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Hello and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Will Chalk. Today...
Imagine you're at a sports tournament with thousands of other fans watching the best players in the world competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet, when you speak to the competitors... I've lived through the stress of, I think, a full lifetime at this point. You know, I'm balding. You don't know where your next cheque is going to come from. It can be tough.
Honestly, it's scary to be in because you never know what's going to happen day to day. The job security is very poor. You can get dropped at any time, any time for nothing, and that's it. And when you ask a player where they see themselves in five years' time... I think for me I want to teach in elementary and middle school and high school. I had a couple of teachers that I love and I still think about all the time, and for me I want to make an impact. Yeah, it doesn't sound like a great advert for the game, does it?
In this episode, I've been delving into the multi-billion dollar world of competitive video gaming or esports. Because while we've heard time and time again just how much money is kicking around... A 16-year-old gamer from the US, he's known as Booger, has won $3 million. The League of Legends World Championship final packed out London's O2 Arena. Gaming generates more money.
than TV, film and music combined. There are still big questions about how the industry is structured. And if current pros are fearing for the future, what does that mean for the millions of children who idolise them? It's my birthday. It's your birthday today. Happy birthday. What do you want to do when you're older? Win an RLCS championship. You want to play Rocket League for your job when you're older? Yeah. We'll be finding out on this episode of Business Daily from the BBC World Service.
I'm at the BP Pulse live arena in Birmingham in England. It's 11 in the morning and what you can hear behind me are the rehearsals for the final day of the Rocket League Championship or RLCS, Birmingham Major. Rocket League is a video game based around soccer or hockey but played with cars instead of humans. It's easy to understand, fast-paced and very addictive. I showed it to my eight-year-old son last night and he got hooked.
immediately so i think it might be a bit loud in here yeah yeah teams based around the world from brazil to saudi arabia are being represented today with three players on each side here in the main arena there's a gaming area set up in the middle of the floor with pcs ready for them and giant screens above it so the 4 000 spectators coming later can see the action millions more are expected to tune in online around the world in other words it all feels like a really big deal so
Hi, my name is Jasmine Kanuga. I'm also known as Veracity in the gaming and esports industry. Jasmine is one of the presenters here. She'll be doing post-match interviews with the players in the arena later on. She says events of this scale are something she could only dream of when she was growing up. When I first started in esports, you would go to a tournament and you would win a keyboard or a mouse or a headset. Which you probably already had if you were playing. Which you already had if you were playing. I mean, nobody's going to complain for a brand new headset or mouse or whatever, but...
seeing these players now not only compete for prize money to show its legitimacy to family friends you know teachers that might have been doubting them but also you get a salary on top of that and you get to make these new formed like relationships you have sports psychologists you have coaches it's
There's so much more to it than just playing video games and seeing, you know, the different staff members that put the work in behind the scenes and how much dedication it takes from all of these players is incredible. I feel like mainstream media is finally catching up and realising, you know what, this is not just a phase, it's very much a sport and...
That's esports. But for all it might want to be recognised as just like any other sport, there are crucial ways in which esports is different. Rocket League is one of dozens of games that, when played competitively, falls under the esports umbrella. At the same time as this event in Birmingham, one and a half thousand miles away in Portugal, the same company is running a similar tournament, but for a different game. Counter-Strike 2. Shiro just trying to stay in the day, into the cup, and between him and JL, he'll play around the clock. That is what it is!
Salaries for a top esports player vary depending on how popular the game they're playing is and how good they are. At the very top end, a player can earn millions of dollars a year. Now, out of all the major games, Rocket League is actually one of the least lucrative. But the total prize pot for this season's league is still worth around $5 million.
And it's the sheer scale of esports, the fact that it's less a single sport and more an Olympics in its own right, that comes with its own issues. Before I came down today, I spoke to Phil Cook, a senior lecturer on the esports course at the University of Suffolk. The funding conversation is a very current topic within esports. It's something that isn't consistent across different games or different communities even. You can't really consider it one ecosystem.
