JOB ROLES IN ESPORTS
Beyond the spotlight of competitive gamers lie positions that defy convention and intrigue the curious mind. From esports event managers orchestrating electrifying tournaments to data analysts decoding in-game strategies, and from shoutcasters narrating epic battles to esports psychologists fine-tuning mental prowess, the industry is a treasure trove of innovation
As the esports ecosystem continues to expand, so too does the demand for unconventional skill sets, sparking the imagination and beckoning those with a flair for the unexpected to explore the limitless possibilities of a career in esports
ESPORTS ADMIN OR REFEREE
Esports administrators and referees ensure fair play, smooth operations, and the integrity of competitive gaming events
Administrators will record the outcome of matches, make sure that the players are sticking to the rules, and hand out penalties if any are broken.They will often have to communicate with teams to settle any disputes, keep track of the tournament brackets and offer support to the community where needed.During live events for example LAN finals, admins will usually keep an eye on the teams, monitor matches and make sure all rules are adhered to, for example that the players are wearing the correct noise-cancelling headsets, and that no foul play is going on.Admins may be required to help set up, test servers, chase sign ups, sort seeds and make sure everything runs according to schedule. This means you might have to work with the teams and make sure they’re all on time.
Admins are responsible for dealing with any in-game or on-stage issues, for example if a PC freezes or a keyboard breaks mid-tournament. Because of this, they will need to know the game and the tournament’s rulebook inside out, to enforce the rules and avoid any controversies or unfair decisions. They will also want to keep pauses, delays and downtime to a minimum
Communication skills are important. For example, telling a team they’ve been disqualified is not easy, and you’ll want to do this in a calm manner to prevent the situation from escalating.Aside from good interpersonal skills, you’ll need to remain vigilant, and resolve any issues quickly, efficiently and professionally.As mentioned before, you’ll also need a thorough understanding of a game’s rules, as well as the rules of the tournament you’re operating. Furthermore, you’ll need to know how the tournament bracket software or website works so it can be updated.
Though its rare, cheating and match fixing unfortunately still happens in esports, so admins will also need to constantly educate themselves on new hacks and exploits that may be emerging, so they can spot them and act accordingly.
Junior positions are a good way of getting your foot in the door. Tournament providers will be on the lookout for volunteers, and putting yourself forward can help you gain valuable experience.
As mentioned above, you’ll need to understand the rules of the game and the tournament. Read the rulebook, watch matches online, look at examples of where things went wrong and learn from them.Get to grips with different tournament bracket systems like Battlefy and Challonge, and ask the community for advice.You can start small offer to help a friend out with a smaller tournament, for example, and work your way up from there.
ESPORTS AGENT
An esports agent represents gamers and hosts, securing jobs, managing branding and negotiating contracts and sponsorships
BECOME AN ESPORTS AGENT
Some professional gamers, hosts or other talent in esports will utilise to agents to help get them work, maybe handle their branding, or enter into contract negotiations and sponsorship deals.
Like traditional sports, an agent is someone who looks after a player or other talent’s best interests, whether that’s securing sponsorship deals, handling their image or negotiating better contracts for them.
An agent will represent a player, caster or other esports professional, perhaps handle paperwork and usually look after the legal aspects of their career, allowing the individual to focus on doing their job in esports.
They will aim to do whatever’s in their clients’ best interests – and will usually take a commission on deals and contracts secured
Some agencies may also act as personal assistants to their clients, managing their schedules, such as booking accommodation and travel for promotional activities. Others will handle a brand or individual’s image or arrange commercial partnerships on their behalf
They may be responsible for buying or selling players (or representing entire teams/rosters) to other organisations and helping to broker the deal.
Good agents can also help players transition to another role after their career as a pro player is over. They may also handle some elements of life coaching, events and marketing and PR.
Alexander Davis from Evolved Talent Agency, which is based in Los Angeles but has agents around Europe including London-based Alex, explains: “Agents and agencies may also act as consultants and, in a way, PR managers, taking care of their clients. Talent scouting is a big part of the job too – you need to be able to take risks and sign players and talent.”
“Some agencies might look after influencers, others will represent teams, and others will represent players and talent too.
Agents will need to have strong negotiation, networking and communication skills. Like sales people and recruiters, they will need to have a knack for building relationships with key stakeholders.
