What skills are essential for a career in esports?

Having a career in esports is a dream for many. However, the question remains, what does it take to have a career in esports? Today we will dive into different roles in esports and what people require to fill them.

There are multiple roles in esports and not every one of them requires the ability to play the game. People can become pro gamers or coaches for a team, or they can become desk analysts or hosts to entertain people.

If this is not what your expertise lies in, you can always try out other opportunities like organizing esports events or becoming a game developer for an esports title.

Each of these roles requires at least a few sets of skills as a necessity to have a career in esports.

Here are some of the most common skill requirements for people generally looking for a career in esports.

For players and coaches

• Passion for gaming - Esports is all about being better than other players, and if one does not have the push to defeat others, they might not enjoy competing. The only way one can enjoy a career in esports is to have a passion for gaming or the esports industry.
• The game itself - Knowing the game and having mastery in every aspect of a game is one of the most important skills to become a professional player or coach. This can be improved with regular practice sessions with both solo and playing with other good players.
• Teamwork/Communication- While playing a team-based game, it is important to pick a role and stick to it. This allows others to fulfil their role and ultimately transforms into teamwork. Furthermore, a player also needs to have on-point communication with others, which can help them gain further advantage during a game.
• Analysis -  This is an important skill for both players and coaches. Knowing the opponents is half the game. Looking back at your mistakes and improving upon them, while also analysing what the opponents did, goes a long way for gameplay improvement.
• Adaptability - Adapting according to a certain situation is another important skill to have in esports, which can give a huge advantage in certain situations. Taking out the strong player or taking advantage to make enemy weakness into your strength is an important aspect of adapting.
• Working under pressure - Players need to constantly play under extreme pressure, it can be from different sources like not being able to perform or under threat of losing a game or tournament. In these times, they are required to keep calm and do their best rather than panicking and making mistakes.

Also Check: How is the esports industry changing in 2024?

For other roles in esports

For those who have something different in their minds apart from playing or coaching, like being a commentator/desk analyst, event organizer or even a game developer, here are some of the most important skill requirements.

• Public speaking - Being able to speak up in front of a huge crowd properly is not only a trait for pro gamers, but it is also one of the most important requirements for live commentators. To let people know about the situation and strategies of teams, hyping them during an insane moment is an art which requires an ability to express in front of thousands. People who have stage fights might not be good for commentary.
• Ability to charm audience - It is not uncommon to see fans calling out the commentators for boring commentary to avoid that, they need to keep up their energy levels at peak throughout the game. They also need to be quick-witted and able to make others turn their heads and focus on the game.
• Game knowledge - To let others know about the game, one will require the knowledge themselves. As an analyst, it is important to know the breakdown of strategies and what players did that helped them succeed in a situation. Knowing how a team generally performs according to different situations and opponents is important and is an integral part.
• Technical knowledge - In order to host large-scale events requires a lot of knowledge. Ensuring that players do not have any issues while playing and viewers do not miss any moment of gameplay is the job of an event organizer and for that, knowledge regarding these things is necessary.
• Programming/Game design - This skill is usually for people looking to create video games or contribute to an existing game that is an esports title and while they don’t actually require how to play, they do need to have knowledge on how to make a game especially one that people will enjoy playing repeatedly.
  
  
  
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