Working towards a career in esports or gaming while quarantined featuring insights from syndereN, swim, and BanKs

I guess the first thing that you need to mention is that you actually need to like to speak with people, cuz with time you may realize that it's a little too much. Second thing, SMM, is a little blog with photos or on a Twitter account. It is an art, the art of communication. It might be funny, but through your blog, you are trying to express yourself. And you need to understand how to make it right. You need to understand your community, common topics, jokes (how to make your content funny and not too "try hard"). You need to speak on the same level.

After that, you need to understand your theme, type of content (what exactly you want to share). It might be pictures, videos, music, or texts. It depends on what you want to do so you can decide what skills to develop. But you need to have a passion for what you're covering. My passion is games, and I love to speak with people. I really like to make videos and work with Photoshop. Then, I need to share it. That is my formula.

I started playing Gwent and really enjoyed it, and a friend of mine at the time asked me to stream, which a few people over the years in Dota suggested as well, so I ended up trying it out. I blew up almost immediately, but I think the most important thing is that I feel like I kinda found my calling. It was incredibly empowering and I've never felt lost since.

I think for aspiring content creators it's super important to pick something you enjoy. Honestly the reality is you'll eventually burn out if it's your job, but picking something you're really passionate about will make it take years instead of months. Don't worry about most of the "setup" costs, I think a lot of people care way too much about meaningless stuff like equipment and overlays.

I don't recommend a greenscreen or fancy audio equipment; 3 years into streaming and I still use a crappy USB microphone. The only thing that matters after that is being able to put in the research and time (be prepared for 50-80 hours a week with no income at the start). Lastly, a tip for growth: the strategies to grow when you're small are the opposite of the strategies employed by the already big fish. Think about that, and understand that, and you'll do just fine.

I got into casting back in DotA, actually. There wasn't really any expert angle back then in casting, it was mostly solo casting by one play-by-play commentator. I talked to Madmortigan back then (American guy who mainly cast NA stuff) to hear if he wanted to try to have me on. He did, people really liked it, and things took off from there. Esports now is a lot more crowded with talent and people trying to break through, so it's pretty tough. We're not really in the infancy anymore. The best thing is to have a good work ethic, put in the hours, listen to constructive criticism while blocking out flat out hate, and try to find a way to stand out and be unique in your own way.

I think that's a big mistake; people dream so hard that they don't have an idea of saying, "Oh, maybe if this doesn't work, there's not another option." They're so focused on making it happen, and I agree with that because, like you want to make happen, it's a dream, but not everyone can live out their dreams. I'm very lucky that I can, but it certainly hasn't been easy. And I come from a council estate background, low income, meaning that I didn't have anyone to bankroll me. I had to make this work myself. I moved out at a very young age from my parents, and I kind of had to stand on my own two feet, and I had to make this work.

Basically, everything that I did, I did it while I was studying, or I had to have a full-time job and to do esports as a part-time. So for many years, I burned the candle at both ends doing normal life, normal work, normal studying, and then esports in the evening, the whole time. I took the long route, but I just never gave up on it.

I've worked across multiple industries doing very different things, but writing was always my first love. I never imagined I could make a career out of it, but here I am. Esports journalism requires more than just a passion for the games. You need to be willing to learn, leave your comfort zone, and make sacrifices. Every hurdle you scale will get you that much closer to your goal.

I couldn't even dream that I would be where I am now. I always loved games, including esports. I played Dota 2 a lot, but I did not have a goal to get into esports, because I did not think that I was good enough or had any vital links. I launched my career as a journalist, if you can say that, on a website dedicated to football and the Manchester United Football Club. I translated articles there, made digests, and we even translated a book about EPL! Of course, this was my hobby, and I did everything free of charge.

Later, after graduating from the Institute of Journalism, I got a job as a BTL manager in an advertising agency. It was hard for me for many reasons, but one day a friend — I met him on the aforementioned fansite — wrote to me and suggested working as a translator for a website about esports. I agreed: some extra pennies while the topic sounded quite interesting. All in all, I leaped from a translator to a real journalist. The moral is: follow your hobby and try to find a place of interest, then work hard and the money will come.

Just write! Journalists are writers, first of all. Create a blog, subreddit, Twitter account — just write, compose your texts, try finding new approaches to the game, dig deeper, re-read, and get embarrassed by your previous texts. Once you figure out what your strengths are, upgrade them. Then, just look for a vacancy and be bold.