Agents must be skilled at selling the players/talent they represent, and showing to teams and partners why the player deserves a good deal or a contract.
They will also often be well versed in contract law and other legal areas of employment. Because of this, some legal firms will have agencies and offer player representation.
Of course, agents will also need a good reputation and understanding of the esports industry, along with a solid contacts book.
A degree of outside-the-box thinking and the ability to come up with fresh solutions is also required. For example, if an agent believes their talent is worth more than an employer is willing to pay, they may negotiate other incentives such as optional extras and individual performance-based bonuses over a certain time.
Alexander Davis from Evolved Talent Agency says it’s not an easy role.
“It’s more difficult than you think, players aren’t always happy (for example if they’re being sold), and this can throw the entire deal up in the air. You never know what they want, they may change their mind and you may have to deal with egos. You need to be able to help advise and guide them.
“The role involves building relationships and team building. I sit down with team managers and understand what they’re trying to do, then I know what’s happening in a certain esports scene in the next year and I can negotiate for players and help them correctly. I regularly reach out to players and DM them saying they did well in a tournament for example. I stay in touch with them, it’s good practice and you never know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Junior positions are a good way of getting your foot in the door. Tournament providers will be on the lookout for volunteers, and putting yourself forward can help you gain valuable experience.
As mentioned above, you’ll need to understand the rules of the game and the tournament. Read the rulebook, watch matches online, look at examples of where things went wrong and learn from them.Get to grips with different tournament bracket systems like Battlefy and Challonge, and ask the community for advice.You can start small offer to help a friend out with a smaller tournament, for example, and work your way up from there.
ESPORTS BROADCAST & PRODUCTION
Explore the industry Esport Broadcast & Production, where technology and gaming collide
Putting on a live esports broadcast production requires a massively vast selection of different skills and people to bring a live show to air. There are creative elements, technical challenges, project coordination tasks, and the most crucial part about live broadcast – you only get once chance to get it right!
Live production work can take place either from an esports studio’s own dedicated facilities, or remote stages and stadiums across the world that require the team and equipment to travel to that location. An esport studio’s dedicated facility might feature various permanent stages or studio sets, as well as custom-built ‘broadcast galleries’, where the production crew work to create the live broadcast.
The end goal for a production crew is to fully manage the process of broadcast planning (pre-production) all the way through to executing the live broadcast for viewers at home to watch live. By incorporating all the elements of a live broadcast like on-air talent, gameplay feeds, live graphics, music, lighting, staging, camera mixes, and streaming – you end up with an esports broadcast.
It’s important to understand that while some roles are often employed full time by esports production companies, many productions also make use of professional freelancers to undertake certain roles for a particular esports broadcast
Roles often employed full-time by esports production companies include:
- Executive producer
- Producers
- Graphic designers/operators
- Technical managers
- Multi-skilled studio operators
- Content writers
Roles often given to professional freelancers include:
- Camera operators
- Sound operators
- Floor managers
- Technical directors/camera directors
- AV / lighting technicians
- Replay operators
- In-game observers
- Makeup artists
While there are many different skills that span across the different roles within broadcast, having strong technical skills is an absolute must for any role. Let’s look at some of the key roles within esports broadcast, and some key skills for each role:
- In-game observer: Excellent knowledge of the chosen game. An awareness of the technicalities of live broadcast in order to understand how gameplay elements fit into a wider broadcast flow.
Live broadcast director/producer: Excellent leadership skills are recommended – they must be able to clearly communicate with large teams and deliver concise introductions, often during incredibly high-pressure
situations. Must also have a clear vision of the live broadcast and able to take the lead on important decisions, taking into account all stakeholders on the project. A strong creative vision required in order to plan all elements of the broadcast.
- Technical director/camera director: A creative eye is needed for providing an interesting mix of camera angles to cover on-stage events. Clear communication skills are recommended to provide instructions to the camera operators, plus a technical ability to setup, program and operate complex vision mixing desks (panels with lots of buttons, used to choose the correct camera, gameplay or video feed).
- Instant replay operator: Good knowledge of specific games are a must in order to provide the best replay clips, plus technical understanding of the replay hardware in use. Usually, Vmix Replay or EVS systems are used within esports productions.