Every game and every title, every publisher, every community even within games almost runs as different ecosystems within that based on how they're governed, how the players feel and how the players react to different things. Esports is also unique because compared to traditional sports, it's still in its infancy.
Say you want to make it as a professional tennis player. You join a club, you work your way up through tournaments until you reach your level. And if you don't make it big, the sports structure hopefully means there are other jobs, coaching or training, say, that you can shift to. Thank you.
If you want to make it as an esports player, you'll typically start out like billions of other people playing video games in your bedroom. You get really good at a game off your own back, get signed by a team and are thrust into big money tournaments. But as quickly as you're signed, you can just as quickly be dropped when a better player comes along. And because esports has only been around for a couple of decades, there aren't many examples to draw on for where your career goes next.
And that's not all you've got to worry about. 2025 is in full swing and we're having some fun today. We want to talk about some things, some game announcements that we would love to see this year. The gaming industry is constantly evolving and esports, because it encompasses basically any competitive gaming, evolves with it. But what if, as a player, the game you're really good at goes out of fashion?
Outside, I met Robbie Derrick, the CEO of Blast Esports, who are putting this tournament on. How much are you looking ahead constantly to what the next big game is going to be? Yeah, we spend a lot of time working with the publishers, looking at what their output needs to be for 26, 27 and onwards.
and then actually thinking about what the new formats are going to be. And so we're looking ahead for destinations, we're looking ahead for specific games, for output, for creating new IP. Yeah, I mean, like we're planning two years in advance. It all sounds like a lot for players to contend with, doesn't it? Five minutes walk from the arena here in Birmingham is the hotel where most of the teams are based. And I've arranged to meet some of the pros who've already gone out of the tournaments.
So while they'll still get their wage from the teams they play for, they're left with a tiny share of the $300,000 prize pool. Archie has a long set to his... Oh, yeah, double commit!
And Archie has it for free! GK, game one! I'm Archie, I play for GK Esports and England Gaming as well. I've been a pro since I was 15, I just turned 20 so this is my fifth year competing professionally. So yeah, it's been like five years, four years, yeah. What was it like when you were 14, 15, talking to your school careers advisor or whatever? Did they have any idea? Well, actually it's funny because...
When I just turned 15, I think COVID started. It was kind of decent because I could, like, grind the game. Didn't have to go to school, so it kind of, like, boosted my career a little bit there. So I was already, like, an established pro before we went back to school. So when we went back to school, like, everyone kind of knew me, knew who I was because the teachers would, like, tell everyone, basically, like, how much money I was making, like...
I was winning like 10, 20k like every few months I'd say. What was that like? I think it's kind of weird on the brain because now I kind of have like a money issue where I see like money that's a lot of money, that's like a thousand. To me it doesn't seem that much because my brain is so like fried from seeing the crazy amounts of money that it doesn't seem normal to me to see the low amounts. Like I see like my friends at school
like how much they're making now, even my older brother, how much he's starting to make for work. Like, to me, that just seems like absolutely nothing, which I don't think is a good thing, to be honest, because then after Rocket League, you get kind of brought down to earth and you're like, this is the real world. Like, the gaming money is like absolutely crazy. So yeah, I don't think it's a good thing, to be honest. Do you see it as a precarious career? Honestly, it's like scary to be in because you never know what's going to happen day to day. Like,
The job security is very poor. You can get dropped anytime.
any time for nothing and that's it. Despite the fact it's not a physical sport as such, there's also very much a consensus that esports is a young person's game, with the vast majority of the pros here in their teens or early twenties. They say beyond that, your reactions get too slow. Slater Thomas is 22 and he's the fifth oldest player here out
out of 48 competitors. Hey, my name is Slater Thomas, otherwise known as Ruttles. And you are from the US of A. I am from the US of A. I was born and raised in Virginia Beach. I've been gaming for a long time. You know, when I was, you know, three years old, four years old, my brothers would hand me an unplugged controller and tell me I was playing with them. So to be at this level, you know, traveling the world, going to England or Spain or Saudi Arabia, it's an opportunity of a lifetime.
