Imagine playing that one online game you love all day, not only for fun but also as a full-time job! In 2019 alone, the top ten earning gamers made a whopping $121 million collectively.
As per recent statistics, professional gaming (also called Esports) was worth $1.08 billion in 2021. This was a 50% increase when compared to 2020.
While pro gaming can be a highly rewarding career, it needs a lot of commitment, hard work, and consistency. But one of the most valuable things is continuous learning. Stick around to learn a couple of tips on how to become a pro gamer.
But before we delve in, here’s a brief explanation of who a professional gamer is.
Who Is a Professional Gamer?
A professional video gamer is basically an individual who plays games competitively to win prizes.
They mainly participate in in-game tournaments, competing with other top-tier pro gamers for a huge cash prize.
Once established, advertisers may also pay a professional gamer to play their upcoming games and recommend them to their audiences. They may get paid to endorse other products such as energy drinks, headphones, computers, laptops, among other merchandise.
As you may have figured, being a professional gamer needs a lot of practice and dedication for you to win a tournament. Otherwise, how else will you clinch high-paying advertisers and sponsors?
Professional Gamer Vs. Streamer
You’ve probably heard the term “professional game streamer,” and you’re wondering if there’s a difference between it and a pro gamer.
A pro game streamer is a person who broadcasts themselves playing video games for other people to watch. They are quite similar to YouTubers, although they post live and unedited videos.
The main aim for professional game streamers is to gain a large following online so that advertisers can notice them and pay them to advertise their products (mainly gaming ones.)
Remember when we mentioned that advertisers can pay a pro gamer to endorse their products? A professional video gamer can also be a streamer, but there are people who do it full-time.
While it is good to juggle these two jobs to expand your sources of income, it’s advisable to stick to one to have time to work towards becoming an expert.
So, do streamers make more money than pro players? This is a controversial question. Some people claim that pro gamers earn more than streamers and vice versa.
However, it all comes down to working hard and becoming an expert in that area. As a pro gamer, if you practice hard enough, and win tournaments, it is easy to get the attention of sponsors and advertisers.
On the other hand, as a pro game streamer, if you work hard and build a strong and loyal audience online, you will attract many advertisers.
With that being said, here are tips on how to become a pro gamer.
Choose a Game and Stick To It
The first step to becoming a professional video gamer is to choose a game and master it.
It’s pretty hard to be a jack of all trades in this case because there are many online games, making it challenging to become an expert in all of them. It is recommended to choose a game that is already established or recognized in the world of Esports such as Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, among others.
This is because they have many tournaments, so the chances of you winning cash prizes are higher.
Choose a Genre
As you may now know, you need to be at the top of your game to make a living out of video gaming. Many people choose a specific game and perfect their skills. However, this can become monotonous, especially if you spend lots of time playing.
This is why you might want to pick a genre. From racing to fighting to role-playing games, you’ll have so much to choose from.
Pick one that you’re comfortable with, and then work on perfecting your skills. That way, you’ll have a better chance of smashing other competitors in a tournament.
Pick a Platform
There are two main platforms to choose from; console gaming and PC gaming (which is the most preferred platform in competitive gaming).
However, choosing a platform as an aspiring professional gamer narrows down to the game genre in which you want to become an expert.
For instance, if you’re into fighting games, it would be best to focus on console gaming as a platform. This is because many Esports console gaming competitions hold tournaments on fighting games.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
We cannot stress this enough. The only way you can become a professional gamer is to practice. Once you’ve picked a specific game, play it until you master all its techniques and strategies.
Practice doesn’t mean playing for a few hours or days a week. If you’re looking to make this a full-time career, dedicate most of your time to practicing.
Learn From Other Sources
You obviously cannot become a pro gamer all on your own. That is why it is essential to learn different techniques and strategies to play like an expert against other people.
Fortunately, there are lots of guides and tutorials online that provide detailed information on how to ace specific games.
It’s also a great idea to attend local gaming events or watch competitions being streamed online to learn new tricks to play better.
Most of these pros who compete in these tournaments deploy strategies that might not be published anywhere. It could be something physical, like how they move their wrists or fingers. It could also be how they set their gear up, their relationship with other competitors, and so on.
Invest in Top-Notch Gaming Equipment
Your gaming equipment plays a significant role in your overall success as a professional gamer, so it’s crucial to invest in high-quality ones that will not let you down.
Good gaming equipment can greatly enhance your skills. For instance, a high-quality headset can help you hear your opponent’s character’s footsteps sooner, enabling you to act swiftly. If you’re into PC gaming, a good-quality mouse will help with quick movements when playing. What’s more, you’ll get an amazing grip and ergonomics keeping you comfortable even after hours of gaming.
A good supply of an in-game currency, such as FFXIV Gil, should also be on top of your list, especially if you are playing massively multiplayer online games such as FF14. This will help your character have quicker access to weapons, among other benefits enabling you to level up in the game and become a better player.
Network With Other Professional Gamers
Similar to most other careers, networking is super important in professional gaming. Finding other gamers who share your passion is essential as it allows you to have people with whom you can practice with, exchange ideas and strategies on how to play better, and so on.
What’s more, joining a network of other pro gamers will help you get connected with tournaments where you can showcase your skills and hopefully win prizes.
Join a Team
It is also recommended to join established teams that you can travel with and compete in-game tournaments together. This is where networking comes in.
Interacting with other pro gamers taking part in friendly competitions may help you get noticed and recruited by an established gaming team to compete with them.
Get Sponsorship Deals
While winning a big cash prize in a gaming tournament is a good thing, you’re not guaranteed that you’ll win all the time. That is why it is advisable to actively seek sponsorship deals from reputable brands.
These big companies will pay you consistently to use their gaming equipment, wear their merchandise while playing in live tournaments, and so on. That way, you’ll get their name out there, and you get some extra cash, so it’s a win-win situation.
But for you to attract sponsors, you need to be known. So, it’s essential to take part in as many tournaments near you as possible. You can begin live streaming yourself, play games on Facebook, Twitch, among other platforms, and attract an audience.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, many hobbies have turned into lucrative careers, and gaming is no exception. But, as we’ve mentioned several times, it takes a whole lot of dedication, hard work, and perseverance to succeed in this field.
If you’re just starting, keep in mind that doing well in this industry takes time. Don’t expect to start today and begin earning money in a few weeks or even months. So, along with working hard, be patient, and you’ll eventually find your