Can I make money and be a professional gamer?
Becoming a professional gamer and getting paid is much more achievable than in years past. Yes, you absolutely can make money as a professional gamer. The average career gamer can make $60,000/year, which is higher than the median income of $56,000 of ordinary Americans, based on the 2015 census data. Top prize money in the United States can be $200,000, with the Dota 2 International Gaming Tournament being upwards of $10 million for the first-place finisher.
So if you want to become a professional gamer and make money, here are 18 tips:
Some may seem fairly basic while others may be something that you have never thought much about. Success is much more about your approach to life, your mindset, and discipline in the endeavor you choose.
1. What You Must Do to Become a Professional Gamer?
How do I become a pro gamer and get paid? You may have dreamed about quitting your 9 to 5 job and transitioning to become a successful professional gamer.
Being paid to play your ideal game all day long is what many players want to do.
What’s not to enjoy about being compensated for playing your favorite esports title? The reality is much more goes into becoming a successful esports athlete. It is not as easy as staying home, ordering your favorite meal, or stocking up on your favorite PowerBars.
Dressing in your jersey from the team you play for, gaming anytime you choose, all day, in the morning, and not moving from the couch sounds good to some, but it will require much more than to become a professional gamer. Making a decent living out of esports competitions and building a reputation in gaming leagues takes hard work, discipline, sacrifice, true dedication, and the right mindset.
2. Gamers Must Be Committed
And even if you’re committed to putting in the necessary skillset work, personal growth, and the rigorous qualification standard, you must still overcome the day to day challenges and work to become the best in your esports game.
There are many considerations you must strategize for, such as giving up a consistent biweekly paycheck. You will need to travel, compete in tournaments, pay the application fees, and understand that sometimes you will not make any money. But if you’re devoted enough to put in the practice, enter the right tournaments, pay your dues, and give up the many hours that gaming requires, you may have what it takes.
How do I become a pro gamer and get paid?
Esports Gaming Success Requires Discipline
It takes more than just playing games all day to become a professional gamer. There is a big difference in those that accomplish their desires and those that work the day to day grind, get a guaranteed paycheck, and wait for the retirement, the vacation, or the next raise. To become great enough to make pro gaming your career and lifestyle, you must be dedicated and have the mindset to do what is necessary when obstacles and circumstances would say quit your goals are not realistic.
Gaming Is a Growing Industry with Increasing Opportunities
In all honesty, gaming is growing, and you could earn big-time income and opportunities in this pursuit of esports superiority. I say make a plan, stick to your plan, learn from your plan, and choose to live a life worth living. Go for it responsibly.
Going for it means developing a sound plan that includes proper preparation, responsibly taking care of current obligations like shelter, food, family, transportation, physical and mental health. Success is not just money; it is not just popularity; success is balanced and well rounded. Your goal of becoming an elite professional gamer that travels the world playing video games is a possibility, but you must have the mindset to do the work and the endurance to weather the storms.
Staying in front of the computer all day will help you in the short term but will harm you in the long run. You must combine mental training, physical fitness, healthy interactions with people, and getting out in nature to make it in the long haul.
3. Get Your Mind Right
How do I become a pro gamer and get paid? Mindset is everything. If you want to be successful in sports or life, you must take dominion over your mind to harness your physical, mental, and spiritual power. One of the best ways to get your mind right is by simply determining your why!
You must determine, why?
You must determine your reason for wanting to become a professional gamer.
If you can do this, you will take action, but action must have consistent follow-through.
When you start to define your ‘why’ it will provide the internal motivation that will cause you to take all the necessary actions, and stick with it through the struggles.
Find Your Motivation: How to get motivated to be a professional esports gamer?
Be honest with yourself and ask the difficult questions that will force you to get go the heart of your desires, your challenges, obstacles, and things that you will need to rid yourself of.
So if you are looking at how to get motivated, your ‘why’ is the root instigator or inspiration on how to get motivated.
When I look at my life, that is always the fundamental question I ask. Why am I doing this? If I am unable to find a significant enough reason as to why I should take on a task, project, or challenge, I don’t do it. Because I know that I must take massive action in accomplishing that task, project, or challenge, so the ‘why’ must be good.
