How to Become a Professional Cyberathlete: Guide

Who is a Cyberathlete? This term is best used to describe a person that competes in computer game tournaments for cash prizes. Rewind two to three decades, and everyone would laugh at you if you said your dream was to become a gamer or you wanted to learn how to play games on verde casino.com. After all, the infamous saying at that point was, “You can’t go far in life by playing video games.” Not only did that statement turn out to be hugely wrong, but the world we live in today has also produced professional cyberathletes that are more successful than some of their fellow professionals in traditional paths like medicine, agriculture, and law. 

From professional cyberathletes like Ninja to Turner Tenney, the world of esports has its fair share of successful athletes, giving young people who dream of such career paths something to look forward to.

But why is esports/cybersport successful, and is gaming suddenly becoming a huge component of professional sports? The video game industry is the biggest entertainment industry in the world with a massive net worth of over $380 billion and many people; ranging from professional sports clubs to sports athletes are keen to be a part of this huge foray.

Like every industry or work of life, becoming a professional cyberathlete requires a lot of dedication and commitment, if one is to become a professional or even successful in this industry. Here’s our guide on how you can go from a casual or avid gamer to a professional.

Find Your Motivation & Your Niche

Someone who plays a lot of video games can tell you they have favorite ones. Also, there are games that gamers have to play cause everyone is talking about them. However, there are some games even great players have no chance in hell of becoming great due to the level of difficulty. Becoming a professional cyberathlete initially requires finding one’s motivation. Why do you want to compete against the best in the world? Are you doing it for the fun, or are your reasons financially motivated? Regardless of what is this, you need to find your motivation.

The next step in this process has to be picking your game. We have professional cyberathletes for almost every major video game, from the NBA to football, Formula 1, to mention but a few. It’s important to know your strengths and pick a game that matches them. Did we forget to mention passion? Playing a game you’re passionate about, not only ensures you have fun while playing but also limits your frustrations.

Train & Live Like a Professional 

When you come across a video of a cyberathlete for the Red Bull Formula 1 team discussing  you’ll notice they’re treated like professional athletes. From their nutrition to their training – everything is properly mapped out as a professional sports team would do for its players.

Becoming a professional cyberathlete takes a lot of practice and dedication, and if you are to become a good one it’s important to have a well-rounded approach to training which includes developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, increasing your knowledge of the craft, and developing good social skills.

Gear Up & Practice

Like a surgeon to his surgical tools or a farmer to his farming equipment, becoming a cyberathlete requires you to have the right equipment. Most professionals today use the same level of gear in their private spaces as they would encounter on the biggest stage of any competition.

Building familiarity and know-how with this equipment is equally as vital as the number of time spent playing these games. Whether it’s a mechanical keyboard and a gaming mouse or a gaming controller, it’s important to have mastery over the required gear if you’re to become a professional gamer.

The amount of time spent practicing and honing your skills. There’s a reason why the 10,000 hours rule exists and why most successful athletes and musicians make mention of it. Because to become a master or become great at anything, one must have spent an umpteenth amount of time practicing that skill.

Join a Team or a Varsity Program

Once you start to make your way up the career path as a cyberathlete – it’s important to join a team. The number of eSports teams owned by individuals and organizations continues to rise each day, and one of the best ways to build your reputation as a professional or an upcoming gamer is to join a team. The top teams in the world prefer to seek out and sign the best players, however, other teams offer tryout opportunities. Below is a list of top teams cyberathletes aspire to play for:

• FaZe Clan
• Fnatic
• G2 esport
• OpTic Gaming
• Team Liquid
• Cloud 9
• FURIA

In the past year or thereabouts, universities and colleges in the United States that offer programs on how to become a professional athlete appeared. Imagine going to college to become a professional gamer – probably not even the smartest parents would have seen that coming a few decades ago. 

Due to the rapid growth of cybersport in the world and its raving success, more educational institutions are starting to not only teach these programs but also offer scholarships to young students and potential professionals who excel in specific gaming fields. The educational route toward becoming a pro cyberathlete might seem less popular and recent, but it definitely offers a good pathway for interested players.

Compete and Build a Name for Yourself

A professional pianist once said: “The best way to get better is to do” – and more true words have never been spoken. No matter the career path you find yourself in or the field you choose, the best way to get better is to practice and in some cases compete. The best track-and-field athletes compete against each other to improve themselves, and the same trick applies to cyberathletes.

The best EA Sports FIFA players in the world are known globally, as the game ensures you build your name by playing from the lower divisions to the top division. The same can be said for most games, as you have to compete against different players from across the globe to earn the reputation as one of the very best. Playing against some of these other cyberathletes will not only help improve your skills but also get you exclusive invites to compete against the very best.

The world of cybersport continues to grow and evolve, offering young players or athletes the opportunity to become not only professionals but successful ones. And while it might not have been perceived as a genuine career path 20 years ago, it offers people with an interest in gaming the chance to earn a living by playing professionally for teams or earning income via streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube.