Not everyone believes that playing video games professionally has become a legitimate career path with plenty of options. It seems too cool to be true, right?
Not everything is as easy as it seems. Being a professional player requires a great deal of talent, skill, and commitment. Even if gaming is your main passion, it doesn’t mean that you are fit for this career. We will explore the nuts and bolts of becoming a pro esports player in our read below.
Choosing the Right Game
First things come first. Choosing your perfect game is crucial. When you are first starting out as a professional gamer, you should generally limit yourself to one game, platform, or genre.
Since there are so many different games and clubs to play, it would be hard to learn them all, so you need to narrow down your search. You are free to choose from a range of genres, but once again, choosing a narrow niche will help you succeed faster. Don’t forget to check if the game of your choice has a sizable player base on top of sponsors, loyal audience, including punters, and competitive leagues. By the way, to explore some betting opportunities in the realm of esports, click here.
You may have to start over if you select the wrong game, so exercise caution. Choosing well-known games like League of Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, Dota 2, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the safest option. A professional gamer should be able to identify which games best suit his style and take into account his strengths and weaknesses.
Developing Your Skills
Practice makes perfect. It may take a while to become an esports pro, but it is totally worth it. It’s best to keep playing as much as you can and boost your reaction and response skills. Also, join the community to introduce yourself to like-minded pals who can guide you on your path to becoming a professional gamer. The more interaction, the better. Don’t be shy about joining esports communities and sharing your experience with new and seasoned players.
Building Your Competitive Experience
It takes time to become proficient in your chosen game. And of course, lots of effort topped with enthusiasm and resilience. We will share some important tips on how to make your esports dream come true.
- Play in ranked matches and climb the ladder. To advance fast, you need to play as many ranked matches within your league as possible. This will help you get the grip of the game and feel more relaxed during matches (comes with time, of course).
- Join local and online tournaments. Being calm during the storm is a skill. The more you take part in tournaments, the more relaxed you feel. If you lose, it’s okay. Just go with the flow and boost your gaming skills.
- Understand team play and communication. Take your time to understand how interaction within a team works. It may take some ups and downs, though; but you will definitely make it.
Getting Noticed and Advancing
Of course, mastering your skills is just part of the deal. The other crucial thing is to get noticed in the community. This might take some time, but do not get discouraged.
For starters, join a local gaming community. It would be cool if you could do it in person (provided that there is a venue); however, online participation would also be okay.
Do not forget about your social media accounts: the more you vlog or stream, the better. With some true-to-life content, your social page will definitely skyrocket. Honestly, a lot of bloggers and esports pros post only about their success and breakthroughs. The point is that people love to see idols fail. So, being down to earth while sharing your life on social media is a good thing. This way, you will also get the attention of professional esports teams and sponsors.
Physical and Mental Preparation
Source: https://www.madmonq.gg/reaction-time/
If you decide to become an esports player, you need to understand that it’s a never-ending adventure. Though there are certain cool benefits to being a professional esports player, it can drain you. So, it’s important to take care of your physical and mental well-being, taking into account that our reaction and response time slows down with age.
Top esports pros have constant access to therapists, nutrition experts, coaches, and other support professionals — these are hazards of the trade. Not all of these guys are physically fit, but they are mentally resilient enough to handle the stress of their craft.
Personal life is another concern for many professional esports players. Some of them get so immersed in gaming that they fail to keep up the work-life balance. These issues can be fine-tuned with a therapist or a coach.
Turning Pro and Career Opportunities
There are several logical steps on how to climb the career ladder (no pun intended). We will review them below.
Joining a Professional Team or Organization
If you are good enough and feel ready for the next step, google for professional teams and bodies related to the game of your choice. Then, you can contact them via social media accounts to check for available openings and terms and conditions. Of course, requirements apply. If you lack some of the skills needed for the job, do not feel discouraged. Practice makes perfect!
Contracts, Sponsorships, and Financial Aspects
Once you are an influencer in the sphere, you will most likely see sponsors and businesses flood your direct messages. Being an ambassador of a cool brand is a great and relatively easy way to make money. However, to get such an offer, you need to be a professional and well-known player with a strong online presence.
Exploring Other Roles in Esports
Since esports is a huge industry at the moment, there are a lot of roles you can choose apart from being a professional player.
There are hosts who comment on the matches and take part in pre- and post-game discussions. Analysts collect data and turn it into insightful statistics valuable for teams, broadcasters, and game providers. Coaches work with players and make sure all of them are on the same page regarding game strategies. All teams have content creators who write posts, edit videos, and sometimes handle SMM tasks.
Conclusion
Playing esports can be a great and fulfilling career experience. In addition to earning a living by playing games you enjoy, you have the opportunity to travel the world and meet people you can be friends with for all your life. Maybe it is a perfect career choice for you. Do not feel lost if you are not as good as you want to be: every top player started from scratch.
