Since the establishment and development of esports professionally, some countries like China, South Korea, and the West have heavily invested in this “smokeless industry”. Famous players are sought and trained from a young age, much like athletes in traditional sports.
However, this is also a field with a very harsh elimination rate, sometimes even more than traditional sports. This is because esports has not yet received widespread recognition. The upcoming ASIAD will be the first time esports will compete for medals. This is a rare highlight in the journey to elevate esports to be recognized as a sport like other traditional sports.
Therefore, the gap between famous players and newcomers or mid-tier players is enormous, almost impossible to bridge. Recently, JackeyLove shared about the income a League of Legends (LoL) player can earn. He categorized it into three groups and stated: “Players in major tournaments can earn hundreds of thousands of USD a year. That’s just average players. For top-tier, famous players, the amount can reach millions of USD. Conversely, if you’re a rookie, you might only earn a few hundred USD a month.”
Through JackeyLove’s sharing, it is evident that esports in general and LoL in particular is truly a challenging journey for any young person to choose. If they really want to make a living from it, they must be exceptionally skilled. The reason is that no sponsors want to invest in teams without achievements or reputation. Even the CEO of Gen.G has admitted that this team struggles to find sponsors at present.
Moreover, young players face a harsh training regimen, along with injuries. Many stars or even average players have to abandon their careers due to persistent injuries. Additionally, the pressure from audience expectations has led many to experience mental crises, with the most notable example being Nuguri.
No profession is easy. An esports player or specifically a LoL player achieves what many dream of, but they have sacrificed their health and youth in continuous matches, day after day, until they can no longer push themselves further.