Becoming a professional esports player is not an easy task, but it can be achieved. We recommend the following steps to help you on your esports journey:
Choose a game to master
The first step towards becoming a pro esports player is to choose a game that you are passionate about and that has an active esports scene. Some of the popular esports games include League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Fortnite and Rocket League. If you have a game in mind and you are serious about it, it’s best to focus your time into that game and try not to get distracted by other games. It’s also best to play a game you love and not force yourself to become good at a game you don’t enjoy.
Practice
To become a pro player, you need to put in a lot of practice. This means playing the game consistently and dedicating time to improving your skills. You need to identify your mistakes in training and learn from them. Improvement will come slowly through playing matches over and over again, however there may be more efficient ways to improve. With Rocket League in mind as an example, players can use training packs to improve or focus on individual mechanical skills in free play. Another good way to improve is to play in scrims, which simulate tournament environments better than playing online ranked.
Join a team
Joining a team is essential to making it in the esports world. You can either create your team with friends or join an existing team. Being part of a team allows you to train with other players, compete in tournaments, and learn from experienced coaches. Plus, a lot of competitive esports titles are team-based games, so the quicker you learn to play in a team (even if you end up swapping around), the better you learn to communicate and be a team player.
Participate in tournaments
Participating in tournaments is a great way to gain experience and exposure. Start with smaller, local tournaments and work your way up to bigger, international events. As mentioned, scrims and tournaments can be a completely different experiences to ranked or online matches, so the more experience you are able to attain in this environment, the more prepared you will be when you do make it to the big events.
Build a brand
Although not necessary, building a brand can be important in esports as it helps to attract sponsors and fans. Create a social media presence, stream your gameplay, and engage with your fans to build a loyal following. Be wary though that this can take away from your training time and livestreaming can be distracting, so make sure you are balancing this if this is something you wish to do.
Network
Networking is essential in the esports industry. Attend events, meet other players, coaches, and industry professionals, and make connections. This may not mean in person events, but immersing yourself in the community can be important in making your way into esports as a profession.
Stay disciplined
Professional esports players need to stay disciplined and focused. This means maintaining a healthy lifestyle, following a strict training regimen, and staying up to date with the latest strategies and trends in the game. You should also be disciplined outside of the game and make sure you’re getting enough sleep, food, exercise, and water to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The better functioning you are, the better you will be able to play.
Keep improving
Finally, never stop improving. Esports is a constantly evolving industry, and you need to keep up with the latest updates, patches, and strategies to remain competitive. Like any physical sport, new manoeuvres or mechanics will come to the surface and it’s important that you’re able to take these on and adapt as a player as other competitive players come into the scene to challenge you.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced gamer looking to build your career, we hope these tips help you on your road to becoming an esports pro!
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