0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07- COMMENTATOR:- 'Welcome back to the European LCS.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08'The teams are getting set for battle.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Welcome to the world of professional video games.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12- ALL:- DOUBLE KILL!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's called eSports.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17'He gets caught on the fence.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'Pounces, taking both players.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Every day, all over Europe, the world's best gamers are competing,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and hundreds of thousands of people are watching.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33It's a world that's closed off from large parts of society.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36People who don't understand eSports are the same people
0:00:36 > 0:00:38who don't use the scroll wheel on a mouse,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40they just hold the side and scroll it down.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44But its biggest games are watched live by 30 million people.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This could be the first kill in Sweden
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And Vizicsacsi is roasted by Odoamne!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Well, to anyone asking questions like,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54"When is eSports going to get big? Will it ever be mainstream?"
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Look at this. It's like a football stadium.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59CHEERING
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I'm Dan Howell, and I'm a YouTuber.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Gaming is one of my specialities,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and I want to know the secrets of this world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08CHEERING
0:01:08 > 0:01:11This is it, this is it! Yeah, come on! Come on!
0:01:11 > 0:01:15I've spent the summer with three British eSports players,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18all at different stages of their careers.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22An overnight sensation who's got something to prove...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24KaSing saves H2k once more.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26As a personal achievement, I think it's worth it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30But, to others, it's like, yeah, he's still playing a video game.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I'm going in, going in, going in.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36..a big name of the past fighting to regain his status as a champion...
0:01:37 > 0:01:38It's always the same.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41We played every fight wrong for the entire mid-game. We still do it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I just want to get back to competing,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45I want to play against teams that I look up to.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48..and a young hopeful, still at school,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51who is willing to give anything to make it.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53This year, I think his grades have suffered a little
0:01:53 > 0:01:55because of...his other commitments.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58That's my goal, actually, just to win one event,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00just to tell me that I'm really good at the game
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and, like, I can do this in the future.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I want to know the inside story of eSports -
0:02:06 > 0:02:08how it's gone from an underground hobby
0:02:08 > 0:02:10to a multi-million-pound world,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15and what sacrifices you must make to become an elite professional gamer.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I'd say, out of my total free time,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33a strong 99% is spent playing video games.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37In fact, let me type /age. On this game, I have apparently played...
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Oh, my God! ..1,855 hours,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43which is either quite depressing or impressive,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46depending on what side of the fence you're on.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I have been a gamer all of my life,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but I am nothing compared to the new generation of professional players,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58who have dedicated their lives to become the best in the world.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Now gamers like me don't just play for hours,
0:03:03 > 0:03:04we watch for hours, too.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I watch quite a lot of games that I like, sat here in the chair,
0:03:09 > 0:03:10watching it streamed on the internet.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12There's so much about it I don't know.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15How does someone actually become an eSports player?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17What do they do with their time? How does anyone get any money?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Is it a safe thing to do with your life?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Something that I'm interested in,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24that I would like to know a lot more about.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28OK. This is it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31CHEERING
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- COMMENTATOR:- Coming to you live from Berlin, Germany,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36where our teams are getting set for battle
0:03:36 > 0:03:38as we continue Week Seven of the Summer Split.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I've come to Berlin in Germany
0:03:41 > 0:03:46to see the world of professional gaming at its highest level.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49There's going to be enough people there, and the Baron goes down.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Secured this time by ROCCAT.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53This game is League Of Legends.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Here, it's a spectator sport,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58filled with action designed to thrill a crowd.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02I'm used to seeing it online,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05with the other 100 million people who watch it every year,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09but this is the first time I've been part of the live audience.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Come on, come on.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Now I've got a chance to spend some time with three British players
0:04:15 > 0:04:18so that I can find what they're risking for this career,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and what rewards it brings.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And ROCCAT have taken out H2k.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Oh, no! No!
0:04:30 > 0:04:32This is Ray Tsang.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36He is a rising star, known in the eSports world as KaSing.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40He is 22, and from North London.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42He plays the number one game, League Of Legends,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45in the crucial role of Support.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48He's helped his team, H2k, rise to third in the league.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And his dream is to make it to the World Finals.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58KaSing was bought up as one of three brothers in Tottenham,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01where he has is real-life friends from school and college.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06At 19, KaSing made a big decision,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11to dedicate himself to eSports, against the wishes of his parents.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- First of all, I wanted to go pro, even whilst I was in college.- Yeah.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Like, in second year, just wanted to do this.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Cos I didn't think I wanted to live a normal life
0:05:19 > 0:05:22where I have a job from nine to five, and not enjoy it at all.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25You had to prove to yourself that it was worth taking this risk,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27at the same time that your parents
0:05:27 > 0:05:30weren't really encouraging you to do it. That must have been...
0:05:30 > 0:05:33In a way, if you can go through this barrier
0:05:33 > 0:05:36where even if you're not getting any help or support,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and if you have the fortitude or mentality to just ignore it
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and just continue and do what you want,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I think this is one of the most important things you can ever have
0:05:44 > 0:05:47in League Of Legends. Like, you need a strong mind.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59THEY SING IN GERMAN
0:05:59 > 0:06:02All the elite League Of Legends teams have to live in Berlin
0:06:02 > 0:06:05as a condition of taking part in the top division.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09They eat, sleep and train here in gaming houses.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21This is the training camp of the League Of Legends team H2k.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It's where they practice for 12 hours every day.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I know this game. I've played league of Legends,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31but I can't even keep track of what's happening on the screen.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I mean, that's the difference in skill.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The keyboard dexterity you need to be this good
0:06:42 > 0:06:44is a form of athleticism.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46How can you deny that? Are you looking?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52KaSing's meteoric rise from a mid-ranking player to a star
0:06:52 > 0:06:54is one of the stories of the season.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Usually, a standard day would be, like, three till six, one set.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05You'd have a break for one hour, for lunch and stuff, until seven.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- From seven to ten, you have another set.- Wow.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And then, after 10, till 11, you have analysis.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16And then, after that, when it becomes 11 and then 12,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19you always tend to be in one more game.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21So then, after 12, you can do what you want.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28CHEERING
0:07:30 > 0:07:34League Of Legends is the titan of the competitive gaming world,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and the biggest name in eSports.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It's played by five-man teams,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42each with their own tactical role in the match.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45The aim is to battle across the virtual field
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and destroy the opponents' home base, called the Nexus.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51H2k, they want to finish right now.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55The premier division of League Of Legends
0:07:55 > 0:07:59is the Championship Series, or LCS.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It's made of ten European teams, who compete every week in Berlin.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Fighting for a place
0:08:04 > 0:08:07in the end-of-season Playoffs in Stockholm,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10to qualify for the World Championships.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The current salary, that's around 25k for six months.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- And I think that's pretty decent, actually.- Yeah!
