Almost every gamer dream of becoming a pro player to earn big money from their hobby, travel the world, play in different championships and become an idol for hundreds of thousands of fans. In theory, every gamer has a chance to enter eSports. Why, then, do only a few achieve such success?
CS: GO eSports has a lot of advantages:
- The most obvious is that one gets the opportunity to make money while spending time playing the game they love. All eSports CS: GO players are usually fascinated by virtual worlds from an early age, so for them, competitive games have become a chance to combine a hobby and a source of income. Take, for example, the CS:GO team Astralis, who managed to earn $100,000 each at 2018 Face IT Major.
- Opportunity to see the world. There are quite a few nice things in the life of a cyber athlete, and travel is just one of them. Large and small tournaments are held in different parts of the world – the United States, the United Kingdom, Asian countries, and even Australia and New Zealand. Participants are usually paid for comfortable accommodations, reimbursed ticket prices, meals, and more.
- Public recognition. A large community of fans is formed around the eSports players, they are asked for autographs and photos together, invited to star in commercials, which are then broadcast on the Internet and on television.
- A large number of ways to make money. One popular misconception that leads many to abandon their attempts to get involved in cybersports is related to the transience of their careers. People fear that they will simply not be in demand after the age of 30. Again, this statement is only partially true. There really aren’t many people in the professional scene at the age of 30+, and after 35 only a few remain.
The Path to Professional eSports
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a popular competitive shooter from Valve, focused on team confrontation. Victory in the match is given to the team that first wins 16 rounds. Winning a round is achieved by complete destruction of the opposing team or by completing the goal on the map (setting or bombing).
You have to train the following skills:
- Aim. Each weapon, which in CS: GO a few dozen, behaves differently – killing power, reload speed, etc. All this a professional player must know.
- Tactics. Starting with a certain level of skill, players have little difference in the level of fire. They all act quickly and almost never miss. And then the advantage is already won at the expense of strategic thinking and team tactics.
- Use of grenades. Another important tactical element is the smoke and flash grenades. Amateur players usually throw them at random, but the professionals know exactly where they want to send their shells and effectively realize the resulting advantage. For example, on the Mirage map, the team for the terrorist side goes to point A, with three smoke grenades cutting off the approaches to the captivity.
In the leagues, you can often find celebrity players moonlighting as account boosters or participating in tournaments with a small cash fee to make easy money. It’s a completely different environment, after a long time in which you’ll be beating your opponents in a regular game like a seed. Of course, a high league player ranking does not guarantee your success as a pro-gamer, but it will definitely be useful.
Types of Tournaments in Counter-Strike: GO
Today you can watch the broadcasts online. Initially, CS tournaments were held on a smaller scale: in computer clubs with minimal facilities. Over time, large investors have appreciated the prospects of eSports and began to sign multimillion-dollar contracts. Many players have become millionaires thanks to this discipline. There is also a rating for them, and the list of the best СS:GO players is constantly updated. The game ceased to be just entertainment. It has moved to a new level with large prize funds and a strict system of selection.
Various championships between CS: GO gamers are relevant at the moment. The most popular:
- Tournaments of regular leagues. A kind of analog of the NHL. CS: GO formed its own leagues for teams of different levels. Competitions are held to select the best, who will get to the finals and fight for the prize fund, a cup, and rating points. First, teams compete online, and then the results are in a list of the best in the standings. Then statistics determine the best teams, and they are allowed to participate in the finals.
- Minor. In these competitions, teams from the second top ten of the world rankings and below gets an opportunity to get into the big cyber sports tournaments. The prize pool is not large. The main motivation is a chance to enter a senior tournament, where $1 000 000 is played out.
- Major. Prestigious championship, which dreams to get gamers from all over the world. The dates of the matches are determined in advance, and the prize money is much higher than in other meetings. The teams get to these championships according to the results of Minor competitions. But sometimes the gamers get special invitations, that allow them to take part in the tournament without preliminary selection.
- Intel Grand Slam. Tournaments are organized by Intel, a world-famous company. Competitions are held annually in different cities. The prize funds are also large, up to $ 1,250,000. But not everyone gets here. Only through closed qualifications and special invitations.
Conclusion
Be prepared for the fact that the way to CS: GO eSports will be a huge number of ups and downs. Far more than once cyber athletes want to give up before they reach their goals. But the best advice: go all the way, because only the most motivated and believe in their own success reach the top.
