Staff Writer
As of July 14, 2013 esports players have been deemed professional athletes by the United States Government. Professional esport players from other countries would often have a lot of trouble getting access to U.S. tournaments because they can’t get visas. Riot Games, the software developers of League of Legends, argued with the U.S. Government to allow players to come to the U.S. on these terms. “This was a lengthy process; we had a lot of people fighting for this and it wasn’t something that happened overnight. This was a constant back and forth of ‘show us more proof… is this realistic?’ and that sort of thing. Eventually it got to the point where they were like ‘we have no reason to say no… okay, this is legitimate,’ ” said Riot Games esports manager Nick Allen. The changes will allow many new foreign players to join the esports scene. “This is groundbreaking for esports. “Now we can start looking at international players that come over. It’s a much easier process because they’re actually recognized by the government. It’s a huge thing,” said Allen. Soren Bjerg, also known as Bjergsen, came over from Europe and now plays for the most popular American eSports team, Team Solo Mid. In addition, the team Lan Mei Qi (LMQ) travelled to the U.S. from China to participate in the League of Legends professional scene.
The U.S. esports community pales in comparison to that of South Korea. Some South Korean Starcraft players get paid six figures a year. At the top of the list is South Korean (SK) gaming’s Jang “MC” Min Chul, who earned $416,988 in his 3 year career. Most of the player’s money comes from winning tournaments, but sponsors also contribute to their paycheck. DOTA 2 players from Korea make nearly as much and are just as revered as Starcraft players. The top DOTA 2 player, Danil Ishutin, made over $430,000 in his five year career and in 2011 alone he won $203,870.03, only participating in five tournaments.
Just like how a football player has his helmet, esport players have their own equipment. From monitors to keyboards and even to mice, each player has his own preferred gear. Most players choose Razor, a computer accessory manufacturer, for their mouse and keyboard because Razor offers more customization than other companies.
Esport players are professional athletes; they have sponsors, salaries, tournaments and leagues. Every day on video streaming websites, like Twitch.tv, there are hundreds of thousands of people watching different games going on at all times. The United States Government considers them to be professional athletes and gives visas to foreign players. Esport culture has been growing rapidly in America, but to take them to the next level the general public must accept the games as real sports and the athletes as professionals.