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Like, that's like 50k in one year.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Riot Games, the company that created League Of Legends,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29gives a salary to every player in the top division.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Their teams and sponsorships pay on top of that,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34and then there are bonuses.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Like, also added onto that, you also have Playoffs
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and where you finish in Playoffs, you get money on top,
0:08:40 > 0:08:41which is bonus money.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- And if you make it to Worlds, that's where the big money is.- Mm-hm.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Remember when we had two waves pushing, and we got punished for it?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50This is when we need to punish them.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53It's time for post-match analysis.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Where, apparently, getting dressed is optional.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59They'll spend two hours dissecting every move in their last game
0:08:59 > 0:09:03with their coach, a former player known in the community as PR0LLY.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07If we freeze here. Here, they have to overextend all the way here.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Before KaSing joined them six months ago, H2k were struggling.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Now they're third in the league.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17People have called this the KaSing Effect.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19'I think the KaSing Effect...'
0:09:19 > 0:09:20THEY LAUGH
0:09:20 > 0:09:23..as silly as it sounds, it really is...
0:09:23 > 0:09:27I would summarise it just kind of as like the missing element
0:09:27 > 0:09:29to a group of things.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32In our case, it was like our four-man team.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35So this is actually a mistake on their part.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Because they had two waves pushing again.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Like, remember we had two waves pushing, and we got punished for it?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44This is when we need to punish them.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53These guys are superstars in their own right
0:09:53 > 0:09:56but even on a rare night off, they can't afford to go too wild.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00You guys don't really drink excessively that often,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- though, do you?- I did it twice my entire time here.- Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06And I've always felt like shit the next day.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- So, basically, I won't get good practice.- Yeah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12And I pretty much ruined two days for myself.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Serious business, professional gaming.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Surprisingly, it really is.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Like, if you think about it, all the other nerds in the world
0:10:21 > 0:10:24that ready want to make it are all competing for your job.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So you actually are always being tested. Every single week is a test.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The gaming house in Berlin reminds me of a student flat,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36shared between the five players, the coach and the manager.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41And even with a big game today, the team doesn't get up till 12.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43So I'm back in the pad and, as you can see,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I am surrounded by all the essentials
0:10:45 > 0:10:47that you need to be a pro gamer -
0:10:47 > 0:10:50pizza, crisps and bags of mini muffins.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53It is very much a gaming house.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I think that someone got through quite a few of those last night.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00What are they up late doing last night?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Just practising for the big game today?
0:11:03 > 0:11:04That's what they tell you,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09but I think more kind of the teenage/young adult, rebellious,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11"You don't tell me when to go to bed,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13"I go to bed when I'm ready" kind of thing.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16And then wake up feeling like rubbish the next day.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Like every professional sports club, they need a Chief Executive.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Richard Wells is only 24.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25He took over H2k last year when they were struggling,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and has put all of his savings into turning the team around.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Do you feel like managing the guys day-to-day
0:11:31 > 0:11:34is like being a teacher at school? Getting them to do things on time,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37turning up, doing the work when you say?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Or are they, you know, independent young adults?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42100% like school.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46We get taxis because, God forbid, they'd walk 20 minutes to work.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51We get taxis every day. Which, yeah, is just like a school bus.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Which is always nip and tuck if they're going to make it on time.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57They'd stay in bed all day if they could.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59So it takes, you know, the parental figure
0:11:59 > 0:12:01to drag them out every day
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and, yeah, it couldn't be more like school, really.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10KaSing is preparing for the biggest match of the season.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It could be his ticket to the World Finals.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'Right now, it's like I want to 100% focus
0:12:17 > 0:12:21'on just trying get to Worlds, and we can't afford to slack now,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'until after the entire Worlds is finished.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Do you feel like you have to make it to Worlds
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- to feel like it's been worth it? - You know...
0:12:32 > 0:12:34I mean, it's just want to make it to Worlds and then I can say that.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Yeah.- But right now it's like...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38My only motivation right now is just to go to Worlds,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42so that's what keeps me waking up every day, practising, doing this.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Mm-hm. Yeah.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48These are the TV studios used by Riot Games,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52the giant gaming company that owns League Of Legends.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The company makes 1 billion a year from the game,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and supports leagues in four major territories across the globe.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Every week, crowds can pay 15 euros a ticket
0:13:02 > 0:13:05to be part of the studio audience.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06So the hat's a character from the game.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It's called Rammus, and it's one of many hats that you can actually get.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12And what does it mean to you to have this hat on your head?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14To show my support for the game
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- and to look like an absolute fool in front of everybody.- Good.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- Do you guys think he's doing a good job of that?- Yeah, yeah.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22I watch the LCS on the stream, I'm like crying,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I'm like, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So it's very exciting.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I don't like the other celebrities in the world,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33so these are pretty much my heroes.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34ARE YOU READY?
0:13:34 > 0:13:35CHEERING
0:13:35 > 0:13:37ONE! TWO! THREE!
0:13:37 > 0:13:39CHEERING
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- COMMENTATOR:- 'As you can see,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'the crowd is absolutely hyped for a big day.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'Earlier, we caught a glimpse of everyone outside.'
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Today could be a big step in H2k's season.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56A win could mean a place for them at the Playoffs in Stockholm.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00But they are up against their biggest rivals, Fnatic,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03the undefeated team at the top of the league.
0:14:04 > 0:14:05OK, good luck, guys.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09This studio is absolutely insane.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I had no idea the production value was this big.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I mean, look at these screens, look at all the technology, the crowd.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's like any major sport,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21with commentators, analysts and big TV money.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25H2k want to stop Fnatic short.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The audience, by the time teams reach the World Final,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30is over 30 million people.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31They're loading onto the Rift.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34The match is on.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37It's going good. H2k started off pretty awesomely
0:14:37 > 0:14:38by instantly killing two members of Fnatic,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and the whole crowd chanted, "H2k! H2k!"
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Huni's in trouble. He gets knocked on.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46LAUGHING: Oh, yes!
0:14:46 > 0:14:50He puts the equaliser out. Reignover's leaped back in.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52KaSing is channelling...
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It looked like Odoamne was totally about to die
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and then KaSing came out of nowhere and obliterated him.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- KaSing saves H2k. - CROWD ROARS
0:15:01 > 0:15:04That the sound of the KaSing Effect right there.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09H2k's strategy has been working up to now.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12But Fnatic are coming back.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Fnatic have four kills, looking for the ace...
