Unlike traditional sports, where everyone is a player, being an esports professional requires many more skills. The esports industry includes positions like shoutcasters, coaches, and even event coordinators.
Those who want to become pro gamers must find a game that marries their talents with a genre they enjoy. Some gamers hop between titles, while others like Red Bull Kumite 2023 winner Big Bird stay focused on a single character.
1. Develop Your Skills
Gaming is a dream job for many people: you get paid to play games, hang out on Twitch and always have the latest equipment shipped in. Getting to the top requires talent, hard work and a lot of luck, but becoming a pro gamer is not as easy as Jerry Maguire. It takes countless hours of practicing, analyzing your play, learning from the best and overcoming adversity to become an elite player. Here are a few tips to help you get there.
First things first, be sure you have a good computer to run your games. It doesn’t have to be top of the line, but having a processor that can run the games at high settings and have a decent graphics card can go a long way towards your gaming success. You will also want to consider getting a good set of headphones and a comfortable mouse and keyboard.
Next, decide which game(s) you will focus on. Some eSports players have such exceptional natural talent that they can be successful in multiple games (like Fatal1ty or Gamsu), but the majority of them have to stick with one game in order to really succeed. Start small and participate in local or online tournaments, where you can test your skills against the competition. Record your matches and analyze your wins and losses to find what areas you need to work on.
Practice as often as possible, but don’t burn yourself out. It’s important to take breaks from playing, and even from gaming as a whole, so you can relax and recharge. Taking part in tournaments is also a great way to make connections within the community and may open the doors to sponsorships or professional team memberships.
The final thing to remember is to treat gaming like a full-time job. Don’t forget to set aside time each day to practice, review your play and learn from the best. And don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and advice from other gamers, either in person or online. Becoming a pro gamer isn’t impossible, but it will definitely test you in ways you never imagined.
2. Become a Team Player
A successful career in esports requires teamwork, dedication and strategic planning. Whether you want to be a player, coach, manager or content creator, working in esports can be an exciting and challenging path to take. But to succeed, you must have the right mindset and be willing to learn from the best.
Esports is a form of competitive gaming that involves teams or individuals competing in video games for large prize pools in front of audiences live or online through streaming platforms. Players can compete in a wide range of genres, including multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), first-person shooters, real-time strategy games and sports simulations.
To become a professional esports player, you must master the game mechanics at the highest level. This includes regular practice, studying the pros, and developing a plan for improving your gameplay. Additionally, you must invest in high-performance equipment like a low-latency computer, a comfortable gaming chair and a responsive mouse.
Once you have mastered the basics, your next step is to find a team or organisation that can support you in the development of your skills. You can start small by joining amateur tournaments in your local area and gradually work your way up to more competitive events.
As you become a higher-ranked player, you will likely attract the attention of teams and sponsors. This may lead to invitations to eSports tryouts or trials where you will have the opportunity to showcase your skills to prospective employers.
Many professional esports players supplement their income with brand deals, merchandising and sponsorships. However, it is important to remember that you will still not make a huge amount of money unless you are at the very top of your game.
If you are not prepared to put in the long hours and hard work needed to get to this stage, then perhaps a career in eSports isn’t for you. It is a tough slog to make it to the top and a very short lifespan once you’re there. The best players are earning millions each year, but the average player earns just over £21,000 a year.
3. Find a Sponsor
If you’re looking to make a career out of video gaming, a gaming sponsorship is the best way to monetize your content. This is how you’ll earn the money you need to keep growing your channel and competing at e-sports tournaments. This is why so many gamers, streamers and e-sports competitors are now considering sponsorship to help them on their journey to becoming professional gamers.
Pro gaming is big business. The top players can earn millions each year from tournament winnings, team sponsorships and merchandising deals. But it’s a tough road to get to that point. It’s not uncommon for gamers to spend their entire childhoods playing games and only make it to professional status in their early thirties. This means they’re still juggling multiple commitments, from chasing the next tournament pay cheque to maintaining loyal Twitch subscribers and staying one step ahead of the competition.
For this reason, it’s not uncommon for e-sports athletes to supplement their income with additional brand sponsorships and merchandising deals. Many streamers also have YouTube channels that act as a secondary source of income from sponsored ads and subscriptions. But it’s not easy to break into the industry – you’ll need to be incredibly talented and dedicated to your craft to stand out.
Esports sponsorship opportunities are growing faster than ever, and the industry’s high level of engagement makes it a great fit for brands that want to reach a large, highly-engaged audience. But it’s important to remember that e-sports audiences aren’t looking for generic logo plastering or cookie cutter campaigns. They’re looking for authenticity, connection and storytelling. And that’s where the opportunity lies for forward-thinking brands to build real value.
Using advanced data-driven analytics, modern marketers are able to measure brand lift beyond simple exposure metrics. This allows them to understand not just how often a sponsor is seen, but how it’s perceived by the gaming community. The result is that authentic sponsorships with genuine activation perform four times better than purely visibility-focused campaigns.
4. Get a Job
When you’ve got a clear vision of what kind of role in the industry you want to go for, you can start looking for work. Becoming a pro gamer in the pure sense of the word isn’t an easy thing to do, and it involves a lot of hard work, dedication and talent – but it can be done.
If you’re not quite ready to commit to becoming a professional gamer, there are plenty of other ways to get involved in the esports world. For example, you could become an event organiser or an event manager. These types of roles can be extremely rewarding and exciting, especially if you can pull off some big events.
Another option is to become a journalist. This can be an incredibly rewarding career path, and it’s also very flexible. You can choose to write for a print publication, or you can even work as a video or photo journalist. The key to getting started in this role is finding volunteer opportunities or entry-level positions at esports events, and starting to build your portfolio from there.
You could also consider working as an esports coach or player manager. These types of jobs can be extremely lucrative, and they’re a great way to get your foot in the door of the gaming world. Just make sure you do your research and find a reputable coaching organisation before making the leap.
Finally, you could also try your hand at running an esports team yourself. This can be a really rewarding career, but it’s definitely not for everyone. You’ll need to invest a lot of time and energy into building your team, and you’ll also need to be prepared for some serious competition.
The esports industry is growing fast, and there are now a huge number of different job opportunities available. If you’re interested in learning more about the various job options within this sector, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to get a job in the video game and esports industry.