In order to be a professional gamer, you will need to take massive action: massive positive, consistent action regardless of circumstance, obstacle, or challenge.
Learning “how to get motivated” is better phrased as “why you should get motivated.”
Motivation for esports…
Getting motivated in sports is not so complex, as you most likely enjoy gaming. If you do not enjoy it, there is a high probability that you will quit or will be unwilling to do the necessary work. So the right motivation always starts with your why and enjoyment for what you do.
I worked in Silicon Valley Corporate America for 15 years, at Intel Corporation as an engineer, so I have a long-standing relationship with gaming and the technology industry. I also know what it takes to continue working at something for years, pressing through when the novelty wears off, challenges set in, or the work stops being enjoyable.
The question you must ask yourself is, what is your WHY?
For example, if your goal is playing in the NBA 2k, NFL Madden, or ePremier Soccer League, you must figure out your why. Let me help you.
Esports MOTIVATION: YOUR WHY, DEFINE YOUR WHY
Finding your WHY. List why you will do the work to be the best gamer you can be. Examples may include:
- You enjoy everything about sports and gaming
- You’re constantly frustrated when you are not gaming
- Hate your current job
- Want more out of life
- Need more money
- You want a different job
- Desire to feel good about what you’re doing, but are not fulfilled
- Want to be part of a community of like-minded individuals
- You are a parent and absolutely need the money
- Want to do something great in life
- You are tired of watching others live out their dreams
When you start to define your ‘why,’ it will provide the internal motivation that will cause you to take action. The motivation that lasts a lifetime comes from within. If you are constantly comparing and chasing external validation, that will wear you out quickly. That is simply running on the hamster wheel, looking at a moving target. But if you can define internal reasons why you desire to be a professional esports athlete, you will most likely reach your goal, or at least come close.
Make a list of “why reasons” why you want to be a professional gamer.
Now make a list of skills you must acquire in order to reach your goals of being a professional gamer.
4. Pick Your Platform
Most high level, elite competitive esports gaming, and strategy gaming are focused on a PC Desktop as a platform. As a gamer, picking your gaming platform will depend on which specific niche you choose to become a gaming professional. If you’re most interested in console gaming, you still have the choice to become a high earning professional gamer, but often the genres are limited.
For example, console gaming esports competitions are typically fighting games. However, the competitive gaming niche is getting more diverse. Leagues for console gamers are becoming increasingly more active, as reputable brands like Nintendo and Microsoft want in on the big money, revenue, and industry.
So if you’re more interested in console gaming versus PC, now is a great time to get into the professional gaming industry. Nintendo hosts a popular Super Smash Bros tournament, and FIFA now has a competitive league. The genre of esports growing rapidly as esports athletes are being recruited and drafted, much like the Lebrons, and Zion Williamson’s of the NBA. PS4 and Xbox opportunities are increasing every year.
5. Find Your Niche – The Game You Enjoy and Show Ability
To become a professional gamer and make a high paying career out of it, you must develop and master your gaming skills in one game. Only the very elite, most exceptional athletes will become professional gamers and earn money by winning high paying competitions.
It is very difficult to be someone who can play multiple games. It’s much easier to master one. Becoming a master of gaming and separating yourself from the pack will take effort, practice, endurance, staying power, and, again many, many, many many hours of practice. So you must choose a game you’re good at and enjoy. Sharpen your gaming skills until you dominate your friends, local competitions, and tournaments with ease. Esports games have several leagues, including games like Fortnite that have competitive gaming leagues where good money can be won, and you can get invitations to bigger tournaments. It is a must that you find the game for you, you master and dominate the competition. To do the necessary work, you will need to enjoy what you play.
6. Choose Your Gaming Genre
Choose a genre such as sports or strategy war games. Many hobby gamers like to change different games often; one day, they are playing Madden, the next Game of Thrones, the next a Martial Arts games. This is great in the beginning stages of gaming as you learn different skills that will make you a more well-rounded player, but if you choose to reach the elite stratosphere levels of gaming, you will likely need to focus on a genre. Only the best of the elite can make a living out of esports and become professional gamers that play in NBA2k leagues, NFL Madden, and ePremeir; it’s important to pick the gaming genre you enjoy and are great at and dedicate your gaming effort to perfecting your skills. Pick the genre you are motivated by and have the natural ability, skills, and discipline yourself to become the best of the best.