0:15:15 > 0:15:17CHEERING
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Momentum has very much to started to shift in Fnatic's favour.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- Four members of H2k are down.- Uh-oh.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26But it's Fnatic that end up winning.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28H2k have thrown the match away.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Oh, God. It was so close, as well.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Like, seriously, anything can happen in this game.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37It can go so well at the start and then you lose one fight
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and the whole thing is over.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41HE SIGHS
0:15:42 > 0:15:44It is a good sport to watch.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Yeah, today was quite painful, to be honest. Actually, er...
0:15:53 > 0:15:56..I'm quite annoyed right now. But I'm not going to show it.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Does it mean more to you now that you've lost, coming out of it,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01then you thought the game would mean to you going in to it?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Think it's more that, like, if we had gotten stomped,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I wouldn't be as mad or anything, or annoyed.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10But it's more that we threw away the lead that we made.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Pretty much, we outplayed ourselves.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17The players have sacrificed years of their lives to this game.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21They know if they fail they could be dropped from the team.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22I do feel for these guys, you know.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27This is what they spend their entire existences dedicated to doing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Especially when they lose something that they know they should have won.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32HE SIGHS
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I can understand why, you know, they've gone from, you know,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37struggling to get out of bed to being excited all day
0:16:37 > 0:16:39to just being...angry.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Cos this is how important it is for them -
0:16:41 > 0:16:43it's not a game, it's their life.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I'm on my way to meet another British player
0:16:51 > 0:16:54who has also played at the top, but is now struggling to find his form
0:16:54 > 0:16:58in a team that is languishing in the second division.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04This is Matt Taylor,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06aka Impaler.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09He is now 20 years old.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12He also plays League Of Legends, and he has spent two years as a pro,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16most recently with a new European team, Ex Nihilo.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25From when I wake up, I'll just go straight on to my computer,
0:17:25 > 0:17:26play until I need to eat.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I'll shower and then eat while I'm drying.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31So, like, maximise all the time I can have to spend on League.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And I'll play, like, 16, 17 hours in a day,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and then, like, sleep and do it again.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Impaler accepts the sacrifices eSports demands.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Including unwritten rules about girls.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Just don't have a girlfriend.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Like, it's not good for you, it's not good for them. It's just like...
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Nobody this age can understand
0:17:51 > 0:17:54how much time and effort you have to put into this.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Impaler was brought up here in Taunton.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Ironically for a gamer, much of his time was spent outdoors.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I've always been brought up playing games.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Mainly played simple things like football,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06chase, whatever you want to call it.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08And I'd go out with my friends, play manhunt in the park,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10chase each other around.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Four of you would get caught and one of you would be left hiding.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15So five people are looking for you and then what you've got to do
0:18:15 > 0:18:17is you've got to get to the bench, or the jail,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and free all your team-mates and it all starts again.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22But you'd have to do it while running as fast as you can,
0:18:22 > 0:18:23you'd come through this corner,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26you'd jump from, like, here to down here.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Yeah, got a lot of fond memories from here.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I guess when I was in primary school and I'd sit behind my brother,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35watching him, and occasionally I'd get a few hours
0:18:35 > 0:18:37where I could play, when he was doing other things.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It rapidly became clear that Impaler was an exceptional player.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45He moved on to League Of Legends
0:18:45 > 0:18:47and, by his first year of university,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49he broke through to the big time.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53It was one game. There was so much on one game,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55because if we win the game, we're in.
0:18:55 > 0:18:56If we lose the game, we're out.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And we win fairly convincingly.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59And I get up in a state of shock, like,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01"Wait, what does this mean, like, for me?"
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And I go into my parents' room, and I'm like, "I'm moving to Germany."
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And she just looks at me, like, "What about uni?"
0:19:07 > 0:19:09And that's where it all changed.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Impaler played in the influential position of Jungler,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and was regarded as one of the best on the circuit.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18He was part of a dynamic young team called Super Hot Crew,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and played alongside his friend, KaSing.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25We were, like, a really cool and young team.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I don't know, that was kind of like our brand.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29People would, like, bring us in stuff.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32One time, a group of girls brought in Super Hot Crew underwear,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35with the logo printed on it, and, like, made us wear them.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37After that, I joined Coast.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And that was an American team, so I lived in Santa Monica.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42It was really weird to me -
0:19:42 > 0:19:44you could just go outside and pick orange and, yeah...
0:19:44 > 0:19:46I don't know, man.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48His current lower league team, Ex Nihilo,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51has to manage without the luxury of a gaming house.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53It's a big come-down.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Cos once you've done something, and had a taste of what could be,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58then you just want that so much more.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00I just want to get back to competing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01I want to play on a stage,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03and I want to play against, like, teams that I look up to.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05And, right now, I just don't really get that.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10The Challenger series is the League Of Legends second division,
0:20:10 > 0:20:11below the LCS.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The league matches are online, but the teams are nomadic,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18hopping around Europe to play showcase tournaments.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21They could be in a different city every week of the season.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24This week it's Ghent in Belgium.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Ex Nihilo, currently bottom of the Challenger league,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33are on their way here for a weekend tournament.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Bring it in. I don't care, bring it in.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40How you doing?
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The team is meeting up at the city's stadium.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Players have come here to compete
0:20:47 > 0:20:50for a first prize of 10,000 euros.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Ex Nihilo is set to play the Challenger league leaders,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59the British Team Dignitas, in the first round.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01It's one of Impaler's former teams,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04coached by an old American rival, Brokenshard.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Hey, how you doing?
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It's polite to say hello, you know, before you fuck someone.
