For many aspiring players, their goal is to take their talents as far as they can which, hopefully, includes going pro. Unlike many traditional sports, however, going pro in esports is a bit of a nebulous concept. Where other sports have farm systems, little leagues, and even collegiate programs, esports structure at the amateur and middle tiers of competition is woefully absent.

At GYO, we aim to help change this by providing resources not just to players, but to those who operate amateur and mid-tier leagues, tournaments, and events as well. We support gaming venues such as LAN gaming centers and gaming arenas, and we support organized teams and clubs as well. At GYO, we aspire to help connect players with the opportunities to shine and get discovered, and then the rest is up to them.

Here’s how you can get started with your pro career on GYO.

Choose a Title or Two

While gamers do tend to hop around newly released titles, those who wish to commit to an esports program should focus on one or two titles maximum for their professional competitive play. If you’re going to have multiple titles, try to focus in at least on a specific genre that you wish to become an expert in. If you’re looking for collegiate scholarships, you can never go wrong with MOBAs, strategy games and deck builders like Hearthstone, and shooters that are not realistic (i.e. Overwatch versus Call of Duty).

While it is tempting to chase the popular titles, keep in mind that these titles are also the spaces where the heaviest competition lies, so it will be harder to stand out from the pack. Therefore it’s not a bad idea to embrace titles that may be less popular overall, but still have a healthy competitive scene.

More than anything, find a game you enjoy playing, because you’re going to need to grind it out with the game for a long time, and you’re more likely to survive the experience if you actually enjoy what you’re playing!

Sign Up for GYO

Putting aside the statistics for a moment, GYO is collecting a database of players who are interested in going pro. Even if our site does not yet have statistics for your favorite game, we do list leagues, competitions, and recruitment opportunities for all supported titles, and joining GYO means you have an opportunity to be found and recruited.

Signing up is free, and you can configure your privacy options the way you want to ensure your information is shared only with authorized scouts and pro teams, or you can be open and receive invitations from start up clubs looking to put together a run. You can configure everything you need to be discovered with GYO.

Sign Up for GYO