Rocket League or How Football with Rocket Powered Cars Stormed the World of Esports

How Much Do eSports Players Really Make?

In the world of sports, discussions about athletes’ salaries often spark intrigue and astonishment. The eSports industry is no exception. As competitive gaming has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade, so have the earnings of its top players. But just how lucrative is a career in eSports?

Tiers of Earnings

1. Entry-Level Players: Just like any profession, newcomers in the eSports scene usually earn less. Depending on the game and the league, starting salaries for players in recognized leagues can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per month. This doesn’t account for additional earnings from sponsorships, streaming, or prize money.
2. Professional Players: Players who’ve made a name for themselves in popular games like “League of Legends,” “Dota 2,” or “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” (or Counter-Strike 2) can expect much heftier paychecks. Salaries can range from $5,000 to $40,000 a month. In addition to base salaries, many of these players receive benefits like health insurance, training resources, and even housing.
3. Elite Players: The crème de la crème of the eSports world take home staggering sums. With tournament prize pools sometimes hitting tens of millions, a top player’s annual earnings can exceed millions. For example, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, known for his prowess in “Dota 2,” has earned over $6.8 million solely from tournament wins.

Additional Streams of Income

Aside from base salaries and tournament winnings, players often have multiple revenue streams:

1. Streaming: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube allow players to monetize their gameplay and interactions with fans. Popular streamers can make thousands daily through ads, donations, and subscriptions.
2. Sponsorships & Endorsements: Brands eager to tap into the youthful demographic of eSports often sponsor players, offering them lucrative deals to wear their gear or promote their products.
3. Merchandising: Top players and teams release their merchandise, from T-shirts to gaming accessories, adding another revenue stream.

Factors Affecting Earnings

Several factors can influence a player’s earnings:

• Game Popularity: More popular games generally have larger prize pools and more sponsorship opportunities.
• Team Performance: Consistent high performance in tournaments can significantly boost earnings from prize money.
• Marketability: Players with charismatic personalities can attract more lucrative sponsorship and endorsement deals.

In conclusion, the potential earnings in eSports vary widely, but as the industry continues to grow, it’s clear that a career in competitive gaming can be incredibly rewarding. While not every player will become a millionaire, those who invest in their skills, branding, and marketability have a golden joystick leading them to financial success.

Money is not everything though, one thing that separates best players from the rest is the ability and desire to learn, develop and self-improve. Learn more about how our students develop growth mindset here at Metalions Academy.

Rocket League, a unique fusion of soccer and rocket-powered cars, has taken the gaming world by storm since its release in 2015. Developed by Psyonix, this innovative video game has not only gained immense popularity but has also become a platform for skill development, teamwork, and creativity, making it an excellent choice for kids. Ok, maybe the title for this article is a bit overdramatic, but hear us out…

In this article, we will delve into the history of Rocket League, tracing its roots, evolution, and the impact it has on children, highlighting the numerous benefits it offers for their growth and development.

The Birth of Rocket League

To understand Rocket League’s significance, we must first explore its origins. Rocket League is not the first game of its kind; it’s an evolution of Psyonix’s earlier title, “Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars” (SARPBC), released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3. SARPBC introduced the concept of rocket-powered cars playing football, but it failed to gain widespread recognition due to various factors, including its complex gameplay and limited marketing.

Rocket League, however, was designed with a more accessible approach. Released in July 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, it quickly garnered attention due to its easy-to-learn mechanics and exhilarating gameplay. The game allowed players to control customizable rocket-powered cars, scoring goals in a football-style match with oversized balls. This blend of skill and thrill paved the way for Rocket League’s rise to stardom.

Rocket League’s Meteoric Rise

Rocket League’s success can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, the game’s accessibility made it appealing to players of all skill levels. Its basic mechanics, which revolve around driving and hitting the ball into a goal, are easy for beginners to grasp, while the advanced mechanics and techniques offer a high skill ceiling for more experienced players. This delicate balance between simplicity and depth helped Rocket League build a diverse and dedicated player base.

Secondly, Psyonix employed effective marketing strategies, including partnerships with popular esports organizations and content creators. This not only increased the game’s visibility but also laid the foundation for a thriving competitive scene.

The introduction of cross-platform play further expanded Rocket League’s player base and encouraged a sense of community among players. Whether on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC, players could unite in matches and compete against each other, fostering a global gaming culture.