How do you see kind of the making a living aspect of Rocket League for you going forward? You know, if the game wanes in popularity, do you have to have a plan B in your mind for how you're going to keep kind of living your life? Yeah, I think, you know, that's why I yell at all the players to do content, all my friends that don't do it, that are, you know, top level pros.
It's just a waste because, you know, put in a little extra effort. And for me, I make more money off content than competitive at this point. Yeah, that's so interesting. You make more money off YouTube and Twitch than you do off. Yes. Today, I'm challenging myself by taking on five of you, my loyal viewers, in five different 1v1s with the sole goal of being able to guess your ranks correctly. What is your life after gaming them?
I think for me, I want to teach in elementary and middle school and high school. I had a couple of teachers that I love and I still think about all the time. And for me, that's I want to make an impact. And I think teaching is the right way for that for me. If you compare this to something like tennis, this is like interviewing Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz and then going, yeah, I want to be a middle school teacher in five years time. So what does that say about esports and the way it's structured? It's true. I think it's...
If anything, it says that I've lived through the stress of, I think, a full lifetime at this point. I'm balding. Esports is stressful. Content is stressful. When you don't know where your next check is going to come from, it can be tough. If you guys want to see more videos like this in the future, let me know. I'll see you guys next time. Peace out. You're listening to Business Daily on the BBC World Service.
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Addy. Check out ADDYI.com. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's Oral Care Month, which means you can earn four times points on all your favorite oral care brands. Now through July 15th, shop in-store or online for items like Colgate Toothpaste, Listerine Mouthwash, Crest Mouthwash, or Toothpaste. Safeway.
Sensodyne toothpaste, Hello toothpaste, or GUM flossers, and earn four times points. Points can be redeemed for future discounts on gas or groceries. Offer ends July 15th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details. I'm Will Chalk, and today we're looking at the world of competitive video gaming, or esports, from a tournament in Birmingham in England.
Here in the arena, the semi-finals are underway with thousands of fans watching their favourite players compete. And for some of the younger ones, it's a look into their dream lives. So what's your name, mate? Tommy. Tommy, and how old are you? Seven. Seven, wow. And why have you come here today? Because it's my birthday. It's your birthday today. Happy birthday. Right, right at best. And what do you want to do when you're older? Er...
Win a RLCS championship Do you want to play Rocket League for your job when you're older? Yeah Do you think you can do it? Do you think you're good enough? Yes
Yeah. Play rugby. So you already play against grown-ups and properly like that? Yeah. So one day that'll be you on the big stage in there? Yeah. But what the esports industry will look like by the time Tommy is hopefully taking to that stage himself is still up for grabs. And it's mainly because of these guys. OK, next to Saudi Arabia for the very first Esports World Cup.
Gamers from all across the world would ascend on Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to compete against each other for a chance to win a share in a prize worth over £50 million. As part of pushes to increase its standing on the global stage, Saudi Arabia has invested tens of billions of dollars into esports. It's now the host of both the official Esports World Cup and the Olympic Esports Games.
The country's human rights record means the investment has been controversial. But players here have told me the money has saved esports after a turbulent few years known within the industry as the esports winter. Jack Benton plays for a team called Dignitas. I think with how esports is right now and how it has been over the last 20 years or so, I think everyone that understands esports, at least that has been following it, knows that it may not be...
It may not be run the best right now in terms of funding, in terms of money, as it could be. We've had massive influxes of money over certain periods. I think COVID was one of them. And that made player salaries very, very inflated. Good for me, you know, very, very happy. However, I think for the long term sustainability of esports in general, I think it means that organisations and businesses are
they see a massive loss in revenue and loss in profit, loss in money, and they go, hang on, this isn't for us. And then they back out completely. We see that time and time again right now. That isn't great. That isn't good because, you know, what that kind of sends a message to the fans is that they can't develop a connection, a fan base with a certain team because within two months, genuinely, they'll be gone, right? Yeah.