0:21:09 > 0:21:10HE LAUGHS
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Well, experienced, maybe - they're four ex-LCS players,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17they should have the experience, but it seems that the synergy isn't quite there yet.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Some of us junglers took the hint
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and retired while they were ahead.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25And some of us junglers are four and 0
0:21:25 > 0:21:26when the others are 0 and four.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It's just banter. It's just banter.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30You're not funny, man.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It'll be funny when we beat you next game.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34I'm going to come over and see your face.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39There are definitely bragging rights at stake here,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41but more than that, a win could be a turning point
0:21:41 > 0:21:43for Ex Nihilo's lacklustre season.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45- COMMENTATOR:- Here we go. Here's the Ghost.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Pops that Cleanse for five men in the mid lane.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49Bam, bam, bam, bam.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52And Ex Nihilo Ex-nihilate.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The match has started well for Ex Nihilo.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Here we go. Twisted Fate's got to get on.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Look at that, she's gone down, and it won't be enough...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Impaler calls the shots for the rest of the team.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Drain in two minutes, OK? We make our next play a Drain.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I've always had fun, like, beating people at things. I don't know.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It's just part of who I am, and I enjoy competitions.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17And look at how quickly she goes down!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Eventually you get to the point where you start getting good.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25That fight was entirely Impaler.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29This is upset Saturday here at eSports Festival in Ghent.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32Fuck, yeah.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Finally.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36After all the pain and hard work,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Ex Nihilo has squeezed a win.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Dig are the best Challenger team right now,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42so it feels so good to beat them,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and we have to play them last out of all the Challenger series.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47So this is a good morale boost as well for the team,
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and it's a good showing that we can actually beat the best team.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Unfortunately, there are no league points
0:22:55 > 0:22:57up for grabs at this tournament.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Ex Nihilo are still firmly rooted at the bottom of the table.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Their confidence is still fragile.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06And their planning is chaotic.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09We need to decide what we're playing against the other teams,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11cos we still don't really know what we're doing.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13The team haven't even got a hotel for the night,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15so they're off in search of a bed.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20So we're just wandering aimlessly right now.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22That is the eSports way of doing things, I guess.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25This new team is kind of... It's a bit adventurous,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29we're just trying to figure out something that works, and right now we're struggling a lot.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31The team's manager is currently in Egypt,
0:23:31 > 0:23:32there's no coach with them,
0:23:32 > 0:23:34the team shirts haven't even arrived.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Where's he going?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39And players know they are disposable if things don't work out.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40Are we in? We're in.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43'It's really important to have motivated people who want to win.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:47There's always going to be someone hungrier than you, who really wants to get into the scene,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49and you have to prove that you're better than them.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Sleep here.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It's a precarious life with few success stories.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56I don't even have a pillow.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'I think someone worked out the statistics, but there's more chance
0:23:59 > 0:24:03'of getting into Harvard than getting into a pro-gaming career.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:05I'm really not sure what I want to do any more.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08I'm considering multiple things - I can continue playing,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I can swap games, I can look for a new team.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I'm taking some time to re-evaluate everything,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16but right now I'm not sure what I want to do.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Despite their surprise victory,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24the tournament is not going well for Ex Nihilo.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28They've lost half of their games.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31If they don't win the next one, they're out.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34This is, like, make or break for me, for this team.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36If things don't go well here,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39then I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to start again from scratch.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Let's go. Fuck it. 4v4. Let's go.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Come, come, come.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45I'm going in, I'm going in, I'm going in.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Ex Nihilo are losing.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Their brief morale boost has evaporated
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and they're back to square one.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Holy fuck.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It's always the same.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Like, we played every fight wrong for the entire mid game again.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Going for the back line there, we still do it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07We're playing two hyper carries. Just hit the fucking front line.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Wait for Last Whisper and then hit front line. It's that simple.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Good game.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Good game, buddy.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I have nothing more to say.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21That's it.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Impaler is less certain of his future than ever.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28This is the other side of the eSports dream.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It's all glitz and glory on the stage,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32but clearly it can be emotionally devastating
0:25:32 > 0:25:36because of how much they all sacrifice just to get to that point.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38All of the time, all of the hard work,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41everything that they gave up to pursue a career in eSports.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43And you know, it makes me wonder,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45if these guys are the 0.1%
0:25:45 > 0:25:47that actually make it as pros,
0:25:47 > 0:25:48what happens to the rest?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57To find out, I've come to the middle of Sweden
0:25:57 > 0:25:58to look for the passionate players
0:25:58 > 0:26:01who could be the next generation of eSports stars.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Hey!
0:26:04 > 0:26:0710,000 gamers are dragging their computers
0:26:07 > 0:26:10into an underworld of convention halls.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15This is DreamHack, Europe's biggest video-games festival
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and a breeding ground for young players
0:26:17 > 0:26:21ready to start their journey into the competitive world.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24How many thousands of people actually bring their desktop PCs
0:26:24 > 0:26:26from home just to connect them
0:26:26 > 0:26:29to one of the world's fastest internet connections for a weekend?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I mean, it sounds a bit nerdy, but as someone that doesn't have
0:26:31 > 0:26:34enough friends to play games with by themselves at home,
0:26:34 > 0:26:35this is like a dream for me.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40They bring pillows and sleeping bags for power naps...
0:26:41 > 0:26:46..before they start again, fuelled by burgers and energy drinks.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48What kind of imagery does this conjure up for you?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's like walking through a market in Marrakech or something, isn't it?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Or some kind of weird future in The Matrix, like a postapocalypse
0:26:55 > 0:26:58where everybody's just hackers in a weird brown room.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It's a land of competition and fantasy,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05a paradise for teenage gamers.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I'm sure many of these guys dream of becoming pros,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13but do they know the sacrifices that come with that decision?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I'm here to find a young British gamer
0:27:19 > 0:27:22who's trying to break through in the eSports world.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25This is his first full season as a professional.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29This is James Luo,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30gaming name Greensheep.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33He is 17 years old and still at school.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38He specialises in a virtual card game called Hearthstone.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43He is part of the biggest British eSports group, Team Dignitas.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46His dream is to win a major tournament.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- Hi, so, Greensheep?- Yeah. - Nice to meet you.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55So also known in real life as...
0:27:55 > 0:27:56- James.- And where are you from?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I'm from Blackpool in England.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01James from Blackpool, and here you are in Sweden
0:28:01 > 0:28:02- at a gaming tournament.- Yeah.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- So are your parents and school happy with it as long as it doesn't clash with the education?- Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Stereotypically, the Chinese parents want you to have, like,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- a stable job.- An education, yeah. - A really stable job like a doctor or a lawyer.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16So they weren't really happy about me going into gaming at first,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19because they didn't know where the money was coming from. Like, it's not stable.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23You might win a tournament today, you might lose one tomorrow. You don't know how much you earn a year.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24I believe.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Greensheep was spotted by Team Dignitas when he was only 16,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32and became part of their 50-player squad.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35This year has been hard.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37He's been concentrating on his AS levels
0:28:37 > 0:28:41for the past three months, and he's had no wins.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43He needs to do well at DreamHack,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46but things aren't going to plan.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- His hand's pretty bad.- Yeah?
