Featured image: Microsoft Copilot
With the 2024 Esports World Cup already underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, esports players from the selected teams are looking to take their competitiveness to another level. The prize pool for this event is $60 million, and for the 21 different game titles selected for the event, the training routines for each are similar across the board.
- In-Game Practice: Before an esports tournament majority of the hours used for practice are used to play as part of preparation time. Esports professionals spend about 8 hours a day sharpening their individual skills before rejoining their teams to practice for another 6 to 8 hours. For games that may require specific training (e.g. calculating time to use abilities in Dota 2 and grenade lineups in Counter-Strike 2), repetition is what helps improve the skills. There are some elite competitors who have their venues to practice. An example is Fnatic who are among this year’s Esports World Cup, where they have two separate distraction-free game rooms and their coach having a space to sit behind and observe the action. Practice makes perfect, and it is why all these hours will have to be put in consistently to be able to be and stay at the top.
- Physical Fitness and Mental Fortitude: Esports players take up holistic approaches to their fitness and wellness for competitions. This includes eating balanced diets, getting sufficient sleep each night, and a workout routine with focus on the cardiovascular. Meditation is also incorporated into the routines, to get players to reset after going through a tricky round or a match loss. In the instances of Natus Vincere and G2 Esports, experienced psychologists are hired to help with the overall performances of the athletes and keep them at the top of their game.
- Team Chemistry and Coordination: To have teammates work well in a team, it is essential that the elements of coordination and chemistry are taken into consideration. This is optimized through bootcamps and having teammates spend time together. The goal of having them spend time together is to build trust; have them focus on their role and knowing that their teammates will do what is required of them. Players having an increased level of trust will have them put a lot of faith in their in-game leader. In moments of low morale, good chemistry can help revive the spirits of players who may be having it tough and help uplift them to navigate their way in certain difficult situations. Veterans who may be present can take up leadership spots to help teammates be steady and keep it pushing during competitions.
- Post-Match Analysis: When games are finished, players leave to get replenished with food and drink or have a quick nap and then return for a post-game analysis, conducted by kind courtesy the team analysts. Team analysts work behind the scenes, critically observing the previous games to identify which strategies worked and also what exactly may have gone wrong. After providing the feedback, the coach will then have to implement it along with the players, making changes where necessary with strategies for team and solo roles accordingly.
Conclusion
It is still a gradual propagation of the concept of esports; having the masses understand that it is beyond just having competitions over servers, but players accessing opportunities to better themselves through every game and develop a life of balance in and outside of gaming.
Esports has helped create jobs for lots of people. Interested in knowing about the business side of esports? Listen to the Gamers Change Lives Podcast! We get experienced guests from all around the world featuring.
Written by Jeffrey Osei-Agyeman
