Esports is a rapidly growing industry around the world. More and more people are coming to realize the potential in esports and are starting to pivot towards the industry. Just like in every profession, whether it be a professional player, content creator, or tournament organizer, you need to be skilled in your craft and you have to understand your strengths and know how to apply them.
Every beginner in esports have to establish and immerse themselves in the community. From there you can generate income from your content, and possibly obtain partnerships, sponsorships and participate in tournaments.
Whether you’re a hardcore gamer who’s looking to join the competitive scene or a casual gamer that would like to enjoy esports with friends, we’ve listed down a few tips to keep in mind:
1. Choose a game (or a type of game) you want to focus on
Ask yourself the following question: What type of game are you best suited for? What kind of game do you enjoy playing? Games are categorized into different genres, and no two are the same. The most commonly known genres are as follows:
- First-Person Shooter (FPS)
- Overwatch, CS:GO, Apex Legends
- Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA)
- League of Legends, Dota 2
- Fighting Game Community (FGC)
- Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Street fighter
- Real-time Strategy (RTS)
- Warcraft III, StarCraft, Age of Empires
- Collectible Card Games (CCG) also known as Trading Card Games (TCG)
- Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon
- Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- World of Warcraft, Albion Online
- Sports Games
- NBA, FIFA, Rocket League
- Battle Royale Games
- Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Rhythm Games
- Osu!, Rock Band, Cytus
Note: It is important to know that a game may be a part of multiple genres.
Knowing the different categories, you are bound to notice which genres you lean more towards or have a tendency to enjoy more. Do you have a favourite game you’re good at in one of the categories? You want to hone your skills related to your core strengths, in order to be able to develop an expertise in a game, you must identify what you are good at and what you enjoy.
2. Choose an esports profession that interests you
How do you want to be a part of the community? Are you a player? A content creator? An organizer? Investor? Social Media Manager? All of the mentioned roles play a different part in the esports community, identifying early on what you want to focus on will give you a clearer line of sight on what you need to focus on and adjust your goals around. Do you want to work remotely or are you into more hands-on roles? If you are unsure still, try our next step.
3. Volunteer for an esports event
If you’re unsure of what you want out of esports and you don’t know which role you want to take, go volunteer for an event. Be there and see if the scene is for you. Just by volunteering and seeing how an esports event is done, you get exposed to lots of different roles and you can figure out what’s best for you. Make sure that it’s a short term volunteering opportunity and not something long term where you’re unpaid, you wouldn’t want to get stuck in a commitment that you’re not ready for!
4. Attend or watch tournaments and events
Whether you’re a player or not, attending local tournaments and events is a great way for you to be immersed in the esports scene and to have fun. Don’t worry if you aren’t ready to be a part of a tournament yet, just by being there you get to experience first hand what esports is all about. You get to see the players, organizers, journalists, fans, and the actual game that you love being played at a high level. Attending local tournaments is also a great way to gain exposure, and this is where you get to meet potential organizers or teams that might be interested to work with you (if you are ready).
5. Explore opportunities near you
Have you heard of Nemesis? Fanatic’s former mid laner in league of legends? All he did before was play in local tournaments, he dominated all the LAN tournaments he participated in, earning him the name The Undefeated Slovenian. That was how he gained recognition in the league and got scouted by Mad Lions. This only goes to show that local opportunities are not to be disregarded.
[Trivia: Mad Lions is owned by Canadian Esports Organization OverActive Media, they play for the LEC (League of Legends European Championship) and are the champions of the 2021 spring split.]
6. Expand your network
In any industry, who you know matters a lot. This is especially true in esports where a large portion of jobs go unadvertised. Get in there and be involved, nothing beats being around the people who are actually in the industry to get a feel for it. Stay connected with the people that you work with, maintain those relationships for the long run!
We have a whole article discussing the value of networking: How important is networking in esports?
7. Know your strengths
While it is important to know what you are good at and what you enjoy doing, self reflection is a must. It is important that you are able to take constructive criticism and work on your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Once you are able to do this, it will be easier to understand your core strengths. Keep in mind that what drives you is vital to your success, so ask yourself why you want to do this.
8. Be proactive in your spare time
Esports is a competitive and constantly evolving industry, so you have to always have to be up to date with the community. What you know now, may not apply later. Follow esports news online, stay updated with the lingo being used by fellow gamers, possibly join groups to stay updated.
9. Don’t expect instant results
As mentioned in the beginning, professional level gaming may look easy but it actually requires dedication, consistency and time. As long as you are actively making an effort to work towards your goal, and more importantly you enjoy what you do, then it will come easier with time and adjusting. Trust the process, progress isn’t always linear.
10. Have fun, enjoy the ride
This can be applied to life in general but this couldn’t be more true for esports. Esports is literally an industry that came from gaming, most people that are involved in esports delved into the scene because of the love for gaming. It is a common ground that cannot be taken away from us. It doesn’t matter what role you want to play in the esports scene, as long as you have fun with it and you are passionate about it.
Dive deep into esports through our articles! Written by the co-founder of BEAT invitational, we speak with experience and passion for esports!