Last year, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, Harrison “Psalm” Chang, and Shane “EpikWhale” Cotton finished 1-2-3 in the Solo Cup of the Fortnite World Cup. They took home $6 million of the tournament’s eye-popping $30 million prize pool. This windfall underscores how big eSports has become. This is why its audience is expected to double by 2023 and its revenue to breach the $1.5 billion mark. It is likely to attract more players as well given the skyrocketing prize pools of eSports tournaments and the accessibility of the games. With eSports like iRacing gaining traction, more people are becoming professional players as the industry caters to every type of gamer.
So, if you think you can follow in the footsteps of “Bugha”, then it’s time you give eSports a shot. The question is, do you have what it takes? Find out below!
A Different Level
The level of competition in eSports is infinitely better than your average online game. As such, you need a certain level of talent if you’re to compete with the best eSports has to offer. You must also have plenty of time, a passion for the game of your choice, and the commitment to hone your craft. That dedication manifests itself in being able to train or play for hours at a time every day — 10 hours to be exact for Overwatch pro, Eli Gallagher— without getting bored or losing enthusiasm.
“I don’t know if everybody would be able to play the game for that many hours but I still find new things in it,” says Gallagher. “When I have an off day, usually at least half of that day is still spent playing Overwatch. I just really enjoy playing the game.”
This is the kind of commitment you’ll need to give and the time you’ll have to invest if you’re to entertain thoughts of going pro.
The Equipment is Vital
It is also vital that you invest in the right equipment. There are many high performing computers you can invest in, but for a good gaming PC, you will need one with a powerful graphics card to keep up with the system requirements of today’s games. Take, for instance, the game Overwatch, where the minimum system requirements for you to play are as follows:
- An Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 8650 CPU
- A Nvidia GeForce GTX 460, ATI Radeon HD 4850, or Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU (with a dedicated VRAM of 768 MB)
- A 4 GB RAM
- At least 30 GB free disk space.
The recommended system requirements of Overwatch, though, are much higher:
- An Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom II X3 CPU,
- A Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or ATI Radeon HD 7950 GPU (with a dedicated VRAM of 2 GB)
- A 6 GB RAM
- At least 30 GB free disk space.
Fortnite’s recommended system requirements are more or less the same, but with a higher need for a dedicated VRAM (at least 2 GB). These high system requirements are the reason why you must invest in a high-end PC; otherwise, you won’t be able to play the way the pros do.
Aside from a gaming PC, you’ll also need a gaming mouse, like the SteelSeries Sensei 310 or the Razer Deathadder Elite, and a gaming keyboard, such as the Razer Huntsman Elite and the Corsair K95 RGB Platinum. These advanced accessories will give you a better sense of what the pros use, and help you prepare for the professional scene.
Getting Started in eSports
Now, you’ll need to break in and this is where your talent truly comes into play. Similar to other sports, the best eSports players get noticed by scouts. Put simply, if you’re good, you’ll get discovered eventually. You can, however, accelerate this process; to do so you must create a strong online presence. In other words, you’ll need to be active in the world of eSports for people to start paying attention to you and maybe even take a chance on your talents. Then, once you get in, prove to everyone that you belong in the big leagues.
Finally, you’ll need to follow our eSports page so you are always up to date with everything that’s going on in the world of eSports.
