Luci Kelemen
Coaching and psychology
The nascent nature of esports competition means that teams, orgs and general managers are still trying to figure out what is the best kind of backroom staff for a gaming team. Coaches with high-level experience in the game or even coaching expertise in other sporting roles are very much welcome here, as are people with expertise in the field of sports psychology, especially those who have previously worked with young people. Both of these roles can be fulfilled without high-level gaming expertise, though the latter definitely more so than the former.
Content creation
Just like traditional sports, the esports experience is fueled by more than just the events and the competition itself: all the discussion and reaction and eyeballs generated alongside the prestigious battles on the server are a big part of what keeps the lights on, be it a news article or a discussion video, maybe even a podcast.
Though most dream about creating their own ironclad personal brand as a content creator where everyone’s looking for their unique and special input, the freelance copywriting/blogging avenue is also very worthwhile if you do it well (speaking from experience), allowing for a sort of free schedule and versatility that is the best part of other freelance writing jobs.
On-camera talent roles
Similarly, someone with a decent-sized YouTube following, good public speaking skills and a decent understanding of a game can steer themselves towards casting, hosting or an interviewer role. Though this is a very different proposition in the pandemic world than it would be otherwise, the merry-go-round nature of esports means that these positions often warrant a traveller’s life with a lot of time spent on the road – but with pretty good compensation packages to make up for the travels if you can crack the tier one events.
Event organizing
All those fancy LANs we watch are fancy because of the hard work of many unseen hands responsible for the location and the equipment. Much like how music festivals and other big offline events require insane logistics to make sure everything goes just right, esports tournaments and expos, more specifically the hosts responsible for putting on a good show, are always on the lookout for reliable individuals to fix things up and keep things smooth. It can be a great pathway to other roles as well due to its on-the-ground nature – you know, once the world goes back to normal.
Game design
What’s better than playing the hot new game for megabucks? Designing the next one which will grab all the headlines, that’s what! Gaming is now bigger than Hollywood in terms of impact and revenue as entertainment products across the field are competing against one another for the limited commodity that is our attention. Getting involved with game design with a keen eye for high-level competition is a very valuable asset, and can be a great pathway to a lucrative and fulfilling role in the industry.
…and much, much more
Esports lawyers, data analysts, union representatives – the possibilities are truly endless. Though esports as an industry has truly blown up over the course of the past few years, there are still many esports job opportunities for enterprising individuals to carve out their own micro-niche and find a fruitful role in the world of competitive gaming. With enough dedication and creativity, any sort of expertise can be leveraged here – which is part of what makes the space so interesting for those of us already involved with it.
