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Opportunities for (Extra) Profit: One of Three Ways to Monetize Your Passion 100 Percent is Yours

If you are a fan of computer games, if that is your true skill and passion, there is no reason not to turn that hobby into a source of income. If you live in a world surrounded by such content, you fully understand that any professional gamer, if they choose to, can become an entrepreneur, meaning they can earn some income from playing. Some will, as in any other job, be better and more successful than others, for some it will just be pocket money, but while the opportunity is there, why not take advantage of it?

There are indeed many opportunities for earning in the gaming industry. One of the ways, which is also the most lucrative, is to develop your own game that will become the new ‘Minecraft’ and captivate millions and millions of kids around the world and monetize everything it touches or perhaps ‘The Last of Us’, which will transform from a game into the best series HBO has ever produced. And they also produced ‘Game of Thrones’. Another way is to, for example, develop new software technology that will be applied in games and revolutionize the way they are played. If you do not have those skills, the third way, which we will write about, is to become a professional gamer.

Currently, there are so many well-known professional gamers in the world that it is difficult to even count them by income and profit, but if you ask them for some universal advice on how to transition from a hobbyist whose mom or partner complains that they spend too much time in front of screens and should engage in some ‘smarter and more serious job’, there are some guidelines that can help you get closer to the esports arenas, where money literally falls from the sky. It doesn’t fall, but almost…

Nothing Without Cameras

From those who have been there and finished, it can be heard that there is an order to how to profile yourself. First, you need to open a YouTube channel where you will broadcast the video content you create, not just the game but also a video of yourself playing. Cameras definitely enter your world, so comb your hair and take off your pajamas. The second piece of advice that should not be skipped is Twitch, live streaming all of that on that platform. Communication is key: you must communicate with fans, followers, and those who came to your content just to pour bile. Be measured in that communication. If your talent has not yet been recognized, perhaps a local game production company will hire you as a tester, which is another quite solid way to make a living from gaming.

And even when you do all that, it is still not a guarantee that you will be competing in esports arenas with golden sponsors who have become very aware of how lucrative and beneficial it is to be there and do not spare a cent to get involved in those sports events that are sometimes more watched than world championships. To even get close to achieving something there, you will have to stand out from the crowd of other streamers who play games.

Carefully choose the game in which you are best and come up with a way to attract the attention of a larger audience, which means you need to have a strategy. A pretty good way to get noticed is to run a gaming blog. Game experts can write about what they know. For example, as a blogger, you can create game guides, talk about computers and other equipment, describe the latest offers from gaming companies, and generally keep people informed. It takes a lot of effort and time to start earning from your blog. This applies to other networks as well. Run a blog on TikTok if you don’t feel like writing or combine it with your YouTube channel​.

Practice, Practice, and Practice

Keep in mind that esports is extremely competitive; do not seek mercy there, but do not offer it to others either. Tournaments are held all over the world, the prizes are, as we said, very, very rich, which is why there are not too many friendships within teams, let alone when individuals compete, especially since only a few of the best reach the top.

When it comes to a professional player, it is indeed important that they have well-developed reflexes and motor skills and that they are knowledgeable about the game. While streamers need to entertain their fans and be social, professional players just need to focus on being talented and dedicated. These professionals spend hours and hours every day honing their skills in a given esport, working just as hard as traditional sports players, just in a different way. The essence of competitive gaming is to be the best, so your reflexes and game knowledge must always be in top form. And that is achieved through practice, practice, practice.

Of course, the invitation to participate in the most important esports tournament will not fall from the sky, so it is important to participate in competitions. Any competitions. Even local, amateur esports events are good for practice and for building your brand because you can learn how other players play in a competitive environment on-site, and it is also good to be aware and learn how not to buckle under the pressure of public competition.

Another possible way to join professional esports​ is to use various online sites to find teams. On them, talented players can become professionals by applying for open positions in various online teams. Additionally, you can find spots for different skill levels, from top masters to gold/silver hobbyists. Some sites, like Team-Seeka and others, can be helpful in this. This way, you can also establish connections that will lead you to the professional scene. Networking is, as in any other entrepreneurship, quite important.

Dream Job

When we talk about income, they really vary: they depend on which game you play, what your skill level is, how many followers you have, and whether you work for a gaming company or already have a team behind you… But there is no shortage of money. In 2021 alone, more than $240 million was distributed across more than 5100 esports tournaments. The difference is enormous compared to just $14 million that those tournaments were worth globally not so long ago in 2012.

A large portion of the total amount for 2021 was awarded at the tenth edition of Valve’s annual esports event Dota 2 The International, one of the most well-known such competitions, at least for now, in the world. An incredible $40 million total prize pool was shared among 18 teams that just participated, and the final winner Team Spirit won a total of $18.2 million. Of course, these amounts inflated the largest individual earnings, so last year among the top twenty highest-earning gamers were players of ‘Dota 2’.

The lists of the best and highest-paid stretch endlessly, as do the brands that shower them with dollars to appear in some frame, if not already positioned professionally in some tournament… All of this sounds very appealing and great, but it should also be clear that it is not easy to enter the industry, and that joining major video game tournaments can take years. Nevertheless, more games have their own programs, such as scholarships or various funds to help finance new professional players, so it is not impossible to earn income from gaming that, with a few good investment moves and high professionalism and discipline, can become a dream job. 

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