A 20-year-old British digital designer has transformed his childhood gaming passion into a real-world political experiment by founding his own country. Daniel Jackson created the Free Republic of Verdis, a self-declared micronation located on disputed territory between Croatia and Serbia along the Danube River.
According to Dexerto, Jackson’s journey began when he was just 14 years old, inspired by his worldbuilding experiences in Roblox, the gaming platform that millions use daily despite occasional technical difficulties. What started as a creative exercise with friends gradually evolved into a serious political project. The territory Jackson claimed, known as “Pocket Three,” covers roughly 0.5 square kilometers of forest in a zone that neither Croatia nor Serbia officially claims.
