Esports In India – Rapidly Growing Industry and a New Career Domain

Esports in India is in its infancy. However, its growth prospects are promising. If trends are to be believed, esports in India has massive potential to beat the traditional sports in terms of popularity, reach and earning potential, etc.

The sudden surge of Esports as a hobby and a career option happened due to cheap data availability for game downloads, 5G rollout, and investments coming in the gaming sector to push the industry growth.

A report published in a FICCI-EY report revealed that the number of online gamers in India touched 65 million in 2019 that is expected to reach 440 million by 2022. The industry has also witnessed a remarkable surge in investments by capital ventures and noted investors.

Reports suggest that investment in the Esports sector increased 78% to $173 million in CY2020 from $97.1 million in CY2019. These are two among the many reasons that indicate that this is the right time to consider Esports as a career option in India.

Like other sports, running an esports tournament involves the collective efforts of several professionals behind the scene. The teams may include editors, photographers, hosts, analysts, and production crew to name just a few. The esports industry is quite a versatile venue with great scope for professionals like casters, commentators, and other support staff.

Big brands and top tech conglomerates are now investing heavily in long-term projects to help develop the esports ecosystem. Not only it’s attracting aspiring teams and players but also creating more job opportunities around esports.

Listed here are some of the career options you can choose as an Esports Professional

1. Gamer – You can take up Esports professionally to become a pro-gamer. This is the most lucrative and exciting job profile in the esports industry. They are the gamers with the best skillset and highest efficiency. They are the masters in their respective games. Esports companies and team leagues have several pro-gamers playing on behalf of them. Pro gamer is required to work in close coordination with their coaches and team members.

2. Game Developer – If you’re good at coding, you can join the Esports industry as a game developer. You will be responsible for carrying out the programming involved in producing a video game. As a developer, you have to turn concepts into an actual, playable product. As a game developer, you should be familiar with user interface design, scenery design, character design, and different gameplay scenarios, etc.

3. Product Manager – Product managers play a decisive role in the Esports industry. They are responsible for managing several things about Esports. They are the professionals that design social media strategies, monitor PR marketing campaigns, and manage Esports events. Moreover, they also find brand sponsors and hunt for new business collaborations.

4. QA Tester – If you have an incessant quest for finding bugs to make apps bug-free, you can choose a game tester as your career. Game testers or QA (Quality Assurance) testers are tech geeks who make sure that games are bug-free. They detect bugs and notify the same to game designers.
Their task is to monitor the game from the very beginning of its launch to make sure all the levels are glitch-free. A QA tester needs to have good analytical and technical knowledge of the game and understand all documentation requirements.

5. Game Streamer – Game streaming is an integral part of the Esports ecosystem. You can be a game streamer streaming esports matches via your desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Being a streamer you can stream your favorite games on platforms like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube to earn recognition and money.

6. Team Coach – Leagues employ coaches to motivate players and help them perform better. The coaches identify players’ strengths and weaknesses to hone their performance. A coach is responsible for honing the individual skill of the players and creating in-game strategies.

Where to Start?

The Esports industry is quite versatile. It’s now far beyond just gamers and games. The industry is now turning into a platform where other professionals as well can showcase their talent and earn money.  

Explore all the possible venues to find fresh opportunities in the Esports industry. Connect with tournament providers and broadcasters to discover opportunities where you can gather relevant work experience.

You can also join as a volunteer such as an event manager or technical support staff to get hands-on experience in Esports. Volunteering is a great way to start your career in Esports. Teams and leagues keep looking for people to work for them for free. It’s a good opportunity to grab for learning new things.

Conclusion

Esports is a fast-moving industry in India that has the potential to offer great career options and job opportunities. However, the Esports ecosystem in India is still under-equipped and lacking proper infrastructure as compared to the global Esports scenario.

It’s an utmost requirement therefore to create a perception shift towards professional gaming in the country. It will encourage new gaming talents and enthusiasts to actively join Esports as a sustainable career option.

WRITTEN BY
TARUN GUPTA, FOUNDER – ULTIMATE BATTLE

Digital Marketer by day and esports fanatic by night, Tarun is literally living his dream! He is Founder at Ultimate Battle — India’s first ever online esports platform. With over 20 years of experience, he is an esports Evangelist, Hustler and a Digital Marketing Veteran.