How to Get Into eSports? Getting a Career as Professional Gamer?

Being a professional gamer is a dream for many especially those who’ve always loved playing video games, but is it hard to pursue this career?

We’ll share tips on what it takes to be a pro gamer. Everyone has an opportunity to land a job in eSports. As long as you have the passion, that’s enough to qualify for this job. eSports isn’t different from regular sports in the sense that you must take it seriously to succeed. Most of your time should be spent on practice and improving skills.

Basically, there’s no day that goes by without playing games as it affects your level of mastery.

How many games should you play?

Just focus on one like many other gamers do. Remember that every game has its own championships, so it’s not like you will run out of those.

If you want to know how to get into eSports, the following tips might help you achieve the goal.

Easy Ways to Get Into eSports in 2021

1. Improve your skills

eSports tournaments are a platform for you to meet the best talents from around the world. If you don’t be great at what you’re doing, you can struggle to beat them. The average pro gamer practices several hours a week. As for the game, pick any title that sparks your interest.

As we know, eSports games span across many genres. They all have different mechanics and play styles. If you don’t choose a game you’re genuinely interested in, you may lack the willpower to practice and improve your skills.

For some people gaming is a hobby, but even so, many gamers don’t share the same interest. Some prefer MOBA games, while others like first-person shooters more.

2. Find an eSports team

Another step that will take you closer to an eSports tournament is a team. There are many benefits of joining a team. First, it can help you progress naturally.

Even if you dedicate a lot of your time playing, there may be hidden tricks you’d never discover until someone tells you about them. That’s when a team becomes necessary. An established team has a lot of experts who are ready to share their knowledge with you about the game you’re focusing on.

Should you join a famous team like Team Liquid or Cloud9?

Well, the problem with a large team is it imposes stricter requirements. It’s not to say that you shouldn’t try because if you have the capability then you should. We just want to point out that a lesser-known team isn’t bad either. It still has pro gamers that can help you improve performance.

Joining a pro team does seem intimidating for some reason. You have to compete with major talents which can easily reveal your stats. Failure in joining a team could be depressing because you’d think that you’re not good enough to be part of it.

Well, that’s the purpose of practice. Practice makes perfect and remember that every pro gamer starts as an amateur. As long as you have the determination, you’ll make it eventually.

How to join

There are a few scenarios of how you can end up in a team. First, you can use an online platform that brings teams and players together. And then, you can also take the initiative to look for a team. If you are still building a name for yourself, it’s understandable that teams won’t notice you.

It would be a different story if you’ve won tournaments. In this case, you are likely to be approached by teams, not the other way around. The thing is to come to that point isn’t easy. You have to show your skills by participating in eSports leagues.

Let them know your game choice

As said earlier, deciding on a game to play is important since tournaments are held for specific games. Nearly all popular eSports games have their own tournaments.

Go with a game you’re excited about. We’re sure you have a game or a genre that you prefer to the others. It should better be your favorite instead of one that feels foreign to you.

There are many things to learn in a single game, so don’t lose your focus by playing multiple games. Just stick with one, so you can devote your energy to it.

Show your stats

In-game performance influences how a team sees you as a potential recruit. This is by far the most important thing in joining an eSports team. What refers to performance is your stats, which include wins/losses, kills/assists/deaths, the number of matches you’ve played, and all other accolades.

Your ranking is another key factor, like how you perform on a weekly basis. If you show consistent growth, then the team would perceive it as a good thing.

In other words, the amount of time spent on practice hasn’t gone to waste. Every team is different in how much information collected from the applicant, so you should contact them directly to find out.

Disclose your social following

Another thing that may boost the team’s confidence in you is the social reach you can provide. Many pro gamers have a huge following, but that’s because they’ve been in the public eye for a very long time.

They’ve also built their reputation by taking part in international championships. It’s free to create an account on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but to get millions of followers is not. It takes months or even years to get there and you can’t do it by taking no action.

Promote and build your social presence through livestreaming among other things. By the way, online presence is one thing, skills still matter more in the end. Hence, as you grow your following, you should also keep on practicing.

3. Use the best devices

Some peripherals are designed specifically for gaming. To boost your competitive edge, we suggest you use only the best devices. For example, instead of buying a traditional mouse, buy one optimized for gaming. For those unaware, gaming mice have a few distinct traits. They are typically more lightweight than the average mouse. They also sport ergonomic designs, which come in handy for prolonged use.

When a mouse follows the contours of your hand and provides necessary support to the wrist, you won’t suffer hand fatigue while gaming.