7. Watch Streamers and Professional Competitions
The growth of internet streaming has allowed the beginning gamers to experience high-level gaming. Watching the best of the best will enable you to learn how they approach the game, what tricks, tips, and secrets they use to advance. Esports professionals approach the game utterly differently than an average gamer. They may lose to win or use passive movements versus aggressive ones to progress. Watching professional players during a streaming session and live competitions will help you improve your skill level and advance your gaming strategy.
8. Get Good at One Game – Really, Really Good
To be an expert in your esports game takes work, sacrifice, overcoming obstacles, commitment, dedication, and of course, natural skills for the genre. Beginning or casual gamers will understand how quickly time flies when you’re spending time playing your favorite game. So to become a professional esports gamer, you’ll need to put even more time into developing your skill. Choosing a game and platform to learn on is critical in your growth curve and will make getting better much easier and more straightforward. For example, if you play a lot of PlayStation, you’ll have an advantage if you decide to establish a solid career as a pro gamer by playing PlayStation games since you built your skills playing on this platform and within a specific game.
9. Study Tips, Tricks, Secrets, Strategies, and Techniques to Improve Your Performance
A great way to improve performance is to look for YouTube channels, blogs, and books, for top tips, tricks, and new strategies and techniques to maximize your in-game performance and ability to win tournaments. The one technique that separates pros is their knowledge of shortcuts, tips, and tricks that make difficult moves easy. There is a wealth of online resource guides and online books for advice on a specific strategy and esports games. Like I mentioned before, things that may seem insignificant and easy to overlook to some can help even the most advanced gamer.
10. Communicate and Build Relationships with Other Gamers
This is something that many gamers may have a problem with, as it is easy to sit in the lab and communicate strictly online. But the best way to get to know someone is by having a conversation. Networking is not just about getting something from someone, but rather adding value to people’s lives.
So don’t network with the purpose of some benefit, but instead network with the goals of building a lasting relationship and seeing how you may add value to someone’s life. When you do this, the result is usually supportive. Yes, some people will use and attempt to manipulate, but be aware and if you see this happening, just remove yourself from the situation without friction and negative interaction. But most of the time, people will appreciate when you are kind and add value to their life. This is usually returned in some way. The reality is you never know who may be that person to give you a tip that may transform your life.
11. Invest in the Top of The Line Gaming Products
Developing your skills will only get you so far; you must have the best gaming gear if you want to become an elite professional gamer. If you are an esports athlete, it is wise to see what your teammates use and attempt to mimic each and have the same features. You should work in harmony together for the best results. Things you should invest in:
- High-End PC
- A mouse that has incredible ultimate precision that can handle rapid-fire movements and works with pinpoint accuracy. A mouse that molds to your hand, grip button use style so you’ll feel comfortable after hours and hours of gameplay.
- SteelSeries offers a range of professional-grade and multi-award winning gaming hand controllers. Preferably wireless!
- High-End Monitiro Ideally, your monitor should be a 144Hz monitor with a one millisecond response time for the best experience.
- Your PC itself also should be top-spec, so it can handle any game without lag or stuttering.
- An incredible sound system so you can hear all sounds.
- Headsets by SteelSeries has all the world-class specifications you need to help you become a professional gamer.
- High-End Mic
12. Compete in As Many Tournaments as Possible
The contrast between an esports league and a gaming tournament is that the esports league is played over a season. League players gain or lose rank based on performance in each game. An esports tournament is usually performed over a much shorter time frame, sometimes a day or weekend.
The high competition includes Fortnite and Counter-Strike. Enter smaller online gaming tournaments to begin building skills, confidence, and understanding of the gaming tournament process. Once you experience success, level up and enter competitions such as the League of Legends World Championships, Intel Extreme Masters, or ESL. Tand other big-time live events.
13. Look For Sponsorship To Help You In Becoming a Pro and Get Paid
Winning popular big-time live events will provide a nice payday, but another way to earn money is by getting sponsorship from people in the gaming industry or companies that are related to the industry. Think about all products related to gaming; those are opportunities and may give you access to training facilities and such.
