10 Reasons You Should Become A Professional Gamer and 10 Reasons Not To
So, You Want to Go Pro?
Being a professional gamer is much like being a professional athlete: the stakes are high, there’s a lot of pressure, you have to devote tons of time and money before making it, and you have to be one of the best. For those few who succeed, it can be a highly rewarding career choice. Unsure if you have what it takes? Here are 10 reasons to become a professional gamer and 10 reasons not to.
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1. You’re Very Skilled
If you’re thinking about this career path, it’s probably because you’re highly skilled at a certain game. Being a pro requires winning competitions so you need to be among the best.
2. You Would Be Gaming Anyway
A career in gaming requires a huge time commitment spent sharpening your skills. If you’re playing a lot of hours anyway you may as well get paid for it.
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3. The Celebrity Recognition
A lot of people are drawn to professional gaming for the celebrity status that sometimes comes with it. If being in the public eye and having a fan base appeals to you then maybe it’s the right path.
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4. It’s Rewarding
Making a living off of your passion can bring a lot of fulfillment. What’s more, when you’re winning competitions that you’ve spent a lot of time training for, it gives you a sense of accomplishment.
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5. It’s A Thriving Industry
As the gaming industry continues to grow, it provides endless opportunities to you as a professional gamer. You can even work with companies to test their games, try out new equipment, and gain sponsorships.
6. You Get To Work From Home
No need to trudge to the office every day. With lots of gaming competitions happening online, you can work and earn money from the comfort of your home allowing for a better work-life balance.
7. You Can Make A Lot of Money
Some professional gamers become downright rich from their earnings. However, keep in mind that this depends on skill level with the yearly salary ranging from $25,000 to upwards of $1 million.
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8. It’s A Constant Challenge
As a pro gamer, you can expect to be kept on your toes. It isn’t easy to be the best and you’ll have to constantly push yourself to the limit, develop your skills, and continually improve.
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9. You Love Technology
As a pro, you’ll be at the cutting edge of technology, testing out the latest innovations in gaming technology. As such, you should be a bit of a tech nerd and easily adapt to new things.
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10. The Sense of Community
Gamers adopt a tight-knit, niche community when they start playing professionally. This becomes not only their fan base but their friend base, especially when so much of their time is spent playing.
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Now that we’ve talked about reasons to go for it, let’s talk about some of the downsides of professional gaming.
1. It’s Unstable
Because your earnings are based on performance, income from professional gaming is often unpredictable. It's a bit like gambling: it can go uphill quickly, but it can also fall apart in an instant.
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2. It’s Highly Competetive
You’re not the only one who thinks they have what it takes to go pro–professional gaming is extremely competitive. Many aspiring players are all vying for those very few top spots so you have to be extremely good.
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3. The Physical Strain
As a professional gamer, you’ll spend many long hours sitting, fully engaged on a screen with few or no breaks. Many pros experience weight gain, eye strain, muscle weakness, and lower back pain.
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4. The Pressure to Perform
Because your livelihood depends on it, there’s a lot of pressure to perform. Some players might experience anxiety and burnout from this.
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5. Might Take The Fun Out Of It
Turning your passion into your job sometimes has the unfortunate outcome of taking the fun right out of it. Suddenly, the thing you used to do to unwind becomes your daily grind and you no longer enjoy it in the same way.
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6. High Financial Investment
There’s a high financial investment like gaming equipment, tournament buy-ins, and travel costs before you see a cent of earnings. Eventually, you’ll probably get a lot of this covered by sponsorships, but it’s a big gamble in the beginning that’s enough of a barrier for many.
7. Long Hours
While some pros can manage their time and only work around 30 hours a week, there are tournaments where you'll be playing 50 hours straight. This kind of schedule doesn’t allow for a very balanced life.
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8. Online Toxicity
Being a professional gamer will earn you friends as well as foes. You need to be prepared to be at the receiving end of a lot of online trolling and hate and have the mental capacity to brush it off.
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9. Isolation
Spending all your time gaming might get you an online community, but you’ll be pulled away from your real-life interactions. This can lead to feeling of loneliness and depression in some people.
10. You’re In the Public Eye
Being in the public eye might appeal to you if you like the idea of fame. However, forfeiting anonymity comes with the baggage of having to maintain a certain image even when you’re not working.