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Greensheep has lost his first game.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Wasn't good.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57That was the exact cards he needed to win. Like, no other way.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05He needs to win the next round without conceding,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07but he misses an easy chance.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Greensheep has crashed out of the tournament on day one,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14and he's desperate to improve.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18In the ultra-big-time, I have to promote myself a lot
0:29:18 > 0:29:20to show people that I'm actually a really good player,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and show not just the UK players, UK people,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26but everyone around the world that I'm actually good at the game
0:29:26 > 0:29:28and that I can succeed.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31The game he plays is called Hearthstone,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33a one-on-one strategic duel
0:29:33 > 0:29:35with magic spells and epic heroes
0:29:35 > 0:29:38that can be summoned to defeat the opponent.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Think professional poker meets Pokemon cards.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Greensheep at 17 already knows
0:29:47 > 0:29:51that making it in eSports demands a lot of time.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54It could destroy his chances of getting good A-level results
0:29:54 > 0:29:57and his prospects at university.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Do you think you have what it takes to make it as an eSports star?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06I reckon if I go full time, and, like, proper go for it
0:30:06 > 0:30:08and practise as much as I can,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10then I can make more consistent results,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12even get some tournament wins in there.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15With the passion that I have and the dedication
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and hard work I'm willing to give, I think I can make it.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24But these aren't easy choices for young, aspiring players.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Combining such an obsessive sport with schooling is a big risk.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Ying Ying is a 26-year-old postgrad student from Manchester.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39She and her partner Anthony are visiting
0:30:39 > 0:30:41an exhibition of retro games.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45They live and breathe video gaming.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49She has long-term ambitions to become a professional gamer,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52but she is only just realising what it takes.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I didn't appreciate it when I was younger,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58how much time you're meant to be putting to a game
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and all the effort that you put in, all the research you go into.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03A lot of work needs to be put in to do well.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Ying Ying also plays Hearthstone,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09under the gamer's name Munchkin.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14She has seen how risky young players' choices can be.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19With eSports in particular, they tend to recruit very young players.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21So there are players
0:31:21 > 0:31:24where they start off really young, go professional,
0:31:24 > 0:31:25and they've come out -
0:31:25 > 0:31:28maybe they've retired, maybe they decided not to play,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31maybe they've not performed as well and then got dropped by the team -
0:31:31 > 0:31:35and when they come out into everyday life, well,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37they turn out to be... You know, they have no qualification,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40they can't get anywhere, they're back to square one.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Munchkin's own gaming plans are on hold
0:31:43 > 0:31:45until she has finished her PhD.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48But it's a tough decision, as most players
0:31:48 > 0:31:51start to lose reaction speed by the age of 22.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I had a discussion with my partner, actually -
0:31:54 > 0:31:57like, if we had kids and stuff and we had, you know...
0:31:57 > 0:32:00the kids wanted to go into professional gaming,
0:32:00 > 0:32:01what would you say?
0:32:01 > 0:32:04And there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07and if it's affecting your education, then the answer is no.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14I'm starting to think that it is almost impossible
0:32:14 > 0:32:17to succeed in eSports and education at the same time.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19It's a week after DreamHack,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21and I'm on my way to seek out Greensheep again
0:32:21 > 0:32:25at his home town of St Annes near Blackpool.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28His grades have suffered because of the time spent gaming.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32In November, some of you might be sitting the entrance exam
0:32:32 > 0:32:34for either Oxford or Imperial.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37It's the same exam paper for both, so we're going to be looking today
0:32:37 > 0:32:39at some of the questions in that paper.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43F of X is X squared. G of X is two X plus three. H of X is seven...
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Hearthstone is based on mathematical skill and strategy.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Plus 11 rather than X, what effect does that have?
0:32:51 > 0:32:53You're squaring it, you're timesing it by three...
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Greensheep was an A* student in maths
0:32:56 > 0:32:58before he began serious gaming.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Coming into this year, he got an A* in his GCSE.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05It was a very comfortable A*.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09If you realise you can split these into twos and threes...
0:33:09 > 0:33:12'This year, I think his grades have suffered a little
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'because of his other commitments.'
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Do you think that he is making the right decisions?
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Committing all of his time to something
0:33:19 > 0:33:22that he's clearly very talented at and passionate about,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26but do you think that it's maybe not a great idea?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28I don't have his official results for this year,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31but in his mock exams, he didn't do very well.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34He didn't justify his undoubted natural ability in his mock exams.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37He's either got to decide he's going to park Hearthstone for a year,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39really focus on his A levels next year,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and he can still come out of here with some very good A levels,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45get offers at universities, or effectively to defer next year
0:33:45 > 0:33:47and do it all again in a future year.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Most gamers reach their peak as teenagers...
0:33:53 > 0:33:54I nearly lost it. I was like...
0:33:54 > 0:33:59..and have to contend with the pressures of full-time education.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Greensheep has already taken quite a lot of time off school
0:34:02 > 0:34:04to go to tournaments.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Next Saturday I'll be in France.
0:34:12 > 0:34:13Lyon.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Do you ever start to doubt it,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19when you're kind of out of the scene for a long period of time?
0:34:19 > 0:34:20Well, I've thought about this a lot.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Every night I think about it - am I actually choosing the right path?
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Should I be playing so much Hearthstone,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29or should I just quit, should I go to university?
0:34:29 > 0:34:33When I'm at home, and I see these events that I'm not at,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I just... It just, like, drives me
0:34:35 > 0:34:37to perform better, to qualify for the next event,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40to actually win an event. Cos that's my goal, actually.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Just to win one event.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45It might be, like, one, it might be many,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47but just one to start with,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49to tell me that I'm really good at the game,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51and that I can do this in the future,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and that I'm not wasting my life
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and not wasting my opportunities that people have given to me.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00You've got to appreciate where his parents and teachers are coming from,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02that he's just, you know, a smart kid
0:35:02 > 0:35:04that could become a doctor or a lawyer,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07and instead he wants to go and do this gaming thing.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10I mean, I relate, cos I'm the guy that dropped out of law school
0:35:10 > 0:35:12at university to become a full-time YouTube videomaker,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16so if anyone can relate to the hard decisions and the weird job
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that the grandparents don't understand, it's me.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Despite the precariousness of the career,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29there is no shortage of would-be professional gamers.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I've come to a gaming pub in north London.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35There's no reason that watching people play video games
0:35:35 > 0:35:38doesn't have to be a social activity.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Believe it or not, two thirds of adults in Britain
0:35:42 > 0:35:44say they play video games,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47and plenty of them have either competed or would like to.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54So I think all of these people here are actually watching those people
0:35:54 > 0:35:56sat right there playing against each other,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59having their own very, very, very mini eSports tournaments
0:35:59 > 0:36:01in their own bar.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02This is weekly.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05This is a weekly thing. This isn't a special event or anything -
0:36:05 > 0:36:08this is something that happens weekly. The atmosphere is wonderful.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Yeah, I feel the people who don't understand eSports
0:36:11 > 0:36:13are the same people who don't use the scroll wheel on a mouse.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15They just hold the side and scroll it down.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17If they don't get it, they just don't accept it, really,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and I feel that's what eSports is at the moment. They're like,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22"Well, I don't get it, so I'm just going to not like it."
