Become a Pro Gamer in 2020

You finished at the top of the scoreboard in your last match and you’ve just been promoted to master tier. So, have you ever thought about becoming a professional gamer? You might think there is not enough money to be made or only the really good players make it. Well, you would be surprised. So how exactly can you become a pro gamer?

The Definition of a Pro Gamer

You may think this is a trick question but it actually really is not. What exactly is a professional gamer? A player paid to play video games full-time competitively is a pro gamer. It is almost like a career in the gaming field. Teams or sponsors normally pay professional players to compete in the biggest E-sports Tournaments around the world. Many of these tournaments offer huge cash rewards for the winners. Consequently, these rewards can make up the bigger part of a seasoned gamer’s earnings.

Become a Pro Gamer or Streamer?

Ever since online gaming has become popular, there have been methods to showcase skills and talent. Originally, players were uploading a collage of their best plays to their YouTube channels. As it was the only website back then that attracted the majority of gameplay viewers. Many gamers still do that, but there is a much better website for showcasing your gaming skills –  Twitch.tv.

Twitch.tv is an online streaming platform that allow players to stream real-time gameplay to an audience all over the world. People can now watch the full, unedited gaming action, instead of watching the best bits from an edited video. The transition from YouTube to Twitch has been seen as a good thing. It has done wonders for many gamers’ earnings.

Not only does it allow audiences to interact live with players. It also allows for contributions to the stream and support the streamers via live donations.

There is a slight difference between a gamer and streamer. A gamer is normally a professional player that is paid by a company/sponsor to play games for a living. Whereas a streamer is someone who streams online content and mainly makes their money from donations, adverts, and affiliate income. Although a streamer, in general, does not have to stream gaming content specifically, the majority do it. In 2019 this has been the most popular way to be involved in the gaming space. People love watching highly skilled gamers’ streams.

How Do Streamers Make Money?

Unlike professional gamers, streamers provide their audience with live content in return for subscribes, donations, affiliate schemes and ad revenue. On the Twitch.tv platform these are the 4 main ways a streamer can make money.

Get attention

If you want to compete in a competitive gaming team then streaming can also help you achieve this. Streams can provide a platform for you to showcase your skills to the world and attract attention.

If you are a really good gamer but hiding away in the shadows, how is anyone going to scout you? Getting attention is an important step if you want to make it like a pro. By building a loyal fan base you show off your skills and talents. Scouts are always on the lookout for new talent.

Many high-level streamers have gone on to join professional gaming teams. Many of them used streaming as a way to get spotted.

The Master Plan: How to Become a Pro Gamer

We have covered some important basics. It is time to break it down step by step on how to become a professional gamer.

Decide Your Game and Goals

Gaming is a general term. If you want to become a pro gamer then you will need to pick a specific game to play. Whether it is Pubg, Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars or something different there is a few important things to consider first.

1. Choose your Game

The first and most obvious is which game are you good at and which do you enjoy? Choose a game you enjoy. It is less likely to bore you after a while. If you are good at the game then that is also a bonus. If not, then you could always practice!

2. Decide Your Role in the Game

Secondly, you have to decide if you want to become a competitive gamer or a professional streamer. Being a competitive gamer is very demanding and involves many hours of practice. If you want to win the big bucks then this is the way to go. The Clash of Clans World Championships 2019 winners, Nova, walked away with $1m shared between the team. This would be around $200k per player, unless there were additional subs/managers that had to get a share too.

The prizes sound really good. The bad news is that realistically the chances of you winning them are very low. The good news is that you do not need to be a competitive pro gamer to earn that amount of money.

If you want to make money instead of you getting your name in gaming history books, streaming might be the best option. There are hundreds of examples where full-time streamers have made a successful career. In fact, many of them can earn more than competitive pro gamers.

3. Get a Coach

Having a good coach could make a world of a difference in your gaming career. Not only will a coach show and teach you important tips and tricks, they probably are on the level you want to be at. Thus, being able to give you advice on your journey to becoming a pro gamer.

4. Practice Makes Perfect

Regardless of your choice, being a competitive gamer or a streamer you need to constantly practice, practice, practice. If you are a competitive gamer then you will constantly be battling against the best gamers in the world. You need to make sure your skill level is up to scratch.

On the other hand, if you’re a streamer then people will want to watch high ranked players. If you’re not up to scratch then your viewing figures will suffer and you will lose subscribers, donations and ad revenue. After all, nobody wants to watch a mediocre player!

5. Becoming a pro gamer

Practicing makes a lot of these problems go away. Whether it’s researching game strategies or learning new techniques, every bit of practice will help improve your abilities. A good tip if you want to up your game is to watch other professional gamers or streamers. Many competitive pro gamers have streams and YouTube channels. This means you can watch world-class competitive players practice and compete online. This is great for picking up new tips and tricks.

6. Get Streaming

It does not matter if you want to be a pro-competitive gamer or a streamer, you should definitely start a stream. Using a stream to showcase your skills and talent is a great way to advertise yourself to the world.

Having a YouTube channel is also a good idea. You can use YouTube videos of your best plays for self promotion. You can also gain ad revenue from the YouTube ad share program. Not only is it a great place to store videos, but it could also bring you in extra money.

7. Attract Attention

Once you have your stream and YouTube channel set up, it’s time to attract an audience to your content. Getting views is the most important thing in building a social media following. Make sure you have fan pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It is a great way to get visitors to watch or even follow your stream.

If you are seeking a place in a competitive team, following pro teams on social media is a must. They usually use popular social media platforms when they are looking for players or are having tryouts.

Even if you are looking for a team, starting off in a not so well-known team is fine. It’s unlikely you’re going to jump straight into Nova or Team Queso with no professional experience. Just keep at it! No matter how bad the team is. If you become really good you could easily be scouted by a better team.

8. Practice

Practice, practice and practice. Even if we mentioned this before, this is certainly the single most important thing to do. You are only as good as your best competition, so it is important to always be practicing against someone who is better than you.

9. Attend Local Gaming Events

This step is more aimed more towards people looking to join a competitive team. Playing with other players online can be great. However, playing them face to face in front of a crowd is what you’ll need to get used too.

To get this experience you’ll have to start attending every local gaming event in your area. This will help you to build confidence while playing in front of a crowd. It is just as important to get used to the structure and rules of the tournaments as any gaming skill you may acquire.

If you regularly attend gaming events you’ll probably become friends and be in contact with a lot of players. These connections will help you build important relations that could end up getting you a place in a competitive team. If all else fails you could always make your own team, if you find enough team members to do so.

10. Practice some more

By now you should get the idea! Practice, practice, practice! You will not get to pro status by wishing, hoping or dreaming you are good enough. It takes hard work and relentless dedication for any athlete to be at the top and E-sports are not any different.

Now go and practice!

Adapted from: https://technisportusa.com/blogs/news/how-to-become-a-pro-gamer