And that makes it tough. That makes it tough to build kind of long-term brands and connections between fans, players, fans and teams. And that makes it very, very difficult to convert people into long-time supporters of the game of the eSports. And I think that does go back to the funding and how it's done.
If there's one main thing that struck me walking around today, it's that the vast majority of the crowd, I'd say at least 95%, are male. As for female players, there aren't any. The tournament is open to people of all genders, but for whatever reason, there are no women on the rosters for any of the teams taking part. And for any sport looking to have truly universal appeal, that would surely be a concern. I'm Aisha.
Valentina, what brings you here today? Well, I started playing Rocket League like one and a half years ago. And England is pretty close. I'm from Switzerland, so I was just thinking, OK, why not? So you've flown over from Switzerland to be here today? Yes. Where have you guys come from? I'm coming from Norway. Norway.
it's not very common that you find a female Rocket League player in any games or whatever like you get a lot of bad talking if they notice that you're a female player and I
I think a lot of female players that are actually good at the game might stop because of that at some point. Like you said, females scare a lot of hate for playing games. Not just Rocket League, but every game. Some people take it personal and that's why they stop. But Jasmine, the presenter who we heard from earlier, says she is noticing a shift and she's optimistic about the future. I...
the kind of kid that grew up always playing video games. I have two older brothers. But in school, it was very much video games are for guys. But I think that is way, way, way behind us now. It's a lot more accepting. I mean, it's,
wild to me because I've seen the growth I've seen the change and I've seen a lot more inclusivity throughout esports and I think that's nothing short of incredible because I would have loved that when I was growing up yeah that would have it's we always talk about it you need to be able to see someone like you doing the job you want to do to inspire you to do it and you didn't have that when you were younger yeah I'm so lucky though because I had great friends that
supported me every step of the way. I had a teacher in school that, you know, kind of stopped the lesson at one point and said, if you want to work in gaming, then work in gaming. And my response to him was, yeah, but...
They're not going to feel like I know what I'm talking about because I'm a woman. He was like, why is that? If you already know all of the information about it, you're very informative, you have a passion for it, you have an interest in it, your gender will have absolutely nothing to do with that. So give it a go and what's the worst that can happen? For Phil Cook, senior lecturer in esports at the University of Suffolk, the structural and cultural problems esports is facing are tricky, but they're not impossible to overcome. There's a lot of work that needs to be done from a
not necessarily government, but governance-based side of things. There's no formal governance
body from esports, either on a national basis or an international basis. And is there a sense then, with all that Saudi Arabia have very publicly done to put money into esports, that they are vying to be that? There's a conversation there, for sure. They are providing a form of legitimacy to the industry though. But is it right for any country to decide how esports is governed across the world? Or should there be a buy-in from governments in local areas?
Should there be a buy-in from even national organizations? It doesn't have to be the government. Probably, yes. It exists in traditional sports and there's no reason it shouldn't exist in esports. There are organizations trying to do it already. There was a couple of years ago, there was an international esports coach federation. It's just a case of recognizing that. And I think it has to be a wider industry step rather than any one team or person being involved.
Back in the arena, we've just had the final match with French team Carmine Court lifting the trophy. They had a huge group of supporters packing out the stand opposite me here, and they honestly did not stop singing, chanting, and even jumping through the whole match. The team, who are now $100,000 richer, have just been over to celebrate with the fans. So for them, at least, the wider worries about the future of esports can take a back seat. Hello, I'm Vatira, and I'm now a Birmingham Major Champion. How are you going to celebrate?
I'm just going to celebrate with my team. We're just going to enjoy the moment and we're going to think about this like a long time ago. And how long have you been a pro for? I've been a pro for like three years now. Yeah, it took me like not even a year to win my first major. So yeah.
And how has it been adapting from living a normal life to getting big prize money from these tournaments? And presumably your life has changed quite a lot. Yeah, my life changed a lot, but, you know, money doesn't change myself. And yeah, I'm happy to win a lot of money, but I'm doing this because I love the game. This has been Business Daily from the BBC World Service with me, Will Chalk. Thanks for listening.
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