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Lots of people love gaming together, but we don't really...
0:36:27 > 0:36:31- You know, it's nothing new. People had Lan parties before.- Yeah.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Just now, there's a place where it's not shameful,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37kind of like hiding behind your computer.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38No, it's really social.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I've seen for myself the growth of professional gaming
0:36:49 > 0:36:50in the last few years.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54It has turned into a truly colossal spectator sport.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But it is driven by the global gaming industry
0:36:57 > 0:37:01that continues to outpace every other form of entertainment.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06I want to see how this casual hobby becomes a sport,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09so I've come to Cologne, the Glastonbury of gaming.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12In case you still thought gaming was people antisocially
0:37:12 > 0:37:15playing in the darkness of their bedrooms, welcome to gamescom,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19the biggest convention in the entire world for gaming,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22which is attended by nearly 400,000 people.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33The gaming community is clearly not a repressed subculture.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37This is a powerful, mainstream industry on an epic scale.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Developers are celebrating their creations
0:37:43 > 0:37:45and the gigantic profits.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49After all, gaming is worth around 100 billion a year.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54I mean, we've got sexy sailors, tanks and lasers.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56No wonder this is the most expensive and popular stall
0:37:56 > 0:37:58possibly in the whole of gamescom.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05This is the future of entertainment, people.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Vibrating rabbit simulators.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10And now we have a farming simulator.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12With a cow mascot.
0:38:13 > 0:38:14Why digitally murder people
0:38:14 > 0:38:17when you can digitally harvest crops?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Just sit back, put on your favourite music,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and do some virtual farming.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23I can understand why it's so popular.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Let's plough the chickens.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35At the beating heart of every gaming convention
0:38:35 > 0:38:37are the eSports events.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Gets the shot off. Beautifully done.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42This is a tournament for Counter-Strike,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45currently one of the most popular spectator games out there.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49It's a first-person shooter
0:38:49 > 0:38:51played between two teams of five -
0:38:51 > 0:38:54terrorists versus counterterrorists.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56- COMMENTATOR:- Three guns trained at him...
0:38:56 > 0:39:00The live audience here is gripped, but this expensive studio production
0:39:00 > 0:39:03is all for the much bigger audience online.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10With a potential audience of 100 million a month,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13commercials and sponsorships are very lucrative.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18And what a way to close it down, the vice with the 4K to close out,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20and a brilliant game coming up on both teams.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Lauren Scott is a shoutcaster...
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Time is ticking against him. And bullet by bullet, Renegades...
0:39:26 > 0:39:29..the technical term for the commentators
0:39:29 > 0:39:32whose voices dramatise the eSports action.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34This PC is for the players to practise on?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Yeah, it's a warm-up area. They can get everything set up here,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- and it just makes going up to the stage up there - cos these two areas...- They play up there?
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Yeah. So up there, they're above the crowd, it makes it a little easier for them. It is massive, to be fair.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Cos when you just watch a stream online, you're like,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50"Surely that's, like, a webcam and three people in suits?"
0:39:50 > 0:39:52But then I'm looking at this, and I'm like, OK,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56a lot goes into streaming an eSports tournament.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00These are the people who have turned gaming into a spectator sport.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04We basically try and highlight
0:40:04 > 0:40:08and accentuate the important moments within the game itself.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11So I just have to frame that. Like, I tell a story.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13That's all I am. I'm just a storyteller.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15That's it, Renegades!
0:40:15 > 0:40:17That meant the world to those boys.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Shoutcasting is the profession that has transformed competitive gaming,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24turning it into a true sport with a global audience,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and the ratings have increased over eight times in the last four years.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30CROWD CHEERS
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Renegades staying alive.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39I've seen the amount of money pouring into eSports.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42It's becoming more of a commercial venture even though
0:40:42 > 0:40:44it remains largely unregulated.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46And now some of those involved
0:40:46 > 0:40:49want to make gaming into a legitimate career.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53At a studio in central London,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Greensheep's team has started to look for another
0:40:55 > 0:40:57young British Hearthstone player.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Team Dignitas is holding a tournament where 64 hopefuls
0:41:02 > 0:41:06will compete online for the prize of a contract with the team.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Greensheep himself is the host.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Hello, guys, and welcome to the Team Dignitas
0:41:13 > 0:41:15UK Hearthstone gamer search.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Hearthstone team tournaments are coming,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and they'll be really good for us, so we need a good squad.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22So we've got an American, Korean, two English,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26so we're looking for a UK player to join the team.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30The manager of the team, Michael O'Dell,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32is a legend in the world of eSport,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34known to everyone as Odee.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37For the gamer search, if we were to find the eSports David Beckham
0:41:37 > 0:41:40in this gamer search, there, job done.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42The tournament is played over two days,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46and Munchkin, the postgrad student, is one of the competitors.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Munchkin's at 14.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Oh, Dark Wispers, OK.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54If we had somebody that could go on and be a global brand
0:41:54 > 0:41:58like that for themselves, that obviously brings our brand up
0:41:58 > 0:42:01and it also brings the brands of every single player in our team up.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Most of the big international teams like Dignitas
0:42:04 > 0:42:07have squads for many of the main eSport games.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09But there's always the risk that the star players
0:42:09 > 0:42:11will get poached by rival companies.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Maybe a slight miscalculation, but she was dead either way,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18so it didn't really matter.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- I'd love an academy one day. That'd be great.- Yeah.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Ultimately I want to pay the players bigger salaries.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28I'd love it one day if I did have a training facility
0:42:28 > 0:42:31where my guys could drive in in their really big cars
0:42:31 > 0:42:34and turn up, go to the gym, do the training,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36do the tactics, practise, and then go home.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Since the last time I met Impaler, his team, Ex Nihilo,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46have lost their crucial end-of-season match.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- COMMENTATOR:- Meanwhile, Impaler, Crazycaps there in a very strong HP...
0:42:49 > 0:42:52They now have no chance of promotion.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54But Ex Nihilo looking way better in this game,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56but too little, too late.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Their season is over.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02To me, I took it quite personally.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05I put a lot of my time and effort into the team and into the others,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07so for me more than most it was pretty brutal.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11It's been a bitter end to the season.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13The team has dropped one of its players
0:43:13 > 0:43:15and is considering another one.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Impaler's future is now uncertain.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20We need to do, like, a lot of work.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22We don't just need to work on our team play,
0:43:22 > 0:43:24we need to work on our individual play.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27So it's going to be a long road, and we need to improve.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- Do you still love the game as much as you did back in the...?- Nah.- No?