- Floor manager: They will have creative ideas for assisting the director/producer in deciding how parts of the show are staged – for example, how will player interviews take place, where will the presenters be standing, how will the winning team raise their trophy at the end of the show and so on. Good leadership skills are helpful, to take responsibility for managing the stage areas of a broadcast environment.
- Technical manager: Once a production crew has created a live broadcast, it’s often up to the technical manager to ensure a good stream is transmitted to the internet for viewers to watch in the highest quality. It goes without saying a technical manager needs to understand a magnitude of different technical systems – with a strong emphasis on networking and live video encoding.
- Sound Engineer: A strong passion and technical understanding for live sound is a must. Usually, the role of providing an audio mix for broadcast, and a separate audio mix for the speakers in an auditorium are split into two different roles. It is normally also the sound engineers’ responsibility to manage the communication systems that allow a production crew to all talk to each other on complex digital headset systems, known as talkback systems.
You may be able to volunteer as a backstage crew member for an esports tournament and pick up some skills as you go. Get in touch with an esports production company if you’re local!
Use the experience to find out what it’s like and to establish key contacts, which may be able to give you more work in the future.
There are many big TV broadcasters out there that offer good work experience placements, apprenticeship and graduate schemes, which can set you on your way.
If you’re more interested in trying to get hands-on as quickly as possible, some of the technical systems in use by esports companies have software trials you could download and try yourself at home – even learning the key technicalities of streaming from home will provide a good foundation for technical esports production
ESPORTS CASTER & HOST
Casters and hosts are a key part of esports – they can really bring matches and events to life.
A shoutcaster (aka caster) is another name for a commentator, who will speak over the action to engage, inform and entertain the viewer.
Casters will need good knowledge of the game and teams they are casting, to offer personality and bring a match to life.
There are typically two types of casters: play-by-play casters (who provide running on-the-fly commentary) and colour casters (who provide supplementary information or comment, usually following a noteworthy moment in a game).
Hosts act as the main presenter of a tournament or event. They will usually take the stage, hype the audience up, introduce teams and may be required to interview players and other experts, like a TV presenter
There can be crossover between casters and hosts, and different tournaments may utilise different formats. Some hosts also work as casters
Both casters and hosts will need to have great communication skills and be able to use their voice to keep the audience engaged. They will also need to keep the show going and be able to cope with any technical problems that occur mid-broadcast. For that reason they will work closely with the production team Esports can be intense and broadcasts can go on for many hours, so having energy and being able to pace yourself are important aspects to consider too.
With broadcasting platforms like Twitch and YouTube, and plenty of grassroots event providers around nowadays, it’s easier than ever to start casting.
You can create your own channel online, reach out to tournament providers to pick up some experience, or start casting over existing matches and produce showreels to show off your casting online.
Picking up experience is key. That will allow you to produce more work, which could catch the eye of other game publishers and tournament providers in the future, getting you more work and growing your reputation too.
Esports casters and hosts will need skills similar to TV presenters or radio hosts, so studying a course in presenting or broadcasting can help boost your skills relevant to these roles.
Having a contract for a permanent role will mean a more secure, regular wage coming in each month, but going freelance may give you greater freedom and a higher potential salary. However, while it’s not easy going freelance, as work may be sporadic, many event organisers in esports will pay to hire a caster/host for a daily or per-event basis Getting paid on time can also be a challenge as a freelancer, some invoice payment terms from companies can be several months. Not knowing when the next paycheque is coming in can be difficult to manage
Ultimately it’s a balance you have to weigh up. There aren’t many full-time roles around and it’s a competitive space, so carve your niche to set yourself apart.
ESPORTS COMMUNITY MANAGER
An esports community manager is a pivotal role within the gaming industry, responsible for fostering and maintaining the relationship between a gaming organization and its community
This is someone who can look after a community of a particular game, esport, tournament provider or other area of gaming.
They might have to engage with and respond to the community on social media, for example on Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, plus platforms including YouTube, Reddit, blogs, websites, Twitch and forums to name a few.
Community managers will usually work closely with the PR and marketing teams, or be a part of this team themselves, as what they do can influence how the audience
feel about a product or brand. Because of this, they may be required to write press releases, conduct interviews and post regularly on social media.
They will also need to identify key requests and reactions from the community and feed them back to the team.
