Would you like to become a pro-gamer? Here are the mental steps that I think could lead you on the right path! Of course, these are very personal suggestions!
Find Your Favorite Game
Let's say you have the crazy idea of becoming an e-sports professional, what game should you play? There are several. If you feel lost, just have a look at the top games on the Twitch platform.
But hey, I think that ideally, it's best to go with a game that you love.
Choosing a game to which to direct my immense talent as a **cough** professional player and according to my tastes, I would probably go for Call of Duty.
Depending on which category of video games you prefer, there may be many choices for a career as a professional gamer.
Fan of fighting games? Think Street Fighter V or Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. Fan of shooting games? Rainbow Six Siege and Overwatch are good avenues. An arena fighting game? Go with a League of Legends! Sports? Rocket League!
In short, there is something for all tastes and styles!
Have Talent (Duh!)
It's good if from time to time you get a "moment of grace" in your favorite video game, where you feel invincible, with a ratio that would make Stéphanie Harvey jealous. But if it happens only once per month during the full moon night, you might need more than that to become a professional e-sports player.
I've had some of those nights at Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War with a 3 to 1 ratio, but not many. I can still see myself screaming with joy in my living room: "Wow, I was on fire! So, am I on my way to becoming a real pro-gamer?" and then have the worst game in video game history in the next round...
But if you're more consistent than I am in your video gaming performances, there are several specific tools to find players according to the game you choose, such as Rainbow Six Siege's SquadFinder, which finds compatible players for you.
Don't forget to register on Seek Team, which is also a great recruitment platform, depending on the game you choose.
Practice, Practice, Practice
It is important (in the perspective of becoming a pro-gamer) to practice your video game sport on a daily basis at home. There are different ways to perfect your art and I invite you to consult my recent column illustrating what the training of a pro-gamer can look like.
Whether you're banking on consistent performance at Fortnite, surgical precision at Rainbow Six Siege, or applying optimal strategy at Overwatch, there are different academic courses to learn how to become a professional gamer and e-sports training.
The Schools of Matane
Cégep de Matane offers a supervised practice of electronic sports to its students. This is the first Francophone Cégep to offer this training and to explain to young people what they need to do to become e-sports professionals. This while focusing on a healthy lifestyle, physical fitness, adequate sleep, and the pleasure of playing.
For younger students, training is also offered at the Polyvalente de Matane for secondary 1 to 5 students, in the form of a program reminiscent of the "Sports / Extracurricular Studies" style. Students are freed from a period of time to move on to electronic sports training, but must train indoors, have good academic and behavioral results, all in a well-supervised and structured follow-up.
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto also offers e-sports academic training since 2017.
"Any undergraduate student in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering with an average of 3.5 or higher is eligible for the scholarship," said Victor Xin, founder.
In addition to very good grades and everything, Victor Xin is looking for people with a great passion for e-sports but also wants to "reward for leadership qualities, no matter how they are manifested."
"I want to help students who are pursuing leadership and personal development activities, but who are doing it in a different way".
Interesting to apply this leadership aspect to such training.
Of course, this leadership quality can be very useful when a player is part of a team of pro-e-sports players, but also in everyday life.
St. Clair College
St. Clair College also offers e-sports training, which also appears to be quite comprehensive. With a strong focus on the academic average, there are also local tournaments, as well as tournaments outside the college in Ontario, Quebec, and Michigan.
How to become an e-sports Pro Player? You now have a few pointers to help guide your career choice. And what's great about these academic courses and the coaching in place is that they teach the player not to overdo it.
Games are so addictive these days, it's easy to get lost in them and not sleep for a long time. You should see me with Cyberpunk 2077...
