It is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to tell their children to stop playing video games and do their homework instead. Nowadays gaming is a viable career path, and many leading lights have become millionaires thanks to their prowess at Dota 2, CS:GO, Fortnite, Overwatch and League of Legends.
They have reached the top by spending a huge amount of time honing their skills, so children are increasingly inclined to claim they are investing in their future by playing video games. Practice is important, but you also need various attributes to become a pro video game player:
Determination
Teenage gamer Bugha revealed that he spends six hours per day practicing his skills after he won the $3 million first prize at the Fortnite World Cup last year. Anyone that is serious about becoming a pro gamer needs to spend at least six hours per day in front of a PC, and that requires determination.
It is easy to skip training when you feel bored or fatigued, but that sets you on a path to failure. Your rivals are all training hard and you will soon be left behind if you do not keep up.
Focus
You must also have a laser sharp focus on the game you decide to play professionally. Casual gamers might play a bit of Fortnite, switch to CS:GO the next day and then spend the weekend playing Fifa. Pro gamers do not have that option.
You need to pick one particular game and dedicate yourself to mastering it. A game requires a really high skill ceiling to succeed as an esport, meaning it is always possible to improve your skills. The only way to achieve that is by focusing hard on it and constantly striving to improve.
You also need to display immense levels of focus when a match gets underway. There are all manner of distractions, but must shut it out and simply concentrate on doing your job to the best of your ability.
Endurance
Esports stars must display heroic levels of endurance to flourish within this ferociously competitive sector. Casual observers might scoff at the notion that it requires endurance to sit in a chair and play video games, but it is actually an extremely taxing pursuit.
You need to be sharp, alert and focused for long periods of time, which requires huge mental endurance. This will also allow you to maximise long training sessions and improve your skills.
Many gamers guzzle energy drinks in order to aid their endurance, but that really should be a last resort. The best strategy involves staying physically fit and strong, getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated and eating a nutritious, balanced diet featuring lots of complex carbohydrates and vegetables.
Creativity
Dedicated esports fans may think they have seen everything when it comes to LoL or CS:GO, but then a young virtuoso will come along and blow their minds by pulling off an astonishing feat that nobody ever thought of before.
Creativity is an undervalued attribute when it comes to succeeding as an esports pro. The best gamers see things that others simply cannot, and this visionary nature allows them to devise intriguing strategies that allow them to succeed.
Problem Solving
Pro gaming essentially involves solving lots of problems at a rapid pace. Check out the latest latest esports betting odds and you will see the same teams featured among the favourites for all the big tournaments.
They are packed full of pro gamers that excel at subjects like science, technology, engineering and mathematics, which all require an analytical brain and an ability to solve puzzles.
Many schools and colleges are now keen to launch esports teams, and many even offer esports scholarships. They know that extracurricular activities make students feel part of an academic community, which improves attendance rates and focus. It also helps them develop STEM skills, brings discipline and helps them contribute to the school ecosystem.
Government schemes in many countries help grassroots esports schemes get underway, and many of the big franchises run academies. If you like problem solving and you can achieve it at a rapid pace, you should get involved. It might make you a millionaire.
Teamwork
Most esports are team-based pursuits and they require you to work well with other players. You must be a strong communicator and display an aptitude for either giving commands or acting upon them.
Leadership is an important skill for some stars, but many gamers do not require this trait. You simply must be able to work with your peers towards achieving a common goal. Everyone has a role to play, and the results will be dazzling if you can achieve an elite level of harmony with your teammates.
Agility
Succeeding at an esport like LoL, CS:GO, Dota 2 or Overwatch requires a great deal of agility. Human opponents are creative and unpredictable, and you must constantly adapt as the action develops. Problems will constantly be thrown at you, and you will only thrive if you display the sort of agility that lets you react quickly and make intelligent decisions under pressure.
Dexterity is also important, as you will be rapidly manipulating a mouse and keyboard, or a controller, during the heat of battle. If you can move and think quickly, while drawing conclusions about the action that is developing and displaying the level of adroitness to outfox the opposition then you will go a long way in the exciting world of competitive gaming.
