What Does It Actually Take to Become an eSports Champion?

In the multi-billion-dollar world of competitive eSports gaming, the appeal of becoming a player is obvious. However, after years of media narratives that frame eSports as a means of getting rich from just sitting around and playing video games, it is finally becoming clear just how much hard work is involved.

There have been countless behind-the-scenes examinations of just how much hard work and determination goes into becoming a successful eSports gamer, with The Guardian even going as far as calling for players to be officially, legally recognized as athletes at the global level.

eSports is fast becoming one of the most competitive industries in the contemporary entertainment landscape, its popularity being fuelled by titans of the sports such as N0Tail and JerAX, who have earned millions of dollars by being the best at their game. But what does it actually take to become a real eSports champion in 2021? Let’s take a closer look.

Choose your game

Probably the most important thing to remember. Pro eSports players are never just good at “games”. Rather, they show a significant aptitude for one game in particular upon which they then decide to base their career. So, what’s your game? Are you a record-beating CS:GO champion? Perhaps you are more of a Fortnite aficionado? Maybe League of Legends is more your thing? Whatever it is, your first task is to make a final decision on the game you are going to base your eSports career on and then practice, practice, practice.

See what the markets are saying

As Intel explores, if you want a successful eSports career, you need to take a look at what the market experts are saying. By this, we mean looking a professional eSports bookmakers, who sponsor major leagues and calculate real-time odds on the best players and teams. Let’s take a look at the global eSports bookmaker Betway, which sponsors the likes of Invictus Gaming, BIG, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Dreamhack Masters. This is a great resource to see who is at the top of your field right now, who has the best odds of winning the next major tournament, and what the top-ranked players have in common. By consulting the odds and the bookmaker analysis, you can get valuable insights on what it takes to rise to the top.

Rise in the community

If you want to rise in your chosen game, you need to make a name for yourself in the community. This is pretty much a non-negotiable. Once you have chosen your game, you will want to get yourself on all of the relevant forums for that game and start posting. Share your stats and start a meaningful discussion about how to achieve success in the game.

Ideally, you should be making use of eSports-friendly platforms like Twitch to broadcast your own gameplay and make yourself known among your fellow fans and players. Once you are known in the gaming community, opportunities will arise to allow you to take your gaming career to the next level.

Find your people

Once you have gotten to grips and are starting to build your skill set, you will want to find a team. If you have already succeeded in the previous step, it is more than likely that your team will find you and reach out to you first. However, there is no need to panic if the right team has not come along yet.

Make sure to use eSports resources such as Teamfinder to match with squads from your chosen game that are looking for an extra player. Advertise yourself on forums and always let people know that you are looking to join a team, especially when you are streaming.

Get scouted

Even when you are part of a successful eSports team, career success is not assured. You want to make sure you are getting noticed for your skills so that you can get scouted by the best in the business. We’re not just talking about teams – you could get noticed by a professional eSports talent scout or an accredited boot camp like Rix.GG, and accelerate your journey to the top of the big leagues. To get noticed, you need to be the best and make yourself stand out within your community of fellow gamers.

This is what it takes to become a top eSports champion in 2021. We never said it would be easy.

Herbert Wise

“Award-winning food geek. Unapologetic gamer. Wannabe web junkie. Amateur coffee maven. Zombie fanatic. Writer.”