Because the role is so people-focused, having experience or knowledge in human resources could also be a bonus. As it’s such a customer-focused sector, you may be required to work closely with any product management and sales/partnerships teams too.
Community managers will need to be receptive to the community and to know their specific game, product, brand and customer demographic inside out.
The gaming and esports community can be extremely passionate and vocal, so a manager will need to be patient and understanding.
They will need to have a good grasp of social media, know their gifs from their vlogs and keep up to date with the latest and greatest memes and social platforms. Decision making is also important – which fan content do you share, which tweets do you retweet? Good communication, writing, video editing and design/Photoshop skills are also recommended. Perhaps most of all, having a personality and style that is in tune with the game or brand at hand. Communication managers may be required to attend events, arrange meet and greets and help the fans in person too.
Another community manager explains: “As a community manager you have your hand on the pulse of the community and have a really good idea of what the community want/need from the ground up. This makes you an important asset in a company that wants to find out what strategies and products to create.
“Being able to create your own ideas and concepts with this knowledge is also incredibly useful in directing what projects can be created in the future that directly benefit the community.
“Because of this knowledge, I think community managers often get tasked with operational projects as well, such as event management, so having organisational and management skills are incredibly useful!
“There’s a lot of different paths you can take from community management, depending on whether you worked more closely with different departments in a company, and often community managers move to influencer management, project management, marketing/social media or partnerships/business development in the future.”
One community manager tells the British Esports Association: “My top piece of advice would be to get as much experience as you can by volunteering your time to a community you’re passionate about.
“In terms of a qualification, a marketing/communications related degree is a good choice if someone did want to go down that path, because there would be lots of transferable skills. I did a visual communication degree, which was mostly graphic design focused with a little bit of copywriting/marketing in it, but from what I know, a design focused with a little bit of copywriting/marketing in it, but from what I know, a degree isn’t essential.”
ESPORTS COACH & ANALYST
To become an esports coach or analyst, you’ll need a combination of expertise, experience, and passion for the game.
Like traditional sports, a coach will help the team train against other teams in order to improve.
Coaches work closely with the players, to motivate them, identify their strengths and weaknesses and make sure they are playing at their best. They will develop strategies and analyse opponents in order to win as many matches – and tournaments – as possible.
A coach is responsible for every aspect relating to performance within a team. This includes, but is not limited to, growth of individual skill of the players, team cohesion, in-game strategy, motivational responsibilities and discipline.
There are several coaching roles which include head coach, draft coach, strategic coach and sports psychologist. It is very common for one coach to do multiple roles within a team based on the large variation of coaching structures within esports teams. These roles can differ greatly depending on the team you’re in.
Will “FrozenDawn” Burgess, a UK League of Legends coach who has worked with Schalke 04 Esports, says: “As well as teaching the players certain aspects of the game, particularly macro-based decision making, coaches may also be required to resolve conflicts between players and motivate the players to improve.”
Coaches may also be required to record videos of matches, watch them back, keep up to date with the game in question, make notes and arrange scrims.
You will need an excellent understanding of the rules and intricacies a particular game, and usually be required to be able to play the game at a reasonable level yourself. You’ll need to keep up to date with game changes and the meta (how pros are playing the game in a certain way), analyse other top-level matches to get ideas, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your players, and come up with strategies. Coaches and analysts may be required to analyse opponents, come up with reports, communicate with and use data effectively with players
Some coaches are expected to assist the manager or owner in the recruitment of coaches are expected to assist the manager or owner in the recruitment of players, helping with venues, monitoring the health of players and more.
FrozenDawn explains: “There are no set qualifications required for such a job. I myself have an Mres in Philosophy.
“Essentially, to get involved one needs to have the skillset for the role – which includes people management, deep knowledge about the game and communication and teaching skills.
“They then to prove to themselves and others that they have this skillset and that their skillset is better than someone else’s. In order to get involved, typically one has to prove themselves to a lower-tier team in the league as they eventually climb to higher-end teams and leagues.”
As is the case with other esports roles, competition can be fierce in this area, so getting experience is key. There are many amateur-level esports organisations in the UK that will be looking for decent coaches and analysts. While they might not be able to offer a salary, offering to volunteer part time for them throughout a season can be extremely valuable in terms of getting experience.
terms of getting experience.Will “FrozenDawn” Burgess offers his top tips:
- My first bit of advice would be to make sure you understand what you are doing and WHY you are doing it. Understand what motivates you, how hard are you willing to try, how much time and effort and for how long will you keep pushing. Making sure you know these will help clarify your situation for you and will prevent backlash if it all goes wrong.
