Become A Professional Gamer - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Become A Professional Gamer

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Are you passionate about gaming and want to turn your hobby into a business? Consider starting a professional gamer business! Professional gaming, also known as esports, involves competing in video game tournaments and earning prize money. The esports industry is rapidly growing, with revenues projected to reach $1.5 billion by 2020, according to Newzoo.

To start a professional gamer business, you’ll need a vital skill set in a popular game or genre. You’ll also need to invest in high-quality gaming equipment, such as a gaming computer and headset. In addition, you’ll need to practice consistently and stay up-to-date on the latest strategies and techniques in your game of choice. To successfully run a professional gamer business, it’s essential to have good communication and teamwork skills, as you’ll likely be playing on a team with other gamers. You’ll also need to handle the pressure of competition and maintain a positive attitude.

One way to grow your professional gamer business is by streaming your gameplay on platforms like Twitch or YouTube. This allows you to build a following and potentially monetize your content through sponsorships and advertisements.

Starting a professional gamer business can be a rewarding and lucrative venture for those who are dedicated and skilled in esports. With the right approach and dedication, you can turn your love of gaming into a successful business.

Becoming a professional gamer requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell professional gaming services, or selling professional gaming services online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$162B
starting costs
$5.89K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days
growth
Organic social media
business model
Subscriptions
time investment
Full time

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Training & Education Expenses

$0

$1,000

Software Expenses

$0

$594

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$2,750

Website Costs

$13

$215

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$100

Total Startup Costs

$13

$11,659

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Razer

razer.com

2,698

EUROGAMER

eurogamer.net

3,252

Pro Game Guides

progameguides.com

8,253

Game Informer

gameinformer.com

11,463

ESLGaming

eslgaming.com

18,427

Gamasutra

gamasutra.com

22,077

CyberPowerPC

cyberpowerpc.com

27,312

MMORPG.com

mmorpg.com

29,106

3DMark.com

3dmark.com

35,494

GosuGamers

gosugamers.net

35,918

Teamwork Online

teamworkonline.com

41,105

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a professional gamer costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 12 to 11,659.

Rewarding work

Starting a professional gamer can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

Traffic to your website

A professional gamer gives people a reason to visit your website and to keep coming back to you!

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your professional gamer, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Constant maintenance of publication

You may find yourself constantly needing to update your professional gamer in order to stay relevant for your audience and for those searching on google.

Lack of benefits

With a professional gamer, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Isolation

Often times, as a professional gamer, you typically work alone and do not have much face-to-face interaction with other team members.

Taxes

As a professional gamer, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a professional gamer, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.

Marketing Ideas

  • 1

    Affiliate Program

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream, especially when you don't sell products or services.

    Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

    The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

    Learn more about affiliate program ➜

  • 2

    Direct Sales

    Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

    For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

    Learn more about direct sales ➜

  • 3

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

    Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

    According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

    Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

    Learn more about word of mouth ➜