What about macro buttons?

Many tournaments ban the use of additional buttons that give you the upper hand over other players. Yes, these buttons are helpful, but you need to keep them for recreational use only, not at tournaments. The most important aspect of a mouse is the weight.

A light mouse allows for quick movement and it also puts less strain on the hand. This rule should apply to just about any peripheral you obtain for practice, including the keyboard, headphones, monitor, PC, etc. Go for high-end products if you can afford them.

4. Attend a tournament

Getting close to industry professionals opens the door for more opportunities in the future. Although this wouldn’t suddenly land you a job in eSports, you can at least meet people who have been in the business for long. Besides, a tournament is a place where eSports enthusiasts come together.

Use this opportunity to get to know these awesome people. Some of them are trying to put their name out there, too.

What if there no event held nearby?

If you have difficulty finding tournaments in your area, consider attending one that take places far from where you live even if that requires you to pay for a ticket. It’s an investment after all. There’s no need to visit every championship.

Just be at one devoted to the game you’re playing. And don’t forget to create business cards if you haven’t already because you may need to hand out some to people you meet there.

FAQs – Ways to Join Esports in 2021

Is eSports a good career?

eSports isn’t going anywhere at least not in the near future. As long as people love playing video games, this competitive gaming will always exist. The steady increase in popularity of eSports events shows that people like to see their favorite teams perform, so don’t be surprised if many see it as a viable career.

Do you spend much time playing games?

If so, you can try pursue it as a career. Get yourself in training, be a pro gamer, and then participate in championships.

How much money do you need to start an eSports team?

It depends on the size of the team. The more members you want in a team, the higher the operational costs would be.

As for the estimate, you may need to allocate a few thousand dollars a month to manage it. The money will be spent on salary and other expenses.

How much do eSports players make?

There are a few ways to money from as a pro gamer. First, if you join a team especially a large one, you’ll be provided with a monthly salary of over $1,000. It could be way higher than this figure depending on your skills and team you work for.

Another source of income for a pro gamer is prize money. Some of the top earners make millions in prize money. While these look enticing, only the best ones can get that, so do your best.

How much sleep do pro gamers get?

Many professional gamers practice for over 10 hours daily. This routine can burn you out fast especially if you don’t balance it out with rest. Even regular breaks like leaving the chair and doing some stretching will make a difference.

For one reason or another, many pro gamers only sleep 4 hours a night, which is too little to stay fit and healthy. If you can get more, you should do it. Rest is important to replenish energy spent during practice.

What is Faker salary?

It’s hard to make a guess on Faker’s salary because he hasn’t made it public. But from eSports events, he has earned a total of $1,255,465.80 in price money.

That’s enough to add him to the list of top earners across eSports. And he has other sources of income, like sponsorship and streaming platform.

What is FaZe Clan worth?

It’s estimated to be worth around $6.2 million. FaZe Clan is one of the biggest eSports organizations. It started as a gaming clan with several members in it, namely Resistance, Clipz, and Housecat. 2016 marked a new era for them after they bought a CS:GO team. It has ventured into eSports ever since.

To this day, FaZe Clan remains one of the most recognizable names in the industry with a huge following. On social media, the members collectively have over 82 million subscribers. Their popularity also spreads across platforms, including Youtube, Twitter, and Twitch.

Who is the richest gamer?

If we talk about competitive gaming, then the title belongs to Johan Sundstein. He plays under the alias of n0tail, has accumulated $6,915,222.80 in prize money since he started his professional career. But winning competition isn’t the only way to make money.

Advertisement deals and streaming can also be reliable sources of income. This is what Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has done to earn his $17 million. Much of the success is due to him being a successful streamer on Twitch.

Final Thoughts

Just as how eSports has turned into a lucrative business, your chance at getting a job is also wide open. Even if tournaments are dedicated to one game, you won’t run out of events because there are many of them held annually. The future of eSports looks bright now that people take it more seriously than ever before.

While it’s relatively new compared to traditional sports, it has seen a huge surge in popularity in the last decade. What started as an underground culture has now become an established market with revenues totaling hundreds of millions each year. It’s exploding and many people want to take their part in it.

Investors are also flocking to eSports events. They are committed to helping the industry grow even more. If you want to be one of those winning the prize pools, be a professional gamer. We’ve given tips on how to get into eSports. Just scroll back up if you want to read them again.

Lastly, don’t be discouraged if you fail to join a team after putting in a lot of effort because everything takes time and patience.

How to Get Into eSports? Getting a Career as Professional Gamer?