- Secondly, I would suggest focusing very much on clear goals and objectives. Not only as a coaching mechanism, but primarily for yourself. Start with a main overarching goal and then figure out how to achieve it and based smaller, easier goals from this.
- I would advise being entirely self-critical and reflective. Consistently look back at your day/week and reflect on what you achieved, what you didn’t, what you did well and what you could have done better.
- Make sure you have a contingency plan. Don’t drop out of school or college or university unless you have a strong offer. Something at any point could go wrong and you need to have a life available in case it does. This isn’t to say ‘don’t dream big’, of course if you want something, do everything you can to go get it. But be aware that at any point something could go wrong and you don’t want to be up the creek without a paddle.
- Never stop learning and self-reflecting.
ESPORTS EVENT MANAGER
Esports Event Manager find physical event space, and putting on a tournament, it can be incredibly rewarding.
Event managers are responsible for ensuring a particular tournament or esports event is delivered as expected. That might mean it generates certain viewer numbers, ticket sales and a positive reception from fans and the press, or if there are particular difficulties that arise, just making sure the event goes ahead.
This role is similar to a project manager or product manager, but is obviously purely focused on putting together a great event or series of events.
It’s an incredibly varied role – as event manager you’ll need to liaise with many different teams, from production, to external partners and stakeholders, venue management, marketing and sales to name a few. Some businesses may be required to juggle all of the above themselves.
Event managers may need to come up with new ideas, solutions and ways of making the show work, even when faced with challenges and directions. They will likely have to manage a team, budgets and timescales, research venues and suppliers, book equipment, hire contractors and be mindful of health and safety.
They will also want to make sure everything is technically organised, for example all the systems are set up correctly, the internet is working as it should and stands and other physical elements are in the right places.
ESPORTS PRO GAMER
Professional Esports Pro Gamers – are players at the top of their field. But what does it take to become an Esports pro?
Pro gamers are usually signed to a particular team and will compete in different tournaments for prize money.
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They often start off in amateur or grassroots tournaments – or reach the higher rankings within a particular game – before catching the attention of bigger teams. Pro gamers are among the best in the world and have truly mastered their respective game(s). Because of this, it’s important to be aware that, much like professional footballers or other athletes, only a small percentage will make it to this elite level.
There are many esports games out there, from shooters to strategy titles, sports games, fighting games and many more, all with their own setups, ecosystems and leagues. Different games require different skills – a pro League of Legends player may not always make a great CSGO player for example, and vice versa.
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As esports has evolved, so have the duties of the players. They are now influencers as well as professional athletes – esports is the intersection between sports and entertainment and many eyes are on the pro gamers as they are the stars of the show.
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Players will need to get along with their teammates, work with the manager, coaches and analysts, and may be required to fly all over the world to take part in competitions. They may also need to take part in sponsor or partner initiatives, journalist interviews and fan meet and greets, while upholding a professional manner and meeting other requirements as outlined in their contracts.
Fnatic’s professional League of Legends ADC player, Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson, says that being competitively natured with a lot of focus is key. Here are his top three tips:
- I think climbing the ladder shouldn’t be a goal, it should be something that just happens with the other goals. Playing the game a lot and putting 110% into every game is the first thing of ever becoming something.
- I would say the second thing is to be really open minded. I would even say that playing one champion or a few set of champions is the way to go, which kind of goes against being open minded. But even when you’re playing a certain champion you can’t tell yourself you’re doing the best you can possibly do, you need to always look outside of the box and try to find new ways of playing the game. I think that’s how you grow the fastest, even though you might only be playing a few champions
- As for the third thing, I would say something that always struck my mind at least, is patience. It can be used in your favour inside the game, because there are many moments where it’s really tense, like if four people died on each team and it’s one on one. If you don’t have that patience, you’re going to lose that last duel which you wouldn’t have otherwise. This can also apply outside of the game. It’s going to take you time to get somewhere. Even for myself, I played League of Legends for almost two years before I really started improving. I’m sure if I didn’t have this patience, I would’ve given up earlier or I would’ve allowed myself to not give 110%