Gaming
Gaming
How to be a Call of Duty pro gamer
TCM's Jordan 'Jurd' Crowley explains what it takes to get paid to play Call of Duty.
It’s an exciting time to be a Call of Duty pro. In just over three weeks, Black Ops 3 will be released, and next year top players will compete in the first ever Call of Duty World League in which both pro gamers and amateurs can compete for a spot at next autumn’s grand final and a share of $3m in prize money.
Before all that, we have the final big Advanced Warfare tournament of the season - the Call of Duty World Finals on 16 October in New Orleans. One player competing in that tournament is Jordan ‘Jurd’ Crowley, who is so good that Envyus have taken him on loan from TCM for the competition.
With the World League kicking off next January, he told us what Call of Duty fans need to do to improve and reach pro level. Have a read and then get practising!
Jurd competing at Gfinity Spring Masters II
© TCM Gaming
Practise every day
Competing at the top in Call of Duty requires a lot of practice and dedication. Jurd, who has become a household name in the European Call of Duty community, told us how many hours you need to devote to playing CoD.
“Anywhere between six to eight hours a day. That’s what it takes if you even want a prayer of being a pro. As top players, we have a regimented practice schedule against competitors at or above our own level, as it’s the only way to truly advance in skill. Make sure you’re constantly playing with people who are better than you as it’s the only way you’ll grow as a player.”
Work to a practice schedule
Although a large amount of practice is required, it is vital to keep to a good consistent schedule each day. Jurd told us what a normal day with TCM is like:
“An average day of practice for our team would consist of meeting up in our TeamSpeak server by 5pm and then scrimming against other pro teams before our MLG League matches. After our league matches are finished we will then continue to scrim against other pro teams until 10pm. We repeat this process most days.”
Compete in tournaments
Competing in online tournaments is a great way to get your name known within the community and to meet new friends. Jurd says: “The best way to get recognised is to compete on websites such as Gamebattles.com, Gfinity.net and UMGGaming.com. These sites all host a multitude of online tournaments daily.”
Jurd
© TCM
Be patient
Becoming recognised by the top organisations can seem like an impossible task, but it is possible. Jurd is a great example of someone who has become more well known known since his arrival on the scene in 2010 to the point where he has been picked up by a top US team for a major tournament.
As Jurd admits, it takes time to reach the top. "A lot of top players have been playing competitive FPS games for years and to think that you're going to emulate their success after only a few events is naive. As with anything in life, it takes time. Practice breeds consistency.
"First and foremost, enjoy yourself. Turning CoD into a chore defeats its purpose as a hobby. Team up with people you get along with and play against people of a similar skill level.”
Buy the best equipment
According to Jurd, the best equipment can make a real difference. He told us what you need to get the edge in Call of Duty matches.“In order to compete at the top, I’d recommend getting a decent headset from the likes of Astro as well as an Astro mix-amp. If you struggle to adapt to the ‘claw’ technique, you also should look into getting a Scuf controller to help you have full control over your aim while jumping. Last but not least, you should also invest in a low response time monitor from Benq as it offers greater response times than an average TV screen.”
Follow these top tips and you could be the next big name in Call of Duty! If you're any good at the game of course!
Want to get paid to play your favourite game? Get the best advice from experts in our How to be a pro gamer series
