The art of playing video games professionally for a living, known in the industry as ‘Esports’ is fast becoming one of the most exciting and invaluable forms of entertainment in the world. With games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2 and Rocket League all possessing a skill ceiling so high that players can invest hundreds upon hundreds of hours into, the level of competition is intense and, thanks to investments from huge companies such as Mountain Dew, Intel, Mastercard, Gucci and Coca-Cola, the stakes are always high.
What helps make Esports so popular is just how accessible it is for the fans, especially during an era where traditional real world sporting events have found themselves increasingly put behind pay walls and subscription fees. Online streaming platforms such as Twitch.tv now host all the events and competitions from around the world for fans, and sites like Unikrn.com are the ultimate hubs for fans to take their passions to the next level and follow all the latest news, odds and stories from the industry. Keep reading the best games online
It’s every gamer’s dream to make a living out of their favourite titles, and the blossoming state of the Esports industry has presented a serious opportunity for them to do just that. Here are some of the best tips for making money from video games.
- Invest Your Time
To really stand a chance of turning dreams into reality and making it as an Esports star, you’ll need to be prepared to grind away. Hard. There’s a huge difference in both the skill and commitments between Esports pros and mainstream casual players, with the pros investing thousands of hours of their time in honing their skills and making it into that top 1% of players in the game.
Ultimately, the gamers active in the Esports industry are doing it as a job (not for fun) which is the key distinguishing factor here.
And whilst most casual gamers can simply switch out and pick between titles if they get bored or frustrated, there’s no such luxury when it comes to really mastering a major Esport game like Dota 2 or League of Legends.
And understanding the intricate nuances that separate regular players from the pros within a game is absolutely essential to making money from it. For those hoping to make money playing games, understanding the differences between the stalking and strategy of titles like CS:GO, and the analysis-heavy approach of League of Legends or Dota 2, is an absolutely non-negotiable thing to master and can only be done with huge investments of your time.
- Utilise Social Media
The growth and continued explosion in popularity of Esports as an industry has been fuelled by its online format and the influence of social media. Almost every Esports professional player out there has a good couple of social media handles they use to speak to their fans about their performances, and many of them have their own Twitch accounts they use to stream their games and keep their influencer status topped up.
And the same certainly goes for the orgs, teams and companies who are looking to drum up support from fans and secure partnerships.
Subscriptions on Twitch can be worth anywhere from $4.99 to $24.99, with the platform taking half of the fee as a hosting service. There are two ways of ensuring that you stand out from the crowd and increasing the chances of securing donations and subscriptions: either create engaging content and standing as an influencer, or establishing yourself as the undisputed go-to guy as one of the best players in the world for your game.
- Invest In The Right Equipment
Whether it’s through competing at events and grinding through the gears to secure a regular wage with a side or earning your way through becoming a social media influencer and engaging streamer, investing in the right equipment is absolutely crucial in building the platform you need.
Save up your pennies and purchase some of the best gear, such as the Intel Core i9-9900K, a MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio, a SteelSeries Apex Pro and a Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum.
You might feel the hit in the very short term, but it will give you the best possible chance of success, and it will be well worth it if you do end up securing the finances you need to make playing video games your full time job.
