Fnatic COO tells us what it takes to make it in eSports

Spend any time around kids and you will be asked, “Can I be a gamer when I grow up?”.  When there was no money in electronic sports (eSports), the question was moot – there was no living to be made. Then a handful of plucky players started to earn some cash and, in 2015, the amount of money that will be picked up in tournaments etc will be absolutely huge. KitGuru caught up with Team Fnatic's Chief Operating Officer to get the full truth about being a professional gamer.

For parents, hearing that your kid is serious about making it as a professional gamer is like hearing that your daughter wants to be a poll dancer or that your son wants to be in a band. As an adult, you can see just how few safety nets there will be – compared to something like law, computer science or even being a games developer. But as the money builds up, it seems that eSports will take its place alongside regular sports as a potential career.

However, most tournaments are won by players under 24 and most under-18s won't be travelling on planes across the globe alone to compete.

Realistically, that means you need to have world-class gaming skills as you hit your 18th birthday and to then win everything you can for the next 5 years.

At that point, you can total up your winnings and decide if you have been a successful, professional eSports player.

KitGuru says: In the UK, if you are serious about your eSports, you would be wise to visit www.Multiplay.co.uk and join in Insomnia 53 in the Ricoh Arena from November 21st to 23rd. It will give you a strong flavour of how tournaments work and a chance to pit your skills against serious players. You'll soon find out if you have what it takes.

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