Benefits of Rocket League for Kids

Rocket League offers numerous advantages for kids. Ultimately, as with most competitive multi-player games, Rocket League can be instrumental in developing cognitive functions, reflexes and foster creativity. However, the are some aspects of the game that place it in a unique position to make a difference very early in kids development:

• Enhanced Hand-Eye Coordination: Rocket League demands precise control. Players must navigate the field, make split-second decisions, and coordinate their actions accurately. This enhances hand-eye coordination, which can benefit children in various life aspects, such as academics and sports.
• Strategic Thinking: Rocket League isn’t merely about hitting the ball aimlessly. It requires strategic thinking, teamwork, and understanding the game’s mechanics. Kids learn to anticipate opponents’ moves, plan their actions, and collaborate as a team—skills essential in gaming and real-life scenarios.
• Creativity and Problem-Solving: The game’s physics engine allows for creative and unpredictable plays. Players develop problem-solving skills as they figure out innovative ways to score goals and make saves. This approach fosters a growth mindset, viewing failures as opportunities for improvement.
• Sportsmanship and Fair Play: Rocket League’s online multiplayer setting teaches kids about sportsmanship and fair play. They interact with players from diverse backgrounds and learn about respect, teamwork, and graciousness in both victory and defeat.
• Quick Decision-Making: Decisions in Rocket League must be fast. Kids learn to quickly analyze situations, decide under pressure, and adapt to changing circumstances—valuable skills in academics, extracurriculars, and future professional endeavors.
• Community and Social Skills: Engaging with the Rocket League community, be it through casual or competitive play, allows kids to socialize with peers. They make friends, communicate, and collaborate, enhancing their social skills and sense of belonging.
• Introduction to Esports: Rocket League’s competitive environment exposes kids to esports. This introduction can unveil potential career opportunities and emphasize dedication, discipline, and hard work’s importance for success.

Rocket League’s transformation from a niche concept to a global phenomenon underscores its allure and enduring appeal. Its unique blend of football and rocket-powered cars provides not just entertainment but also essential lessons and skills for children. From honing hand-eye coordination to instilling strategic thinking and sportsmanship, the game has manifold benefits.

Whether looking to achieve esports stardom or to learn essential life skills, Rocket League world has it all. It is essential though, that an aspiring and passionate gamer receives appropriate guiding on their way to exploring the amazing world of competitive Rocket League. If that sounds good, we offer free trial Rocket League classes where kids get to join their peers in a live, competitive environment under guidance of a professional Esports Coach.

See you at Metalions Academy

Learn more about the world of Esports on our Blog

What is Esports and who Esports players are?

Esports refers to competitive video gaming where players participate in organized tournaments or leagues, often for prize money. Professional esports player is an individual who competes at the highest levels of these tournaments, often as a member of organized teams, and earn their primary or significant income from playing video games competitively.

How Players Compete and Earn

Esports players actively compete in organized video game tournaments, dedicating countless hours to practice and improve their skills. They earn money in various ways: through prize money from tournament victories, contracts and salaries from esports teams, sponsorships from brands associated with gaming, revenue from streaming their gameplay on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, and endorsements or collaborations with gaming and non-gaming companies alike.

Sounds Good but how do I start?

Now there isn’t really a secret formula to becoming a professional esports player as with most things it requires dedication, discipline and a pinch of talent. However, below we will attempt to outline some key things to focus on that aspiring gamers can use to guide them on the path to stardom:

1. Choose Your Game (duh…)
   • Chances are you already know but you should take into consideration how popular the game is and how active is the competitive scene
   • Ultimately, you want a game that really resonates with you. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become expert in something so you are best to choose the game you can stick with
2. Get Active in the Community Go out and meet people! Local tournaments, community nights and other events are perfect for it. The beauty of esports is that a lot of the networking happens online so get involved in forums, Discord groups and online chats that talk games and Esports. Each competitive Esports title has a rich and vibrant online community so take advantage!
3. Find the Right Equipment Invest in quality gaming peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and headsets (and a comfortable chair that’s good for your posture!)
4. Practice Often
   • Set a regular practice schedule, treating it with the discipline of any other sport. There are academies like the Metalions Academy which help you foster those skills in a structured environment
   • Analyze your gameplay to identify areas of improvement.
   • Use tools and resources to refine specific skills and strategies, speak, play and learn from other people, especially if they are better than you
5. Stay up to date
   • Stay updated on patches, meta changes, and strategies.
   • Learn from losses as much as from victories.
6. Start Small
   • Enter local tournaments or online leagues to gain experience.
   • Focus on incremental progress and set short-term goals.
   • Seek feedback and constantly adjust your approach.
7. Join or Create a Team
   • Collaborate with players who complement your skills and share your dedication.
   • Communicate effectively, focusing on teamwork and synergy.
   • Play often but don’t forget about building positive team dynamic by hanging out in the real world!
   • If you want to learn more about how to create a team read here

Being an Esports player and competing on the big scene is an exhilarating life that’s every gamer’s dream. At the same time, it’s a brutal and competitive world so aspiring players should be aware that it is not an easy goal to achieve so you will need resilience, discipline and definitely a good bit of luck.

Best Esports players in the world start off from a young age though by submerging themselves in an environment just like the one at Metalions Academy, where players don’t just practice mechanical skills but also learn skills that are crucial in gaming and greater life, including communication, teamwork, cognitive reasoning and discipline