Over the past few years, the world of Esports has exploded onto the global stage. Gone are the days where two teams faced off against each other at an internet cafe in front of 20 people, teams now play in stadiums, in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, in the stadium, and online.
Twitch has also allowed for Esports and gaming pro’s to flourish in front of thousands of viewers and make a career out of gaming. The one question that so many people have thought, is how do you join an Esports organization? There are countless ways to improve your gameplay and get it to the heights of pro players. Watching pro streams, make use of guides, practicing constantly, and starting a streaming account to put your skills on display.
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to pick one game to focus on. Right now, Call of Duty, Fortnite, League of Legends, DOTA, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch are the biggest Esport games around. There are others, such as FIFA, but you will want to focus on a popular one.
You need to pick one game because you obviously need to practice that one game as much as possible, get as many wins as possible, and know the ins and outs of the game like it’s a second language. The fact that players like Ninja or Tfue can tell you how much every weapon hits for in Fortnite, and where the best landing spots are, is just a testament to the fact that they know the game.
Another aspect to consider is what platform you want to play on. Some games are only available on certain platforms, such as League of Legends on PC, or the Call of Duty League being played on Playstation. The platform you choose will also determine the skill ceiling. A game like Fortnite can obviously be mastered on a controller, but the amount of control you have is significantly higher on PC. This is also important to remember as your opponents will be on different platforms as well.
On the other hand, some games are played exclusively on one platform, such as Call of Duty. This does ensure the field is even, but it also means you are going to have to turn that controller into a part of you to ensure you can compete at the highest level. The benefit of living in a world with Twitch and Youtube, there is no need to have a coach when you can watch top players and study their technique, for free, for hours and hours every day. It is important to see how the pro’s play because that’s the level you need to be on.
It is vital to learn and adapt, considering a game’s meta changes a lot, even update to update, it is important to keep up with new techniques, using the new best weapons, and phasing out old methods of playing. Probably the best thing to do is to join a league or play in online tournaments. Almost every popular Esport has online tournaments that are open to the public, as long as you reach a certain level such as the number of wins, K/D, or the like.
The best thing you can do is to take part in these tournaments and put your skill to the test. The entry fees are usually nothing or a small amount, and it gives you the chance to play against high-level players, instead of just the regular pub stomps you may be used to.
These tournaments put your name on the map as well if you do well. A good example of this is Fortnite player Unknown Army. Nobody knew who he was until he started playing in, and winning Fortnite’s weekly tournaments. He blew up, and is now one of the most recognizable faces in the Fortnite world.
It is also not important to do well at the beginning, you are trying to test what you have learned and practiced, and playing against higher level players, in serious tournaments, will only improve you as a player. The last two things you should be doing go hand in hand, as they are the social aspect. You should be talking with other players, making connections, if you play a random duo with someone who is incredible, maybe add them as a friend and play more often.
Starting a Twitch account and streaming is also incredibly important. Yes, you are going to struggle to get viewers, and who knows how long that will last, but you need to put your gameplay on display for people to see, even if it’s 1, 2, or 10 viewers. Consistency matters. Tfue is a prime example of a player discovered through streaming. He was unknown until Faze Bank stumbled across his stream one day, and now he is one of the biggest names in Esports and streaming. Luck is involved, but if you aren’t streaming at all, you aren’t even giving yourself the chance to be discovered.
Joining an Esports team or blowing up in the Esports world is no easy task, and many people do fail, but you don’t stand a chance if you don’t work hard, but the hours into practice, and put your name on the map. Something will bite if you stick with it long enough.
