Terrorists win!
There’s hardly anyone who isn’t acquainted with this dialogue. When reading this phrase, most of you must have felt the resonating sound that comes with it.
We’ve all played video games on a light gaming mouse as a child. From Mario to Road Rash to Counter-Strike, video games have been an integral part of our childhood. Sadly, our parents never appreciated the effort it took to beat the final boss in Contra.
Most people play games to kill time, and some take it as a hobby. But what if you knew that you could make millions by playing video games?
Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, has made $17 million to date by streaming video games.
Kyle Giersdorf, a 16-year-old US-teen, won the Fortnite World Cup and made $3 million. Preston Arsement, Markiplier, Shroud, DanTDM, etc., the list of millionaire gamers is growing.
So, what’s in it for you? Can you make a career in gaming and make a living out of it? And what does it take to enter the gaming industry? Let’s find out.
Contents
Different Careers in Gaming
You can enter the gaming industry even if you haven’t played a single video game in your life. Besides, you can have a successful career in the gaming industry without playing any video game.
While gamers and streamers are the major roles one can play in gaming, there are other options, too. These include Game Designer, Narrative Designer, Game Developer, Game Tester, Game Critic, etc.
But in this article, we’ll talk only about professional gaming and streaming.
Professional Gamer
If you follow gaming closely, you must have heard of big names like Fnatic and Cloud9. These are gaming organizations that hire professional gamers to compete in gaming tournaments.
Who is a professional gamer?
Professional gamers play in competitive gaming tournaments for prize money or salaries. These players can either play as an individual or represent a team or organization. To become a pro gamer, you will need to study a game and practice it over and over again until you master it. Pro gamers are generally the best at playing a particular game.
How to become a professional gamer?
Becoming a pro gamer is easier said than done. It requires months and years of rigorous practice, and if you don’t perform well, you’ll not make money. E-sports players undergo immense performance pressure. Here’s how you can become a professional e-sports player.
Find your game: You can’t be a pro gamer in all the games you play. For instance, CS: GO has more than 20 million monthly active users. But only a few thousand are exceptionally good at the game, and only a few hundred are professional CS: GO gamers. Thus, it’s essential to pick a game and stick with it. Some popular e-sports games are:
1) CS: GO
2) DOTA 2
3) Call of Duty
4) PUBG
5) Fortnite
Nowadays, mobile e-sports is also on the rise. Some mobile games that conduct e-sports tournaments are:
1) PUBG Mobile
2) Clash Royale
3) Clash of Clans
Become really good at it: You can’t be a pro gamer with average skills. E-sports is getting competitive, and to be successful, you’ll need to be on the top of the heap. Mastering a game requires time, dedication, practice, commitment, and the will to improve.
How to improve your game?
Practice as much as you can. Spend a few hours every day playing the game with the intention to get better.
Learn new skills and strategies. You can watch streamers and other pro gamers to develop new skills.
Hire a coach. If you are serious about becoming an e-sports player, consider hiring a coach.
Join a team: Once you’re confident of your skills and abilities in a game, join a team, and go pro. However, getting hired by a prestigious e-sports organization can be difficult. Thus, it is critical to start networking early on via online forums and other platforms. If you don’t get a team, create your own lineup.
After joining a team, play in leagues, competitions, and tournaments. Once you start winning events and tournaments, you’ll begin earning big cheques. And if you become famous and win a huge following, big brands in the industry will pay you to use their gear and merch.
How much money can a pro gamer make?
There’s no fixed answer to this question, as professional gaming is an unsteady career. If you perform well, you could make millions, and if not, you might struggle to pay your bills. Yet, if you perform well and get hired by an e-sports organization, your regular monthly salary can range between $1,000 and $5,000.
Streamer
Big names in the gaming industry, like Shroud, Ninja, and Dr. DisRespect, are all streamers. The only difference between a pro gamer and a streamer is that a streamer plays to entertain an audience. Streamers do not compete in leagues or tournaments. Instead, they play games and stream it on channels like Twitch and YouTube. The key to becoming a streamer is to build and grow an audience and keep them constantly entertained.
Here are a few steps to become a streamer:
Choose a channel/platform: While Twitch is the most popular gaming platform, there are other options available. Each platform has its pros and cons, so make sure to do your research before selecting it. The leading streaming platforms in the world are:
1) Twitch.tv
2) YouTube Gaming
3) Hitbox.tv
4) Mirrativ
5) Mixer
Choose a game: As a streamer, you have the luxury to play different games. This way, you can give your audience a diverse experience. Besides, it can get annoying to play one game for hours every day. Streaming, unlike pro gaming, allows you to switch between games.
But, to win a loyal audience, you will need to specialize in at least one game. After all, people will want to watch you only if you’re good at a game. Of course, you can be the next Dr. Disrespect and keep your audience entertained by your humor and acting. But not everyone can be naturally funny, so it’s better to choose a game and specialize in it.
Be dedicated: Streaming requires a lot of hard work and dedication. People who you see as successful streamers today, all started from 0 viewers. Smaller streamers need to stream more, and there are streamers who stream for 3, 5, or 7 hours without a break. It can be unhealthy, so you would need to stream for long hours, along with ensuring your health.
Have fun: While streaming is hard work, it is fun, too. Unlike e-sports, where you need to win tournaments, streaming is all about engaging your audience. Have fun, interact with your viewers, play with them, and enjoy your streaming.
Get sponsorships: Streamers don’t get a salary, but if you build a large audience, you can attract sponsors. RedBull and OnePlus are some of the major sponsors in the gaming industry.
Final thoughts: Is Gaming a Good Career?
The gaming industry is booming. If you are someone who is naturally good at a game and loves gaming, making a career out of it is achievable. However, the industry has become increasingly competitive. To succeed and make money from gaming, you’ll need to get exceptionally good at a game.
If you make it to the top, earning opportunities are endless. Whether you choose to become a pro-gamer or a streamer, there are several ways to make money.
But on the downside, gaming is an unstable career. You will make money when you’re at your peak, but once you lose touch, you won’t be able to perform well. And if you don’t play well, you will not win tournaments, and organizations will not hire you. Streaming is a bit more sustainable, but it requires a lot of hard work and dedication, especially when starting.
