Neither if it was serious, nor how it had happened ".

Arnaud continues: "Our parents are of another generation.A generation that has known neither social networks nor the internet.Our mothers are 73 years old!For them it is totally abstract to be able to meet online, even more on a game!»».

Their story has, whatever it is, shocked no one."At the time," says Bérangère, "my family was a bit mocking.They didn't understand the time I spent on WoW ... and it made them laugh when I told my dragons stories ”.

New priorities

As a result, the "Dragons stories" gave rise to a great story, eight years of marriage and two children aged 10 and 6.The game ?They stopped at the birth of their elder, "there were other priorities"."We tried to get back there at each outing of extension, but we are caught up by the daily" concedes Arnaud, "and then the game evolves in a direction which we do not necessarily like".

Nostalgic raids at 40, they tried the World of Warcraft version: Classic, released in 2019, but are also disappointed with facilities established by the game: "We liked a little, even at the beginning.Take the time to browse the card ».

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Today, they are still playing video games, but less time -consuming titles."There is family life, professional life too!"We only have as much time when we were students "?finish Bérangère.A period that they will never forget: "We have experienced great moments with all these people thanks to Wow.We made no bad encounters ”.