Getting yourself a sponsorship agreement is the best way to earn income and bring your goal of becoming a professional gamer a reality. Some brands in the esports industry will pay you to use their gear and wear their merchandise. Ideally, you want to find companies that you believe in.
14. How to Speed Up The Process With a Professional Approach
Becoming a professional gamer is not easy, but it is possible. The industry is growing, and you will see more opportunities arise in the coming years. The best way to expedite your desire to be a professional gamer is by approaching it like a career. You must set aside training time, practice time, competition time, watch live streaming sessions, and business marketing. You must approach your desire to be an elite level gamer like a professional: schedule, work, discipline, strategy, and results.
15. How can I play in the NBA 2K League and get paid?
Tryout Process for 2020 Season
- The NBA 2K EsportLeague Qualifier: From October 22 – November 10, players will complete an online NBA 2k application and win 50 games in Esports NBA 2K Pro-Am game mode or The Rec while being victorious in at least 50 percent of all NBA 2K games. Here is the 2020 application location.
- The NBA 2K League Player Combine: From November 18 – December 9 only for players who completed application and qualifier.
- After the face to face or virtual interviews with a league representative take place, you will then get a conditional offer for the NBA 2K League Draft Pool. The conditional offer includes your eligibility to be drafted, along with Salary range agreements. The draft poll will be made up of the top 150 players during the week of January 13.
- There is a separate NBA 2K League European Invitational for esports athletes located in the European geographical region. The league’s first-ever NBA 2k qualifying event in Europe took place on Dec. 13 – 14, 2019, in London. The two-day event identified elite 2k players from Europe who were given conditional offers and made eligible for the 2020 NBA 2K League Esports Draft.
- The second NBA 2K League APAC Asia Pacific (APAC) Invitational took place Jan. 20 – 21 in Seoul. The 2-day esports event identified elite players from the Asia Pacific region who were made eligible for the NBA 2K Esports League Draft.
- Teams will host Pro-Am tournaments in their local NBA city markets with draft eligibility granted as some of the prizes for top players.
- 11 NBA 2k teams hosted Pro-Am tournaments in their local markets in 2019 with top players from each esports tournament were awarded the coveted spots in the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft pool.
16. How can I improve my gaming performance from a technical standpoint?
Building your gaming system from the ground up may seem complicated and not worth the trouble. In reality, this can be done relatively quickly and for less than you think. If you genuinely want to become a gaming professional, you will need a top notch system that can handle the high-end graphics with speed, precision, and without hesitation or program. You need reliability!
If you want reliability, security, and robustness, you need to look no further than Intel products. While I did work for them, I am no longer employed by them and do not earn any money for recommending their products. But I can say they are by far the most reliable chipset company out there. Building a PC that starts with Intel products is a great foundation to start with. You may deviate with different graphics cards and such, but the foundation should be based on Intel architecture. Here is an excellent page about building a gaming PC that you will find of great value—just insight information.
17. How can I improve my gaming experience from a mental standpoint?
- Focus on one game
- Eliminate bad habits by making better decisions and learning to say no!
- Take time to visualize success
- Join a mental training academy or network
- Try to be around people that have similar life goals as you
- Choose to be positive versus negative. Choose to embrace a positive outcome!
- Get at least 7-8 hours of rest every night
18. How can being healthier improve my gaming experience?
Working out, eating right, getting proper vitamin D and sun exposure, as well as having healthy loving relationships can help your gaming experience tremendously.
Choosing a balanced healthy lifestyle will support your gaming aspirations in these seven ways:
- You will have more mental, physical energy to devote to gaming activities.
- People will support you in your gaming goals.
- You will be healthier, which will support longevity in gaming.
- Better focus.
- Eating right can promote brain health focus and concentration, which are necessary components for gaming success.
- Working or cross-training can improve reaction times and muscle performance.
- Getting out in nature is an absolute necessity for a healthy mind, body, and spirit.
Can I make money as a professional gamer?
Professional gamers can make a living from salaries, endorsement, and tournament awards. Professional games can make upwards of $100,000 in purse money for the bigger tournaments and $40,000 in salary from sports leagues like the NBA 2k. Another pretty income stream for professional gamers includes support through donations and subscriptions on platforms like Twitch and Mixer.