From being a pastime niche, to a career opportunity, esports has come a long way to become a global phenomenon. Not so long ago, it was once considered a fad for games, but it has now turned into a billion-dollar business. From professional gaming, production, management, and marketing and coaching, there are promising careers up for grabs within this esports ecosystem. But it takes more than just having a passion for gaming, one has to be technologically sound as well to enjoy a fulfilling career.

Also Read: Revenue models in professional sports league in India

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Numbers Backing Exponential Growth of Esports

This is not an exaggeration but esports has grown at an exponential rate, fueled by technological advancements, internet accessibility, and the ever-increasing video gaming culture. Here is an overview of the numbers backing that discussion

• The global esports market is expected to reach a valuation of over $1.6 billion by 2024.
• Games such as Diablo, Dota 2 and League of Legends World Championship draw millions of viewers worldwide.
• Social media platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming boast robust communities where fans watch their favorite players and teams compete live.

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Career Opportunities in Esports

This unprecedented growth within the Esports Ecosystem is creating a demand for professionals, who can handle various activities.

1. As a Professional Player

• Role: Playing games for a pastime and relieve stress is a different thing than playing it professionally. Becoming a professional gamer requires skills such as faster reflexes, quick decision making, and creative thinking. Competitions are held worldwide were professional gamers participate in tournaments and leagues for games such as Fortnite, CS:GO, and Valorant.
• Earning Potential: Big companies are always on the look out for professional gamers with great skills. Gamers are paid handsome salaries and earn sponsorships as well.
• Challenges: There is tough competition in this field. The need to perform consistently, and the shorter lifespan of an esport player, makes this a challenging job option.

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2. As a Streamer or Content Creator

• Role: Many gamers are now making streaming their full-time career as platforms such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Gaming rope in audiences. Streamers entertain by playing games, and discussing a whole lot of other things to engage their users.
• Earning Potential: Streamers like iShowSpeed earn in millions through advertising, subscriptions or sponsorships.
• Challenges: Building your own following is hard considering a huge community of E-Gamers already exist. The biggest hurdle is to keep creating engaging content which requires top creative skills.

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3. As an Esports Team Manager

• Role: With Esports becoming a billion dollar industry, there’s a demand for managers who can handle logistics, work on contracts, maintain schedules, and keep a tab on subjects such as sponsorships. The focus point for team managers is to ensure that there is nothing left for the players but to focus on their games.
• Earning Potential: Just like any other domain, there’s no limit to what a manager in the ESports Ecosystem can earn.
• Challenges: As the ESports ecosystem is relatively new, opportunities are few and far between.

4. As a Coach or Analyst

• Role: Coaches and analysts help teams in strategizing and analyzing gameplay to improve performance in esports. Their role become critical for teams fighting for the titles.
• Responsibilities: Analysing opposing teams, developing training schedules, and giving tactical insight during matches.
• Challenges: Someone looking to become coach or analyst, must possess skills better than actual game players.

5. As an Event Producer and Broadcaster

• Role: As someone working in production and broadcast, his role could be of a host, cameramen, sound engineers, or event managers.
• Responsibilities: They can work as event managers, video producers, commentators, or broadcasting professionals.
• Growth Prospects: The more these events go into large numbers, the more will be the demand for talented production teams.

6. As a Game Developer and Designer

• Roles: They are the ones who develop and design the games. But someone developing the game should have skills more then being of a developer. Interest in gaming helps a lot.
• Responsibilities: Game Designer, Developer, Quality Assurance Tester, and UX/UI Designer.
• Skills Required: Programming, creativity, and love for gaming.

7. As an ESports Marketing Professional

• Roles: As e-sports takes more and more centre stage, there’s demand for individuals who are skilled in marketing, branding, and sponsorship.
• Responsibilities: As someone working as a ESports marketing professional, the individual should have skill set in marketing campaigns; acquisition of sponsorships; and marketing of tournaments or teams.
• Skills Required: This role requires esports Culture Understanding, Creativity, and Negotiating Skills.

8. As an E-Sports Journalist

• Roles: Journalists write stories from tournaments, interview players, or focus on trends within the industry.
• Responsibilities: Craft engaging content for the internet. Post articles on trending topics and egamers.
• Opportunities: From Writers, Editors, Social Media Managers, and Video Content Producers, there are a host of opportunities for individuals.

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How to Start a Career in Esports

1. Identify Your Passion: Identify whether you want to be a coach, content creator or someone else within the esports ecosystem.
2. Develop Your Skills: Make sure to invest time in honing the skills relevant to your chosen role.
3. Build a Portfolio: Showcase your achievements, whether it’s a high rank in a game, a popular YouTube channel, or articles on gaming platforms.
4. Create Network: Attend gaming events, join online communities, and connect with industry professionals.

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Challenges in the Esports Industry

• Player Burnout: Intense schedules can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
• Lack of Regulation: In India, there’s certainly a lack of standardized rules and regulations.
• Gender Disparity: Women face challenges due to stereotypes.
• Monetization: It’s hard to create a following on any streaming platform due to already existing strong esports community.

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Conclusion

Whether you are a player, coach, manager, or creator, emerging opportunities in this field make it a good career choice for an ethusiasts who have interest in playing games. It can be a win-win situation for someone who loves playing games and have coding skills as well. As Esports continues to grow, the industry will only grow in future with an increasingly deeper impact on entertainment and culture. But playing and the dedication alone will not make Esports a job. One has to be innovative to become part of an explosive industry.

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