Gaming
esports
How to be a pro gamer
Want to carve out a career playing video games? There’s no easy mode to get there, but follow these tips and you could one day be an esports legend.
If we’ve learnt anything in the last few years, it’s that life is far too short to be stuck on a Zoom call. Gone are the days of putting your hopes and ambitions on the backburner — now is the time to dream a little…
Particularly now that Ireland has its first ever dedicated gaming centre, The Red Bull Gaming Hub. Located inside SETU Waterford, this space is stacked with state-of-the-art gaming equipment and, of course, stocked with the only the coldest of Red Bull cans, ensuring esports players can have ultimate focus on their chosen titles. If you want to make gaming a lucrative 9-5, this part of South East Ireland isn't a bad place to start.
Harness your skills at the Red Bull Gaming Hub, SETU Waterford Campus
© Red Bull Ireland
Becoming a pro gamer will test you in ways you’ve never been tested. It requires hard work, talent and a whole lotta luck, and yes occasionally some world class facilities as shown above — but it’s not impossible.
Here, we’ve put together a list of realistic tips on how to succeed. Let’s just clear up a few basics first.
What is a pro gamer and which skills are needed?
A professional gamer (in the purest sense of the term) is someone who competes at major esports competitions and takes their preparation every bit as seriously as a footballer or tennis player might do for their respective discipline.
Big Bird's advice is to pick one character and stick with them
© Li Xiu Hoang/Red Bull Content Pool
Typically, they have one genre they specialise in and may hop between titles. Others stay firmly in one lane. Take Adel 'Big Bird' Anouche, he's a fighting game stalwart who may have flirted with Dragon Ball Z down the years but has mostly focused on Street Fighter on the road to becoming one of the greatest to ever do it — his recent Red Bull Kumite 2023 win in South Africa proof of that.
It's also very common to see elite players represent major esports organisations, otherwise known as ‘orgs’, who assemble the best talent out there. Players can get picked up by online leaderboards, LAN events, streaming presence, or a combination of all three.
But knowing how to be a gamer who is able to stand out from the crowd, who can mix it with the very best, is easier said than done. Getting to the top not only requires countless hours of practice; natural talent plays a part, too, which often includes, but isn't restricted to, gaming IQ, coolness under pressure, finding your flow and super fast reflexes.
Red Bull Racing has also made inroads in esports
© Red Bull
How competitive is the gaming industry and esports?
Extremely. If it's not chasing the next tournament paycheque, keeping the content coming for your loyal Twitch subscribers or simply staying one step ahead of the competition, even the biggest esports star are constantly juggling plates. It's usually far from a long career either, with the average age of retirement just 26. That's not to say an older player couldn't make it pro, it just highlights how fast of mind and digits you have to be.
Yep, it's a hard slog to make it pro and a short lifespan when you're there, but fairy tales do happen. Just like in the brilliant 2019 documentary Against All Odds (below), which charts how a struggling Dota 2 outfit, Team OG, came back from rock bottom to win The International 18 and pick up a giant €14m cheque.
1 h 21 min
Against the Odds
This is the journey of five Dota players and a coach, who just two months before had never played together.
How much do gamers earn?
This can differ greatly depending on the competition or status of the player. While entrants into the The International have been known to battle for a prize pool of €30m, the winner of a racing sim event might not even get close to €30,000. Given this disparity, many esports stars supplement their income with sponsorships, brand deals, merchandising and advertisements from their streaming channels.
Now without further ado, here's a list of ways to make it as a pro gamer...
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1. Tap into your passion
What are you good at? What video game do you love to play? Forget those dollar signs in your eyes, the fame — all that can wait. Before anything else you must find a title you’re passionate about that you can marry with your talents. You’re going to have to knuckle down and play said title until your thumbs go numb, day after day, so most importantly of all you’ll want to find a game that keeps you hooked. That goes for characters, too: Red Bull Kumite 2023 champion Big Bird advises any fighting game players to pick one character and stick with them.
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2. Strike a balance
Lena Guldenpfennig
© Red Bull
Don’t Jerry Maguire it and put your entire life on the line to pursue a dream. The chances of going from semi-decent amateur to challenging the world’s best overnight are slim to none. Instead, start by gradually increasing the amount of time you put into the game, grinding as much as you can, scouring through YouTube tutorials, asking rivals for feedback and ultimately ironing out any weaknesses in pursuit of greatness. Try to incorporate gaming into your lifestyle as much as possible and, who knows, one day you might end up like women’s footballer Lena Guldenpfennig, who scores goals for RB Leipzig’s women’s team by day but also wins esports matches for Leipzig’s esports team by night.
“I meditate before a game to clear my mind of anything going on around me. I also prepare with stretching.”
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3. Stream to be seen
Esports isn’t the only way to get paid to play games professionally. Streaming platforms like Twitch allow gamers to build up large and loyal audiences which allow them to earn thousands of euros through subscriptions alone. Elite streamers cultivate, engage and bond with their audiences, creating digital campfires for everyone to come around to keep warm. It works both ways, too, with even the most talented streamers benefitting from loyal support and relationships forged over time. Streamers earn some of the biggest money in gaming. It’s also a fantastic way to build a community. Sharing your gaming experiences with others will not only teach you what it’s like to play with eyeballs on you, but encourage you to pick up a controller or switch on the PC when you’re lacking motivation.
