Making money playing video games is no longer just a pipe dream that someone might see in a movie or read about in a book taking place in the distant future.
No, the eSports industry is one of the fastest-growing markets at the moment, and it is no surprise to see so many big sponsors investing money in it. Even professional sports teams, such as Paris Saint-Germain, have their eSports squad in multiple disciplines.
The video game industry has been pretty massive for a while, but as a concept, eSports have not been quite as prominent until recently.
The idea of becoming a professional gamer is appealing to many young people, but the road to that goal is quite difficult.
If you want to give it a try regardless, you need to get the basics down. No fundamentals mean no foundation that you use to move forward.
This article will give you 5 valuable tips that you should take to increase your odds of becoming a professional gamer.
Treat Video Games as a Job
Treating video games as a job should be a given, and unless you create a strict schedule, you are less likely to succeed. Keep in mind that other players are likely spending a lot more time to hone their skills and become better.
The hunger to play the same game over and over can dissipate over time, but unless you push through, you are unlikely to make it.
Take Breaks and Take Care of Your Body
Since you are going to be spending a lot of time in front of a computer playing video games, you need to make sure to take care of your body. Even if you are young and not feeling the symptoms right away, they will come to bite you in the future.
Taking regular breaks is a given, even if they are short. Working out should also be on the priority list as you will not be doing a lot of physical activities due to being glued to a monitor most of the day when you are not sleeping.
Sports are a great way to stay in shape and add a little bit of variety to your life to keep things interesting. Not to mention that being in better shape physically and mentally also helps with the performance while gaming.
Find a Competitive Environment
Thriving as a professional gamer is hard if you do not surround yourself with like-minded people.
A lot comes down to what game you are playing. As there are quite a few different titles in terms of whether you play as a team or a solo player, your approach to finding players to play with will be different.
For solo games, such as fighter games or real-time strategies, you can queue up for games and maybe join Discord or other channels that these communities are on. Participating in tournaments, even if you start at the very bottom, is a good way to grow as a player.
Now, when it comes to first-person shooters and MOBA games like League of Legends or DOTA 2, you will need a team. Teaming up with random players at first is probably a good idea. If you meet someone you enjoy playing with, you can suggest to them that you want to start a team or you are looking to join one.
The goal is to get into the competitive mode as soon as you can so that you can practice properly.
Optimize Your Computer
Poor computer performance gets in the way, so you need to have a device that lets you play video games optimally.
From finding solutions to poor disk storage and memory usage to reducing the overheating and loud internal fan noise, you need to take proper care of your computer and maintain it in good condition.
It is likely that a video game you are playing competitively has high-end requirements, so having good hardware is not necessarily enough.
As a side note, you will also need a stable internet connection to play video games online. Make sure that you have a reliable ISP.
Get the Best Gaming Accessories You Can
The last bit of advice is about accessories. Similar to how you need a performing computer, it is also necessary to invest money and get proper gaming accessories.
There is a good reason why manufacturers like SteelSeries and Razer are making bank. Gamers love mice, keyboards, and headphones from these brands, and they appreciate the quality.
In addition to the three mentioned accessories, you will also want to get a proper chair so that you do not hurt your back due to sitting for hours and hours.