Career Options for Avid Gamers
Video games are, for most people, just a passion. But many dream of going further and turning it into a vocation. How exactly they make that dream into a reality varies from person to person as there are plenty of paths for gamers to go down on the way to turning a hobby into a career.
While there are hundreds of options, here are the main ones you may want to consider if you think it might be the way for you.
Esports Player
Esports are competitive video game events, structured as either leagues or knockout tournaments. Players take part as either individuals or within a team, competing for prize money on a computer, smartphone, or console.
These players often work in a similar way to athletes in physical sports, agreeing sponsorship deals with brands, attracting large fanbases, and becoming famous figures.
The size of the market for competitive gaming has grown exponentially in recent years and many are predicting that the growth of esports in the next decade will accelerate.
With that, even more esports players are going to be needed. If you’re someone who wants to get in on the action, then you’ll want to join video game communities, take part in open events, and/or start to stream your gaming sessions online to build a name for yourself and attract interest from teams.
Professional Streamer
Streamers do something similar in that they make a career out of playing games. There is some overlap as many streamers also take part in esports, but you can also be just one or the other.
For the most part, streamers are entertainers who amaze their viewers with their gaming sessions on sites like Twitch and YouTube. Some are popular because of their incredible gaming skills while others are just fun personalities that engage their audiences with funny things they say and do as they play.
Getting started involves starting a channel on a streaming site and working hard to promote it.
Game Tester
A more traditional way to make a living from playing video games is to become a tester. These are people who work for the developers of popular titles who are tasked with trying them out to find bugs and glitches.
It can sometimes sound more glamorous than it really is, as you don’t just get free reign to do whatever you want. You’ll often find yourself working through checklists to ensure each element is tested before a game can be rolled out.
To be a game tester, you need to apply for advertised testing jobs, just as you would for many traditional work positions.
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