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4. Climb the online ladder
Liam 'Jukeyz' Lunt made his name by winning Call of Duty tournaments
© Will Douglas/Red Bull Content Pool
Nothing beats self-promotion. If you want to get noticed, put the hours in and grind. By reaching the very top of your game you may be able to unlock opportunities elsewhere. Many of the competitors at FIFA’s prestigious esport tournaments found their way there by going unbeaten on Weekend League. Climb the ladder in your favourite game and you’ll build yourself a virtual CV before you know it. The moment everything changed for Call of Duty favourite Jukeyz was winning Syndicate Sundays, which he’d qualified for by achieving Prestige Rank 1 status, and also being able to stream his gameplay on social. He calls it the best thing he ever did: "When I won Syndicate Sundays, the first-ever major tournament hosted on Warzone, my team were massive underdogs. Everyone else seemed to have pros on their team. We basically did the impossible. Anyway, Tom Syndicate was watching me, and everyone was watching him, so a lot of people started supporting me after that moment. My stream had been doing pretty good until then but that was the kick start and from then onwards it was crazy."
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5. Find events and LAN tournaments near you
As you grow in confidence, find out if there are any LAN events which you can enter near you. The experience and exposure you can generate at these events is unmatched, and you’ll find a far better gauge of how you than play in front of a crowd when the pressure is on, than you ever would online. Moreover, if you’re a fan of FPS games, you’re in luck. Spanning 50 countries and some 300 universities, Red Bull Campus Clutch is a Valorant tournament that you simply don’t want to miss. Exclusively open to students, it gives you a chance to feel every inch the pro player in elite esport competition. And
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6. Go green
How to be a gamer who stays focused? Go green. When The Red Bulletin spoke to League of Legends star Faker about the secrets behind his success, nobody expected him to name the humble houseplant. But he did: “I put them in visible places to remind me to water them,” he explained. “They ease my eyes and keep my mind calm. And the colour green has a calming effect.” He's not wrong. Plants have been scientifically proven to increase focus and help the brain, and considering how gaming is a very domesticated discipline, a leafy addition to the house two might just give you an edge. Another method Faker uses to keep his mind sharp is meditation: “I’m used to playing under pressure, and I’ve developed ways to keep calm,” he says. “I meditate before a game to clear my mind of anything going on around me. I also prepare with stretching.”
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7. Capitalise on the meta
The meta, or the ‘Most Effective Tactics Available’, is the en vogue strategy to win a game. And when a big new release hits the shelves, or a patch raids your memory banks, the meta can shift quicker than Sonic, levelling the playing field between amateur players and pros overnight. If you're able to work hard enough to a master a meta early on it could be enough to push you up in the ranks until you're vying with the best.
If you have confidence you can beat anyone or at least put up a tough fight."
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8. Get more sleep
Barry Bridges, a Sports Science Graduate and Professional Sports Coach, has previously told Red Bull that getting a full 40 winks might just be the difference between killing it at an esports tournament and an early ticket home: "Sleep helps us restore long term memory which is vital for gaming — especially when learning new game skills while scrimming. Proper sleep regulates your digestive system, helps prevent burnout and fatigue and also assists with faster reaction and hand eye coordination. All of which are vital for a competitive player."
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9. Don't get stuck in a rut
Red Bull Gaming Hub is Ireland's very first dedicated esports centre
© Red Bull Ireland
We might be long past the tired cliches of full-time gamers operating out of their parents' basement, but if you're going to reach the top you'll probably be spending a lot of time in the same place. To combat mental fatigue, look for new places to train and meet new players, such as at Ireland's new Red Bull Gaming Hub at SETU, Waterford. And if you want to take your skills further afield, Red Bull recently opened its largest esports venue in Aarhus, Denmark, which boasts 160 PC gaming stations available, an esports arena, a streaming room, a console area, Sim-racers and snack bar courtesy of the wonderfully named Bytes.
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10. Hype yourself up
Think like a champion and you'll become a champion. Ok, it's not quite that simple, but having confidence in your own play, whether it's a cocky stride when walking up to a gaming chair or deep belief that you can turn around a match even when the chips are down, is a huge plus. Speaking after a win at Red Bull Flick 2020, Sekiro of CS:GO team F1REPOWER said: "Confidence is key no matter what, sometimes when someone has a higher level than you, and it makes you feel like "wow maybe we lose this'', But that's not the case. If you have confidence you can beat anyone or at least put up a tough fight."
FAQs on how to be a gamer
1. How much do pro gamers make?
That all depends. Some gamers will earn millions per year, others will earn hundreds of thousands, and then there are those who make an honest career and just about get by. But if you're going to take up an esports career for the money then perhaps it isn't for you. The odds are stacked too high against the average player to crack the glass ceiling to go into this industry solely for the cash.
2. How do I start my gaming career?
First, check if a video game you're passionate about has any esports value. Does it have many tournaments? And if so is there decent prize money on offer or other perks? Next, find what it takes to qualify for these tournaments and where they take place. Finally, dig into the list of tips above and embark on your quest for gaming world domination.
3. Can anyone become a pro gamer?
Yes, even you...
