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By Dan Morrell
Illustrations by Canopy Design LLC

All right, boys! 麻豆精品 S�

After a careful selection of characters, weapons and some pregame strategy talk, UCF student Luke McKinley kicks off a league playoff match against Arizona State University.

McKinley 麻豆精品 S檚 feed on Twitch, a video game-streaming platform, follows a blur of action as he and his four team members busy themselves fortifying their assigned onscreen locations. The dozen or so people tuned in to the match hear the UCF team 麻豆精品 S檚 chatter and see a view of McKinley 麻豆精品 S檚 computer screen 麻豆精品 S� a first-person perspective of a tactical shooter, a purple assault rifle adorned with a tiny yellow duck bouncing in front of him.

McKinley, who is manager and team leader of the UCF 麻豆精品 S� top Rainbow Six Siege team, calls out orders. 麻豆精品 S淛elly and Zombie, make your way to the workshop. 麻豆精品 S� The teammates check in with reports from their various locations. He compliments skillful kills. 麻豆精品 S淣ice. Niiiiiice. 麻豆精品 S� He doles out advice. He is quarterbacking.

There are several different ways to win a round, and they include killing all of the opposing team 麻豆精品 S檚 characters, not dying or defusing a bomb during a three-minute scrum. The first team to six rounds wins the match; the first to two matches wins the whole thing. ASU takes the first match, 6-3. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e a second-half team, 麻豆精品 S� says one of the UCF players. It 麻豆精品 S檚 prophetic. The next round goes 6-1 for UCF, and UCF wins the final round, 6-2.

The game, which began about 10 p.m., ends around 1 a.m. McKinley reminds his team to be good sports and type 麻豆精品 S済g 麻豆精品 S� ( 麻豆精品 S済ood game 麻豆精品 S�) to the other team. The stream then flashes to a live shot of McKinley 麻豆精品 S� close-cropped hair, a few days of beard growth and a black headset. He raises his arms in victory, fists up, mouth open in a celebratory cheer. He thanks the audience, making special note of a financial supporter. Then he announces an upcoming $50 follower giveaway and reminds them that he 麻豆精品 S檒l be streaming tomorrow at 5 p.m. and will have some scrimmages after that. But for now, sleep. 麻豆精品 S淚 have to be up early for class in the morning. 麻豆精品 S�

McKinley is part of a revolution. Market intelligence company Newzoo estimates that the global esports industry will be worth $1 billion this year and $650 million in North America alone by 2021. Epic Games, creator of the smash hit game Fortnite, has a reported valuation of $15 billion, making them worth about as much as Pinterest and Lyft. The Overwatch League 麻豆精品 S� the first-ever professional league dedicated to a specific video game 麻豆精品 S� drew 861,000 viewers per minute via both streaming and TV broadcasts in its inaugural season this year, with the finals broadcast on ESPN.

McKinley is surprised it took this long. 麻豆精品 S淲hy didn 麻豆精品 S檛 [this happen] sooner? 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淏ecause the opportunities were there. 麻豆精品 S� Either way, the masses are waking to the revolution underway.

he first known video game competition is thought to have been held in October 1972 with the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics at Stanford 麻豆精品 S檚 Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Chronicled in a 9,000-word article in Rolling Stone 麻豆精品 S� and photographed by the now-iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz 麻豆精品 S� the event featured about 20 players hovering over a small screen controlling little spaceships trying to eradicate other vessels with digital torpedoes. The winner received a subscription to Rolling Stone.

With the mass availability of home gaming consoles in the 1980s, there was the odd tournament here or there 麻豆精品 S� a National Space Invaders Championship run by Atari in 1980 that brought out a reported 10,000 people; the Nintendo World Championship series that started in 1990, touring 30 U.S. cities in its inaugural year.

But while the growth of competitive gaming was sporadic in the U.S., Asia was undergoing a revolution, says Ben Noel, executive director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 . He saw that region 麻豆精品 S檚 ascendance in competitive gaming while working as an executive for video game giant EA Sports in the 1990s. It was aided by both the spread of broadband internet access and a unique cultural factor: 麻豆精品 S淰ery few Asian cultures have their living rooms set up like American families might 麻豆精品 S� with game systems at the center of it, 麻豆精品 S� says Noel. 麻豆精品 S淪o kids have to go out to game centers and places like that to get their gaming on. 麻豆精品 S� The gradual evolution to larger competitions in larger spaces was natural.

As broadband access swept across the United States, connected gaming competitions began to rise, and with it, interest in taking those gaming battles into real spaces.

Alex Chiricosta 麻豆精品 S�14 has been part of that scene since its early days. The founding president of the Gaming Knights, Chiricosta is a gaming events specialist at Red Bull. Chiricosta says the momentum that esports has today is the result of a grassroots movement finally finding a market.

麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 more involvement and more opportunity, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭oday, anybody can become a full-time streamer. 麻豆精品 S� Someone, such as McKinley, who streams their play live online, getting money either from adoring fans making donations or from sponsorships or both. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 obviously very hard, and there 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot of luck and skill and hard work that goes with it, but 10 years ago, that wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a thing at all. 麻豆精品 S�

Streaming has enabled the growth of esports, he says, and has provided a platform for stars to emerge. One of them: Tyler 麻豆精品 S淣inja 麻豆精品 S� Blevins, a gamer known for his masterful playing of the game Fortnite and who has 10 million followers on the Twitch streaming platform, became the first esports player to appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine and reportedly makes more than $500,000 a month.

And streaming has flourished because it 麻豆精品 S檚 become democratized, says Chiricosta. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 easy now. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 need a $3,000 computer to stream. 麻豆精品 S�

Robert Wing 麻豆精品 S�10, associate esports manager at Blizzard 麻豆精品 S� makers of the popular Overwatch game 麻豆精品 S� still hears stories of the 麻豆精品 S渙lden days 麻豆精品 S� from some of his colleagues. 麻豆精品 S淏ack when people were driving themselves out to events and bringing their consoles with them, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

It was more casual back then. Today, there 麻豆精品 S檚 more of a focus on the business side. 麻豆精品 S淚 think what you 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing now across the industry is much more of a shift into, 麻豆精品 S楬ow do we make this a thing that 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be around in 30 years? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Wing says.

There was a cultural hurdle that gaming had to overcome, too, says McKinley. Video gaming used to be considered nerdy. Today, he says, the rise of global sensations like Fortnite have erased that stigma. 麻豆精品 S淢y brother, he 麻豆精品 S檚 in high school, all of his friends play [Fortnite] 麻豆精品 S� and if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 play it, then they all ask you why you don 麻豆精品 S檛 play it, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 like you have to come up with a specific reason. 麻豆精品 S�

he industry 麻豆精品 S檚 rise has created new career paths. When Gaming Knights vice president Audrey Luce started at UCF, she wanted to be a YouTuber. 麻豆精品 S淣ow I 麻豆精品 S檓 thinking of becoming a Twitch streamer, 麻豆精品 S� she says. She 麻豆精品 S檚 on the A team for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 PlayerUnknown 麻豆精品 S檚 Battlegrounds team and the B team for the Rainbow Six Siege team. But to be a successful streamer who is able to garner the necessary subscriptions and donations, she needs to develop a supportive online fan base.

But there are myriad options in esports beyond the actual gameplay.

麻豆精品 S淭here are marketing roles, there are coaching roles, there are athlete support roles for lack of a better term, 麻豆精品 S� says Paul Jarley, dean of the . 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 know yet if esports participants have agents, but it wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 shock me. I mean, they have their own sneakers. 麻豆精品 S� (Shoemaker K-Swiss unveiled a signature sneaker for the Immortals esports franchise in April 2018.)

At Red Bull, Chiricosta focuses on event production. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 traveling probably three times a month minimum to events, 麻豆精品 S� he says. There 麻豆精品 S檚 also practical work negotiating sponsorship agreements and creative work in determining how his team can elevate the audience experience.

Wing 麻豆精品 S檚 focus is communications. Every morning, he checks some of the popular online community gaming hubs to see both what 麻豆精品 S檚 trending and what fires might need to be put out. Then, the communications plan: plotting editorial content, scheduling blog posts, strategizing social media. 麻豆精品 S淚 think the way esports is growing, there 麻豆精品 S檚 just a ton of opportunity for folks from different disciplines to come in and be involved, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

According to Jarley, the student interest in esports gigs is surging. 麻豆精品 S淚n the sports business program, probably more than half are students who would take jobs in esports if they were offered them, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

Mike Redlick*, director of external affairs and partnership relations for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 , says he 麻豆精品 S檚 seen the pronounced interest in esports while leading New York City student networking trips. 麻豆精品 S淲e can arrange meetings for the students at different league offices, and they have no interest in going to Major League Baseball. They have very little interest in meeting with motor sports, or meeting with golf or tennis, 麻豆精品 S� says Redlick, who spent more than 20 years working in professional sports prior to joining UCF. 麻豆精品 S淎nd yet, if I put an esports project in front of them, they 麻豆精品 S檙e falling over each other to volunteer to work on it. 麻豆精品 S�

Even traditional sports powers are seeing the promise of esports. Owners of the New York Mets and Los Angeles Rams, among others, bought an Overwatch franchise league team last year. Icons Joe Montana and Michael Jordan have made substantial investments in the industry. The NBA even has its own esports league, which held its inaugural season this summer, with teams competing against each other in the league 麻豆精品 S檚 trademark NBA 2K game.