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- No. I don't think anyone does. - Really?
0:43:32 > 0:43:34As soon as you go pro, like...
0:43:34 > 0:43:37I still love the game. I love everything about the game,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40but it's just, when it was new to me, it was like this amazing thing
0:43:40 > 0:43:42that I didn't really fully understand.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44But now it's just, like, honing in the skills
0:43:44 > 0:43:47and it's mainly going over things that I already know.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Impaler's career in eSports has had its ups and downs,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53but despite the team's defeat, for the moment
0:43:53 > 0:43:55he remains determined to come back.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58It's quite precarious, though, the world of eSports.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Cos, like, I mean, you could get dropped from a team
0:44:00 > 0:44:02if you stop playing so well,
0:44:02 > 0:44:04and then you kind of have no future in it.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06I feel like you have to earn your spot on the team,
0:44:06 > 0:44:08and if you don't earn it, then it's not yours to keep.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11That's part of what's exciting about it, to me.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Sure, it's fragile,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16and it's very volatile. People get replaced a lot.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18But that's just part of the job for me.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29While Impaler strives to make a comeback,
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Greensheep is in Spain making best use of his school holidays
0:44:32 > 0:44:35to pound the European tournament circuit.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39I have these two months that I can fully commit to Hearthstone.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43I haven't done anything for about a couple of months.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45My results haven't been that great.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48But while in Spain, he's had a breakthrough.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51His day-and-night training has at last paid Off.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54It's DreamHack Valencia,
0:44:54 > 0:44:57the moment he's been waiting for half his life -
0:44:57 > 0:45:01Greensheep wins first prize from an international field -
0:45:01 > 0:45:035,000 in the bank.
0:45:04 > 0:45:05It's the first one I've won,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08and it's actually the first individual tournament
0:45:08 > 0:45:10I've won this whole year, so it feels great.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12CHEERING
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Victory at Valencia gives him
0:45:16 > 0:45:1950 points towards the world championships,
0:45:19 > 0:45:23and it renews his faith in the life he's chosen for himself.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25So which does he feel closer to,
0:45:25 > 0:45:27James from Blackpool, or Greensheep?
0:45:29 > 0:45:31I guess probably Greensheep now,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34because this game has given me so much more
0:45:34 > 0:45:36opportunities to fly around the world.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40I've seen so much being Greensheep rather than James,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44and I've had so much more enjoyable experiences being Greensheep.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46So I guess I'm more like Greensheep.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51It might sound strange to you,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54to feel closer to your online identity than your real self,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57but I can understand why he feels that way.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01- Cheers.- Cheers!- Cheers!
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Greensheep!
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Have I made my mind up yet?
0:46:06 > 0:46:08No, still unsure, like.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I'd really like to do this as a career,
0:46:10 > 0:46:13but we'll see what happens throughout the next six months,
0:46:13 > 0:46:17I guess, and if I make it to the world championships, we'll see.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21CHATTING AND LAUGHTER
0:46:23 > 0:46:26It's been a month since Impaler's season came to an end.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29He's started to question his long-term commitment to gaming.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31It's just, like, time.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35I don't want to spend another year of my life doing something that isn't going to relate to anything.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Cos when I'm done with League, what skills can I really translate to a real career?
0:46:39 > 0:46:41I'm going to be two years behind at uni already
0:46:41 > 0:46:43compared to everyone else. Maybe three now.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46I don't want to fall behind all my friends and everyone I know.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49So, yeah, I have to make up for it.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53I've had, like, so many good experiences everywhere.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56But I don't know, maybe normal life is pretty cool as well.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Meanwhile, the competition for a place in Team Dignitas
0:47:03 > 0:47:06and the chance of a professional career as a gamer
0:47:06 > 0:47:07has reached its climax.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Out of all the competitors who took part, four remain.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16Now it's come down to a last test.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19This time, not a game, but an interview with Odee
0:47:19 > 0:47:22to see if he thinks they have what it takes.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25You see tournaments and you think,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27"Wow, that would be cool to do that."
0:47:27 > 0:47:29And then suddenly you're actually...
0:47:29 > 0:47:31It actually could be a thing.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34The other three candidates are just as good, and I came fourth
0:47:34 > 0:47:37in the overall tournament, so it's kind of like it's all against me.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40I feel like by far I am the best player.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42There's no doubt about that.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44Bit amazed, to be honest.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47It's not something I ever imagined would happen to me.
0:47:47 > 0:47:52This is the moment that will change one of their lives forever.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54I'm not very good at speeches or anything like that,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57so I'm just going to come straight out with the gamer search winner.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58And it's Anakin.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02Oh, my God!
0:48:02 > 0:48:04This is going to change your life, kind of.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06It is. It definitely is.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Like, I'm just sat behind my computer all the time
0:48:08 > 0:48:10just sort of doing nothing with my life,
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and now doing nothing with my life
0:48:12 > 0:48:14has turned into doing something with my life.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19I mean, this really was the golden ticket for Anakin.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22He's gone from someone just playing video games for fun at home
0:48:22 > 0:48:25to having an actual career ahead of him in gaming.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29And after months of deliberation,
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Greensheep himself has come to a decision about his future.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37He needs to focus on either his studies or his eSports adventure.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40My decision, actually, is that
0:48:40 > 0:48:42I'll take a break from school right now.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44- So I just finished my AS levels. - Really?
0:48:44 > 0:48:47So I'll take at least one year off to go to events and stuff,
0:48:47 > 0:48:49just play Hearthstone full time.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Do you feel like it's a risky decision,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54- or are you quite confident that...? - It's definitely risky,
0:48:54 > 0:48:56because I don't know how many tournaments I'm going to win.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59I suppose, then, it just came down to your parents' approval.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03So, I mean, how easy were they to kind of persuade?
0:49:03 > 0:49:05They've accepted the fact that I can't do both
0:49:05 > 0:49:08and I should really just choose one or the other.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10And since I've made this decision, they're trying their best
0:49:10 > 0:49:13to understand what I'll be doing the next year.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16I just hope that I can do them proud this whole year.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27I've now come to Stockholm.
