f Saahil Arora’s parents had discouraged him from gaming, they would have deprived their son of an income of $3,030,318. The Dota 2 player from Wisconsin, USA, has amassed the income in just about seven years of being a professional esports player. Saahil Arora, or ‘UNIVeRsE’, is one of the hundreds of successful gamers in the world who are making careers out of what was earlier thought to be a recreation.
The gaming industry, valued at $108.9 billion globally, has been growing at a rate of 7.8% year on year over the past few years. Today, esports is a legitimate, popular profession with an audience of over 380 million. The industry comprises of PC gaming, mobile gaming and console gaming and is pegged at over a whopping $905.6 million. This solid industry strongly hinges on its professional players.
Prospective gamers typically begin their careers by choosing a game of their choice — from PUBG, Dota 2 and Counter Strike to League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch, and more; there are several options. The game one picks usually depends on the genre one excels at. Although there is no basic educational qualification required to be a pro gamer, it helps to have completed a basic 10+2. The player then decides the platform they prefer — whether they want to use the controller or the mouse or the keypad. They practice, join a team and try competing in tournaments, both online and LAN. As they get better, sponsorships begin pouring in and then the sky is the limit for how far one can go.
What it takes
But turning pro requires immense commitment. The career is as rigorous and requires as much time and effort, if not more, than mainstream careers. It begins with having enormous focus and motivation. Gaming as a professional is vastly different from playing for hobby and it is vital to know the difference. Giving yourself a professional environment and getting a coach, who walks you through the technical as well as soft skills required, is essential.
Finding equally passionate team players, sponsors and a support system is challenging but crucial. It is important to note that most professional players are full-time players, so part-time gaming is not advisable. It requires way more dedication than playing three hours every day.
However, it is a challenging job that wears you out. Young players must take care of both their mental and physical health as they immerse themselves in this profession. The money too is big once you make it to the top. It is a fast-changing world that demands all players keep adapting to new levels, rules and leagues. In India, since it is still a growing profession, players have to battle social curiosity, lack of a professional eco-system and sponsorships — although a lot of this is fast changing.
Ranked 17th globally in the gaming sector and estimated to be about an $818 million industry that is growing at 9.2% year on year, the growth of Indian gaming industry is expected to be similar to that of the Chinese, which is valued at $27.5 billion. By 2020, India will have a full-fledged gaming industry that competes professionally with all the leading countries of the world.
The gaming industry also supports a range of other professionals, like game designers, developers, coaches, production crew, event management companies, analysts and shout casters.
The industry set to cross the billion-dollar mark in India by 2021, by when we are also expected to have over 300 million Indian gamers. Add to it professional leagues, sponsorships, brand support and a large captive international audience. So by all means, gaming is a promising future career that is already here. And we must prepare our ecosystem and future gamers such that we can compete with the best in the world.
The writer is the Co-Founder and C.E.O of Cobx Gaming.