Why so much interest from the world of traditional sports? For all of its unique structures, esports has some familiar components, says Jarley. 麻豆精品 S淎renas, stages, coaches, trainers, participants 麻豆精品 S� some of those things are the same. 麻豆精品 S�

Showing advertisers and sponsors that there is an audience is crucial. 麻豆精品 S淸Esports is] reaching a specific demographic that 麻豆精品 S檚 very difficult for sports teams and sports marketers to reach, 麻豆精品 S� Redlick says. This audience is the younger generation 麻豆精品 S� the ones who grew up idolizing Ninja instead of Nolan Ryan.

he Gaming Knights became an official sports club in April 2018. It now has about 150 dues-paying members and, over the summer, added a special esports chapter.

The difference between the regular Gaming Knights club members and the esports members, says the club 麻豆精品 S檚 esports director Kevin Quiroga, is that the esports members have an athlete 麻豆精品 S檚 approach.

麻豆精品 S淵ou have to keep up your physique, you have to be healthy, you have to sleep right, you have to keep a clear mental state for every game, you need to learn how to pick yourself up from losing games, 麻豆精品 S� he says. There 麻豆精品 S檚 practice, skill-honing exercises, team-building work 麻豆精品 S� just like any other sport. And while the esports players might be competing in the same games as the rest of their Gaming Knights peers, the settings are constricted to make the games purer tests of skill.

Quiroga uses the analogy of backyard soccer. When you are playing casually, maybe you don 麻豆精品 S檛 blow a whistle for every little infraction. Maybe the goal posts are two ferns. 麻豆精品 S淏ut when you play competitive soccer, you 麻豆精品 S檙e always going to play on the same size field, you 麻豆精品 S檙e always going to play with the same rules, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

Quiroga is in the midst of restructuring the Gaming Knights 麻豆精品 S� esports division with the hope of eventually readying the teams for the next level: scholarship sports, with bigger facilities, bright lights and screaming fans. 麻豆精品 S淭he whole nine yards that everyone else has as UCF football or soccer or basketball 麻豆精品 S� we want the same exact thing, 麻豆精品 S� Quiroga says.

o where does esports go from here?

Wall Street forecasts huge growth. Goldman Sachs estimates esports will have 300 million fans and be a $3 billion business by 2022. Morgan Stanley estimates that a forthcoming Call of Duty esports franchise will be worth $100 million alone by 2020. Venture capital investment 麻豆精品 S� money that is looking to make money 麻豆精品 S� in esports totaled $701 million in the first half of 2018 alone, according to Crunchbase research. And just down the street from UCF, Full Sail unveiled a $6 million, 11,200-square-foot esports arena in March, which will officially open in May.

But Ben Noel is cautious in the face of the hype. 麻豆精品 S淚 compare it to a young person 麻豆精品 S檚 version of the World Series of Poker, 麻豆精品 S� he says. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a phenomenon that came along, generated some crossover interest, but stayed within its niche. 麻豆精品 S淭he younger generation has played a lot of games, but many times kids will outgrow that. 麻豆精品 S�

McKinley is preparing for the longer haul 麻豆精品 S� he plans on going pro. He doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 need to make the amount of money that Ninja does, though that would be great. There is an acceptable middle ground.

麻豆精品 S淚 know smaller-time streamers that transition to full-time streamers, and essentially they quit their day job, 麻豆精品 S� McKinley says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey, on average, are making about $4,000 a month. 麻豆精品 S�

There are basically two paths ahead he sees as an esports competitor. There 麻豆精品 S檚 the more casual celebrity player who excels at the social aspect of gaming. 麻豆精品 S淭hey may not be the best at the game, but they 麻豆精品 S檙e a really good person to watch [and] talk to because of how active they are with the community, 麻豆精品 S� McKinley says. And then you have the athletes 麻豆精品 S� the serious competitors who are revered for their technical acumen. 麻豆精品 S淧ersonally, I want to see myself fall into more of the professional side, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 love that competitive aspect. 麻豆精品 S�

It 麻豆精品 S檚 intense, McKinley says. 麻豆精品 S淚t may not be physical, but mentally, there is a lot of pressure. 麻豆精品 S� This is especially true during live competitions. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you 麻豆精品 S檙e on that main stage, when you 麻豆精品 S檙e looking at that monitor, you may not necessarily see it, but you know for a fact that thousands of people are watching you. 麻豆精品 S�

*Redlick died earlier this year. This feature was finalized a month prior to his death, and he had reviewed and approved his quotes. We honor his memory and expertise.