0:49:28 > 0:49:3122-year-old kaSing and his team H2k
0:49:31 > 0:49:33had a strong end to the season
0:49:33 > 0:49:37and made it here to the play-offs for the world finals.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40I mean, this is it for kaSing.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43This is the whole reason he started playing League Of Legends
0:49:43 > 0:49:47competitively, to get to worlds, to prove that he was the best.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51Today is the day that his dreams either go up in flames
0:49:51 > 0:49:53or actually become a reality.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56This is Stockholm's Hovet arena.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00The 9,000 seats are sold out for the weekend.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Final preparations are under way for the first play-off
0:50:05 > 0:50:09between teams H2k and Unicorns Of Love.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13It's a best-of-five match that could last several hours.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17I think everyone's going to be bitterly disappointed
0:50:17 > 0:50:20if we don't make it to worlds.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23When the crowd comes in,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26I know that the game we play coming up
0:50:26 > 0:50:27is really, really important.
0:50:29 > 0:50:30And I don't want to lose.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35The team's gaming lives have been leading to this one moment.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38The worlds are a lifelong ambition.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42They each know they might never get another chance.
0:50:42 > 0:50:43This whole time we've been talking about
0:50:43 > 0:50:45what we wanted out of the game,
0:50:45 > 0:50:47but this is actually the day we can get it.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50CROWD ROARS
0:50:50 > 0:50:51Are you guys ready to win?
0:50:56 > 0:50:59CHEERING
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I think it's safe to say that the nerves have set in now,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11and you can't really blame them, looking out at all of this.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15I'm starting to feel the pressure, and I'm not doing anything, I'm just watching the game!
0:51:15 > 0:51:16- COMMENTATOR:- Who will be winning?
0:51:16 > 0:51:20It's the start of the biggest match of their lives.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23The early battles are hard-fought and brutal.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26And they take the Nexus!
0:51:26 > 0:51:30It's an exhausting experience for the players' nerves.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Every encounter is punishing.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35This is it. This is it!
0:51:38 > 0:51:40After two hours of battle,
0:51:40 > 0:51:41H2k are ahead.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47I don't know what he said, but it worked.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50H2k are absolutely smashing it.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53H2k, they want the clean sweep!
0:51:53 > 0:51:54There we go!
0:51:54 > 0:51:56H2k have done it!
0:51:56 > 0:51:58They're on the Nexus!
0:51:58 > 0:52:01H2k, 3-0 the Unicorns!
0:52:01 > 0:52:02Amazing.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Look at everyone on their feet.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07But even at the moment of triumph,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10H2k's fate is out of their hands.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12It all comes down to points.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14To get to worlds,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17their archrivals Fnatic must win in the next match.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22- So how do you feel right now?- Happy! - HE LAUGHS
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Are you accepting it on the inside or are you going to wait to see what happens?
0:52:25 > 0:52:28I just kind of want to wait. Like, I don't want to get too happy,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31because if Fnatic don't win, then we don't get world.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34This time, H2k will be spectators
0:52:34 > 0:52:38as their fate is decided by their old enemy.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40So much anticipation.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44This is the matchup a year in the making.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50From the start, things are not going to plan.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Fnatic have lost one! They've lost their captain.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Origen are going to push forward!
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Fnatic have not lost a match all season.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00And suddenly, there's nothing Fnatic can do.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04But the invincible team have started to crumble under the pressure.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08And it's Origen!
0:53:08 > 0:53:10When you're sitting in front of a big stage,
0:53:10 > 0:53:11a lot of stress is put onto you,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14because if you don't win then why do you play?
0:53:16 > 0:53:19The match is going to the last round,
0:53:19 > 0:53:20and at the critical moment,
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Fnatic have recovered their fighting spirit.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28CROWD ROARS
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Fnatic are tearing apart Origen's base!
0:53:35 > 0:53:38INDISTINCT EXCITED CHATTER
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Fnatic at the summer split are going to make the Nexus!
0:53:42 > 0:53:45INDISTINCT CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Fnatic have won.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53H2k are on their way to the world finals.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Jesus. That was...
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Oh, my God.- You've done it. You're going to Paris.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- You made it into worlds.- Yeah! - The relief!
0:54:02 > 0:54:04I don't know what to say.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08- I'm kind of speechless right now because, like...- Well, you know.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10All the time you spend playing League, you know,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13everything you gave up, and here - you've made it to worlds,
0:54:13 > 0:54:15the biggest stage in the whole of eSports.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Are you ready?
0:54:17 > 0:54:19- Course.- Yeah.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22I couldn't have made it without my team, of course.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24I still can't believe it.
0:54:24 > 0:54:25Actually insane.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27You put all of your time in
0:54:27 > 0:54:31essentially as if you'd never lived outside of eSports.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33That's kind of what you put in. Like, it takes your soul.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36Getting LCS is your goal,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39and then when you get to LCS, your next goal is to get the worlds,
0:54:39 > 0:54:41and each time you make that jump,
0:54:41 > 0:54:43the pool of people who have done it gets smaller,
0:54:43 > 0:54:46so it gets more prestigious and harder to do.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50H2k have made it to worlds
0:54:50 > 0:54:53and, as a bonus, just earned 30,000.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56It's a moment they'll never forget.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02It seems to me the decision to become a professional gamer
0:55:02 > 0:55:04is an incredibly risky one.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08For every success story, there are thousands of failures.
0:55:09 > 0:55:13I've spent the summer following three young British gamers,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16and I now feel I understand both the sacrifice
0:55:16 > 0:55:20and the passion they need in this extraordinary career.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Such an amazing feeling.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26The first time I ever experienced it was in London.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28The entire stadium was, like, shouting,
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and the stage was shaking as well.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31I love that feeling so much,
0:55:31 > 0:55:35because you feel so good after everyone's cheering for you,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38and I think that's one of the main reasons why I still enjoy playing.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42There's just something about playing on stage with, like,
0:55:42 > 0:55:44your team-mates, your best friends as well,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47playing against people you know and you look up to. It's like...
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It's a feeling you can't really compare to anything else.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53ESports is totally different.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Like, every event's at a different place across the world,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58which is absolutely amazing.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01So many people dream of doing this as a living,
0:56:01 > 0:56:04and I'm actually doing it as a reality.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08I don't know what you would have thought if someone said
0:56:08 > 0:56:12the words "professional gamers", but I couldn't have possibly imagined
0:56:12 > 0:56:14what I've seen following the stories of these guys.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Not only do they have the natural ability, the intelligence,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20the reaction speed, but they have the passion
0:56:20 > 0:56:24and the dedication that is required to take them to this next level.
0:56:24 > 0:56:25They have risked everything
0:56:25 > 0:56:28in one of the most fragile careers imaginable
0:56:28 > 0:56:31just to prove that they are the best and become superstars.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34These guys, they're not just gamers like you and I.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36They're supergamers.