Becoming a professional gamer and making money off it is no longer just a fantasy. No, in the last decade or so, the esports industry has grown significantly. Titles like DOTA 2, Counter-Strike, and League of Legends carried professional gaming to new heights.
Recent trends are promising as well because it is clear that the popularity of video games is not going to stop growing. People who spent years playing video games and became adults appreciate this new hobby of watching esports. A new generation of gamers is also in the making.
Add the fact that there are talks about video games becoming part of the Olympics in the future and the mainstream appeal it would get, and it becomes quite clear that the future is bright for esports.
Having said that, what would someone need to do if they wanted to go pro and make money as a player?
Well, there are a few crucial things to take care of, and you need to create a proper strategy so that you increase the odds of success because the industry is competitive and breaking into it is difficult.
Regular Training
It is no secret that professional gamers treat their career as a real job, and not just because they make money. If you want to succeed, you need a proper training schedule. Otherwise, it is easy to fall behind the rest and become irrelevant.
Skills need to be something you polish regularly, and unless you play your video game regularly, achieving it is more or less impossible.
Keeping up with the latest game updates and patches is also necessary because they introduce changes to the metagame players need to adapt to.
Of course, different people have different preferences when it comes to their routines. In the case of video game players, some will like to play during later hours and sleep in the mornings, whereas others do not mind waking up early and starting their training sessions then.
During training, it is also necessary to study both your own replays and the gameplay of the opponents so that you can pinpoint mistakes and learn from them.
Regardless of your preference, if you want to become a professional player, you have to establish a proper schedule and stick to it.
Gaming Equipment
As a player, you depend on gaming equipment a lot. It starts with the computer (unless you play on a console) and ends with the accessories.
For computers, you want to make sure that there are as few performance issues that could disrupt the gameplay. Regardless of what you do on the device, it should not cause slowdowns or random crashes.
Eliminating some performance issues is hard, but you can click on available sources online and solve them yourself or seek professional help from computer service shops.
If the computer is in good condition, you can then make sure to have optimal gaming accessories. A gaming mouse, headset, and a keyboard from renowned brands like Razer is a good way to improve.
Keep in mind that gaming accessories are superior because they are manufactured with gaming in mind. In other words, intensive clicking requires durability. And if you take a gaming mouse, for instance, it usually has additional buttons so that players can set up macros.
Finally, there are gaming chairs. They are good for comfort and health, particularly when you have to sit for extended periods of time, which damages your back and posture.
Health
As mentioned just before this section, gaming chairs are a good investment because they help with potential posture issues.
Health is an important factor to consider if you aim to become a professional gamer. Your schedule and sleeping patterns are likely to be all over the place, and not getting enough sleep is just one of the potential health hazards. If you are in a hurry, you are more likely to eat less healthy food.
Taking care of your health is a must if you want to stay fresh and on top of your game. Sloppiness leads to mistakes which can snowball and lead to bad form.
As such, you need to take care of things in your life so that you can build some healthy habits. Ideally, you should also visit the gym regularly, which is beneficial to your health while also offering a nice change of pace.
Competitions
The last thing in this article is about the competitive environment. To become a good player, you need to compete against good players. And what better way to achieve that than to play in competitions.
Sure, there are not that many LAN tournaments being organized right now because of the pandemic, but online tournaments are still a regular thing.
Try to participate in as many competitions as you can and gain valuable experience. Also, do not underestimate the fact that video game tournaments are also great for networking. You can meet regular training partners or even your next team.
