Everyone knows the traditional sports you see on TV, such as basketball and football. But what about those individuals who don’t perform physically well, but more mentally. This question has been around for a while: Is Esports an Actual Sport? Society has been divided by this decision for a while, as some would even go as far as to say that you can’t play videogames for a living, but as of recently, Esports has been gaining more popularity. When it comes to tournaments hosted by large companies, large cash prizes, and the increased competitiveness, Esports seems to be headed in the right direction.

Every Esports professional starts off with a dream. No professional Esports player had ever thought they would make it big, but eventually, with the time and effort, they achieved their goals. It all starts with the resources that kids have. Companies nowadays are starting to develop better tools more suited for gaming rather than everyday life. And with these tools, kids start developing skills and getting better at a certain game. Eventually, organizations recognize the best of the best and ask them to join their team to play for money.

Some big examples of these organizations are Team SoloMid, FaZe, Team Liquid, and Cloud9. These teams and others have recruited the best players off any game you can think of, regardless of their age, to play professionally for them. Even if you’re not good at the game, you may have a shot of becoming a content creator for the team. No matter what videogames and Esports can change a person’s life. Some of these tournaments that people partake in have enormous prize pools, with the largest so far being almost $35 million dollars in total. And if the players aren’t making money by tournaments, sponsorships and exposure can easily pay for the player’s living expenses.

The point is that videogames and Esports are usually laughed at when it’s come into the scene of ESPN or CBS. Nobody really takes it seriously since they just think videogames are a waste of time and will get you nowhere. But how can it lead people nowhere when people like 16 years old, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf had won $3 million dollars in less than 24 hours from beating out 99 other players at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup. Esports has had a big impact on people’s lives, and yeah it may not have a physical impact on your body like normal sports, but it’s safe to say Esports has earned its respect.