The video game industry always needs positive stories, and the Norwegian documentary film ‘The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,’ currently available on Netflix, is undoubtedly one of them. This feature film, nominated for an Emmy in 2025 and already the winner of the audience award at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals, directed by Benjamin Ree, tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man who suffered from a degenerative disease and found in video games the universe he could not live in real life.
A virtual world where you can live life to the fullest
In this film, Steen shows us how the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, one of the most popular and successful titles in history, helped him cope with his reality, which is what makes this story so interesting and what we will explore in more depth later on.
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WOW was launched in 2004 and has since captivated millions of players around the world. This video game allows users to create a character, or “avatar,” and immerse themselves in a vast fantasy world full of adventures, missions, and challenges. In World of Warcraft, players can interact with other users, join guilds, participate in epic battles, and explore a constantly evolving universe. For many, World of Warcraft is not just a game but a space for escape and social connection.
Who was Ibelin?
Ibelin was the name of Mats Steen’s avatar character in World of Warcraft, where he spent most of his time. Through this character, Mats made dozens of friends, had countless adventures, and even found love, all without revealing his illness most of the time and without physically meeting any other players.
The documentary explores Mats’ life and, to do so, uses several masterfully applied narrative timelines as we first learn about his parents’ perspective, Mats Steen’s diary (narrated in a voice similar to his), the lives Steen connected through the game, and the relationships he had with some players, thanks to thousands of recorded conversations from the game, accompanied by animation that faithfully recreates the visual style of the game, combined with the voices of various actors who bring to life the testimonies of those who knew him in the virtual world. The film shows how, despite the physical limitations imposed by his illness, Mats found in Blizzard Entertainment’s title a space where he could be himself, live his dreams, and connect with others in a deep and meaningful way, giving meaning to his life.
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How is Mats’ story addressed?
The documentary tells Mats’ story with a unique sensitivity, avoiding victimization and choosing instead to celebrate Steen’s energy, intelligence, and talent. Through the testimonies of his parents, who, to their surprise, discovered the numerous and deep friendships their son forged online. What we liked most is that the film dispels the paradigm that video games are negative, showing the other side that could also be seen in the documentary Grand Theft Hamlet.
This narrative is a testament to the kind of relationships we can often build through online gaming, especially human connections. In fact, it reminded me of a similar experience I had with a group of friends in Final Fantasy XIV, making it clear that not all online gaming communities are toxic, as is often believed. The film is more than just a tribute to the human spirit’s ability to find joy and purpose, no matter the circumstances one finds oneself in.
‘The Remarkable Life of Ibelin’ represents a kind of digital paradise or refuge where countless people go to play, socialize, and find companionship, something that not only applies to WOW but is often the reality of many online games, as they tend to be places where the physical limitations or stereotypes of the player do not exist, offering a sanctuary for those who may not feel comfortable with real-world social interactions. In this virtual world, Mats Steen found the freedom to live out his own dreams without having to leave home, demonstrating the profound impact that digital worlds can have on real life.
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Whether you’re a gamer or not, make time to watch this incredible documentary currently available on Netflix. You won’t regret it.
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