Who wants to be a pro-gaming MILLIONAIRE? Here’s how to do it
Interested in becoming a pro esports player, raking in millions in cash prizes and a six-figure salary? This step-by-side guide will teach you the ropes.
PRO-GAMING is a lucrative career.
When you combine salary (up to £20k per month for the top pros), six-figure payouts for tournaments, and individual brand endorsements, you're staring at a million quid annually.
And, with the industry blowing up – eSports is predicted to hit $1 billion in revenue this year – now's the time to grab a slice of the action
"As eSports reaches its tipping point into the mainstream, there's no doubt in my mind that pros will achieve the same fame as star athletes," Rob Black, COO, ESL UK (the world's biggest eSports organiser), told The Sun.
But, just like the biggest names in traditional sports, pro-gamers also work their socks off to be the best.
Still interested? Here's what you need to know to get started.
The NUEL also hosts university competitions for League of Legends and Hearthstone.
LAN parties (where gamers get together and play by connecting their PCs or consoles over a local area network) are also a good place to form teams, according to James Dean, managing director, ESL UK.
"The two biggest LAN parties are Epic.LAN in Kettering and Insomnia at the NEC Birmingham," he told The Sun. "And hundreds of smaller LAN parties also frequently take place across the UK."
4. League structures - Amateur to pro
Got yourself a team? Now you can start playing competitively.
Fortunately, there are leagues and tourneys for every skill set (from amateur to pro).
In the UK, you can join ESL Play, which is split into three types of tournaments and ladders.
There's ESL Open for newbies, which is free and open to everyone and includes small or no prizes.
The next step up is ESL Major: for semi-pros looking for guaranteed prize money.
And, at the very top is ESL Pro, which boasts limited slots for highly-qualified players, and the big payouts.
Outside of ESL, there's Faceit: an independent platform for pro competitions.
The organisation also holds its own Counter Strike: Global Offensive tournament, with a prize pool of $750,000 (£541,000).
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.