Nobody can deny that esports are here to stay, and even the Olympic Committee has started to create and run specific esports events including their Olympic Esports Series, launched in 2023 and already planning a comeback in 2024 – we never thought we’d see Gran Turismo at an Olympic event.
Lots of people dream of becoming esports stars, and what’s not to like about reaching the top of the competitive gaming scene? People who reach the pinnacle potentially see the financial rewards, get the adoration of fans, and also get to travel around a lot exploring new countries and playing in front of thousands. The industry needs support staff as well as superstar WoW or Fortnite players, too, and this means an opportunity for those who are studying or changing careers…
Keep Up With Esports Industry News
For someone who wants to work in esports, it helps to know what is going on within the industry, which changes a lot with the release of new games and updates, such as the current transition of CS:GO into CS2.
This is a competitive industry so you’ll need to live and breathe gaming to get to the top, meaning keeping up with exactly what’s happening and following big companies like Valve who are key players in esports.
Tracking the latest esports news available at the Thunderpick blog is a way to keep up with what is happening in tournaments as well as upcoming esports tournaments in Valorant, WoW, and CS2, plus many other popular games. There are a great deal of blogs and statistic aggregator sites that also help to track players and their winnings, as well as world rankings for the top esports games.
Shifts in esports can happen really quickly as we all found out very recently with a bombshell of news from Dota 2’s developers that the Dota Pro Tour Circuit would end this year, and not come back in 2024. This kind of tectonic shift can happen quickly in esports and if you’re planning to work behind the scenes then you’ll need to be adaptable as well as know exactly what changes the industry is going through.
News sites can also keep you updated on what is happening at events that have a knock-on impact on the industry, like GamesCon, where there are annual announcements and usually some unexpected ones like 2023’s event when we heard about the launch of Expeditions: A MudRunner Game from Saber Interactive.
Study Esports in a Formal Educational Environment
Studying esports is an opportunity that most people aren’t aware even exists, but British colleges and educators have been leading the way educating people about the industry and what goes into huge esports games and events. A new qualification by BTEC was launched in 2023 to help give people the skills to work in the industry. This esports diploma is accredited by Pearson and available to adults looking to retrain for a career in esports as well as those still in full-time study.
Some of the modules in the Pearson esports qualification help people learn about key event management skills as well as esports branding, video production, coaching, and even some of the ethical debates found in esports, so it can equip people to work in other types of media or get into games development or even launch a business.
Beyond this, did you know you can actually get a degree in esports at a respected US University? The University of California Irvine, the University of Texas at Arlington, Ohio State University, Shenandoah University, plus Saint Peter’s University are among the early adopters for giving Americans the option to get a real college education in esports. Plenty of other colleges besides those mentioned have scholarship programs that function in the same way for esports athletes as they do for other elite sports like soccer or basketball.
Ready to Work in Esports? Get Your Name Out There
Got skills the esports industry might want to take advantage of or are you just willing to put in a lot of legwork to gain them? This is true of a lot of different industries, especially those involving gaming, so one of the best things you can do is to grab any opportunity to talk to esports companies or work at their events – you can even manufacture the opportunity yourself. You may be able to volunteer to help at an esports event, or network with local esports teams and athletes. Maybe your way to get out there will be to create a blog or a YouTube channel, or even a Twitch to stream your own views on the latest Valorant tournaments.
The industry is growing at a spectacular rate but it is still finding its way a little, and there is always new talent needed, so the people who show they’ve got that talent and dedication to their favorite esports, from WoW to Dota 2, will likely be in demand.