Today, the video game world is saturated with all kinds of professional gamers, especially with the sudden rise in popularity of Twitch and other streaming platforms. On a larger scale, professional gaming for tournaments is also trendy. The best players worldwide gather to play for the top spot and a massive sum of prize money.
Some years ago, being able to play video games for real money was only an impossible dream for most people. But lo and behold, it’s now a completely acceptable career path, and it’s surprisingly lucrative. So, it’s understandable why a lot of serious gamers attempt to break into this industry. However, it can be challenging if you don’t have a game plan.
The good news is that it’s possible. Good old blood, sweat, and tears can help you get there. Fortunately, there are ways to make it easier. Here’s how:
- Choose A Platform
The platform you choose is a great place to start. It’s possible to pick various platforms, but it’ll be challenging to master. It’s best to play on a PC since there are more tournaments and possibilities for you.
However, it’s also possible to play professionally on a console. The problem is, the possibility of going pro might be slimmer. But that’s not to say that console gaming competitions will stay restricted in the future.
- Decide On Your Game
Choosing a game should be easy if you know what kind of genre you like. You can choose to play popular tournament games or a new and upcoming one. The best thing for you to do is to get to know which games you like so it’ll be easy for you to master.
New and upcoming games give you an even start with other players. It gives you more opportunities to familiarize yourself with the game. Unfortunately, some new games end up dropping from tournaments altogether. In this event, you’ll need to start again from zero in another game.
Popular games can provide more stability. Such games include Dota 2, League of Legends, and CounterStrike: Global Offensive. But be warned that this gaming community can be hard to get noticed because of its extreme popularity.
- Practice Consistently
You can’t be a pro gamer if your skills aren’t up to par. The only way to get there is to practice as much as possible.
To speed things up for you, you can also look into different game techniques and strategies. You can follow video game streamers and pro gaming tournaments. Observe how they play and try it out yourself.
Keep in mind that consistency is critical. You can’t just play when you feel like it. Hence, a daily schedule will help you build momentum.
- Upgrade Your Equipment
Getting the best gear and upgrading will be necessary. You’ll be practicing consistently, and you need equipment that can match you and your games. Inadequate gaming equipment will be detrimental to your advancement and make you seem more like a hobbyist than someone going for the big leagues.
- Go To eSports Tournaments And Connect With Other Gamers
To get yourself acquainted with the scene, it’s essential to connect with other gamers. This can give you a lot of insight, valuable connections, and some great advice about gaming or tournaments. It’s also great practice to play with other gamers, which is essential for our next tip.
- Team Up And Join Competitions And Leagues
Joining a team or making your team is the next step to enter some competitions. It’s essential to practice as a team. When the team is in condition, you can join online leagues like Scout League or MLG.
Get notified of any competitions happening and start joining. Play to win, and take any losses as a learning experience. But the end goal is to round up many wins to boost your reputation.
- Play In Online Tournaments
Tournaments are more intense and can be intimidating, but less so if it’s online. So, start with small tournaments online. Stepping out of your comfort zone is necessary to improve your skills and ability to play in high stakes situations.
Eventually, after building your reputation once again, you can enter more serious tournaments, like LoL World Championships.
- Join Live Tournaments
Live tournaments are enormous events. Understandably, this can be nerve-wracking with thousands of viewers, a large sum of money, and exceptional players. But you know you’ve made it, and there’s nothing left to do but to keep your eye on the prize.
Conclusion
Top gaming professionals make it look easy. But contrary to popular belief, professional gaming isn’t all fun and games. You’ll need to invest time and money. You should also be able to take the risk. But one thing’s for sure, to become a professional gamer, you need tenacity and focus to climb up the ladder of competitions, leagues, and tournaments. But most of all, you’ll need to love the game.
