For many, the idea of earning a living as a professional gamer seems like a dream come true. Paying to play video games around the clock, with unlimited access to cutting-edge gaming platforms and the latest devices, sounds good on paper, as does the ability to create planes from around the world to participate. in international tournaments wholesale cash prizes. However, the reality is that very few gamers are in the job because it requires incredible dedication, determination and perseverance to meet the daily demands of a professional gamer's lifestyle. We all have a favorite game that we love to return to again and again, but if you were to spend almost all of your game time alone, spending about 80 hours a week for several years, with little time for anything else? To get a taste of what it means to be a top player in the professional game, we traveled to Seoul to visit the South Korean headquarters of Gen.G, a global sports organization that is responsible for winning many world championships. like League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm and PUBG - this is what we learned.
Play hard
In South Korea, a country considered by many to be an esports mecca, professional gaming is serious business. Earlier this year, Gen.G completed an investment round worth a staggering €46 million. Hollywood megastar Will Smith was one of his many paid investors. Formerly known as KSV Esports, Gen.G (short for Generation Gaming) was created in 2017 and has since expanded its global reach with offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai. It has 11 teams in total (including three Academy teams) and is ranked seventh on Forbes' list of top sports organizations. Arriving at the company's headquarters, which consists of an imposing seven-story concrete structure, it is immediately apparent that, although it is a pro-gaming organization, Gen.G is not there to play games, they are there to kick some butt. and win championships.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
Fully equipped
As our visit moves from one floor to the next, we are struck by how many perfectly classified rooms are filled with specialty gaming PCs - the expected RGB lighting and Gen branding. .G Esports.
(Image credit: TechRadar) Despite the number of cattle gaming PCs to be found in the building, we were surprised to find that, in the mind of a pro gamer, owning the right peripherals is probably more important than having the right ones. the latest GPU. “All the stuff is important, but I would say the keyboard and mouse pad are perhaps the most important because they are like weapons for a fighter,” says Gen. G team captain Seong-Jin Lee, also known as their player, Cuvée.
(Image credit: TechRadar) Very quickly, Cuvée makes us understand that things like fancy gaming chairs and ultra-wide monitors are more of a luxury than a necessity. "As for the chair, as long as it's comfortable enough, it's all good, and for the monitor, as long as it can understand what's going on, that's it."
We will need a montage
Of course, you'd like to be comfortable, given how much of the game Gen.G players play on a daily basis. To give us an idea, Cuvee walks us through an average day in the life of the Gen.G team captain. "Once I woke up, I washed up, had lunch, and then started training until lunchtime." I take my lunch break, then rest for an hour or two, then get involved in training in the afternoon, which lasts until the end of the day. dinner time I eat a quick dinner and then I work out again until I go to bed.
(Image credit: TechRadar) Jihun Lee, general manager of Gen & # 39; G, echoed this statement. "On average, during a season (players train) 12 to 15 hours a day. In the off-season, they train at least eight hours a day. As a general rule, players arrive at the Gen.G headquarters a little later in in the morning, sometimes they start their training around noon. This will often continue well after 1 a.m. Of course, players should use this time to strictly play the game they specialize in, which means you won't find them playing with other titles during work hours "I have a very strict policy in this regard. For example, when players evolve in this environment during training hours, they must stay true to their area of expertise, but of course they are free to play any game they want. they're on vacation or where they are at home," says Lee. "It's for them that the game is more of a job, and when you take into account the fact that these players are quite young, they haven't developed that sense of professionalism yet. distracted or carried away by the entertainment value or pleasure of a certain game, I'm afraid they are not as focused on what they should be doing. "
Game over?
Another thing to consider is that professional esports players tend to have fairly short careers, many of them starting in their teens and retiring around the time most people graduate. Of course, this has grown in recent years. "In the past, we would say that the maximum age at which players reach their maximum ability to play these games would be 18-23, but now we have many more categories of games," Lee said. "We've seen a lot of technological advances and more sophisticated games, so I think the life expectancy of a professional gamer has gotten a bit longer, which is why we see a lot of gamers around the age of 29." Lee continued: "I see this as a positive development, as my personal concern was to see all these professional players retire at a very young age, unable to determine what they would do with their careers. "Extending their professional lives into the game, I look forward to seeing more positive changes in the field".Broadcast on
(Image credit: TechRadar) Fortunately, the esports organization is looking for ways to help players continue their careers after the end of their competition day. During our visit, we observed many small rooms in the broadcast complex, each with colored lighting and large logos from sponsors such as Samsung and Razer. Lee explains that he encourages players to stream for various reasons. "From a gamer's point of view, of course, they have to consider their future career after they have retired, and now there are many opportunities for them to become professional broadcasters."
(Image credit: TechRadar) There are certainly other benefits to the organization itself as well. "One of the economic models of esports is streaming activity. One of the main reasons is that it allows a channel to communicate directly with fans. Therefore, we encourage players to participate in streaming features, especially from our From a point of view, once a year player salary increases, revenue generated from broadcast activity can help offset expenses from a business point of view."