What types of esports jobs are there?

There are many different roles available within esports – we list the main types and explain what they involve…

As esports has grown, so too have the job positions available.

Some are more hands-on than others, with different working requirements and tasks varying greatly depending on the role.

Click each job role below for more specific details, or click here for a brief overview of all esports job roles.

Professional player

These are usually signed to a particular team and will compete in different tournaments for prize money. Wages vary, but the world’s top pros can potentially earn hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum taking into consideration their wage, sponsorship deals and prize winnings.

Pros usually start off in amateur or grassroots tournaments – or reach the higher rankings within a particular game – before catching the attention of bigger teams.

Shoutcaster (aka caster)/host

Casters are esports commentators who provide running commentary during live matches, and usually engage in discussion before and after games. They may also be required to interview players and other experts.

Like football and other sports, there are generally two types of esports shoutcasters – play-by-play casters (who provide running on-the-fly commentary) and colour casters (who provide supplementary information or comment, usually following a noteworthy moment in a game).

A host will be the public face of a particular event or tournament. They will introduce matches, may interview players after games and discuss key moments with casters and analysts.

Like a TV host, they will communicate with the viewers to provide an entertaining and fun show. Hosts will usually have a strong personality and good social/communication skills.

Analyst/coach

Analysts are experts at taking information and using it to provide interesting stats or learn from it, either for a particular team, tournament provider, broadcaster or game developer. Team analysts usually work with coaches to generate strategies, analyse strengths and weaknesses, and communicate this to the players in order to get the best out of them.

Coaches work closely with the players, to identify their strengths and weaknesses and make sure they are playing at their best. They will develop strategies and analyse opponents in order to win as many matches – and tournaments – as possible.

Coaches may also be required to take care of day-to-day tasks in the team’s gaming house, ensure everyone is on the same page and make sure the environment is right for the players.

Team manager/owner

This can be an incredibly varied and hands-on – but very rewarding – role. Team managers can be responsible of all kinds of things, from arranging player contracts, finding new talent, motivating and instructing existing staff and players, entering tournaments, dealing with travel and accommodation, and developing the team’s brand, strategy and partnerships.

Other senior executives within a team or organisation may look after other areas, such as sales, partnerships and business development.

Tournament admin/referee

Admins and referees ensure an esports tournament runs smoothly and that all rules and regulations are adhered to.

They may have to deal with player disputes, work with event and broadcast staff to make sure everything runs on time, and organise the tournament schedule.

Content creator/journalist

Esports teams and other companies may hire their own content creators, who may be required to write news, edit videos, handle copywriting, conduct interviews and write about partnerships and sponsorships.

Sometimes this role will cross over into social media/community management.

Similar to a content creator, journalists usually work for a publication and their focus will be more objective.

Journalists will often seek out exclusive stories, conduct investigative reports or uncover scoops. They will be required to conduct interviews, write articles, grow a varied contact book and stick to tight deadlines. They may also be required to produce video content and post updates on social media.

Marketing/PR executive

Established teams and companies will usually have a separate department responsible for public relations and marketing.

PR executives will work with journalists and influencers to secure positive and high-profile coverage for their brand, while marketing executives may be responsible for maintaining a budget, placing advertisements and signings sponsorships to grow their fanbase or customerbase.

Some executives will look after both PR and marketing within their company. There are also external PR/marketing agencies that can look after several different brands.

Marketers and promoters can be key to the success of a particular tournament or esports event.

Community/social media manager

Community managers are responsible for looking after the fanbase or customerbase of a particular game, company or team.

They may be required to produce interesting and engaging content for the community, track the amount of fans, handle promotions, competitions and other initiatives, gather feedback and relay it to other teams within the company.

Sales/partnerships manager

Like sales positions in other industries, sales in esports is very similar. Sales executives or managers may be responsible for ticket sales, sponsorship agreements, hardware sales, growing their customerbase or fanbase, and coming up with new ideas to generate excitement around a brand and generate revenues.

Sales positions are generally commission-focused, so the worker will receive a higher paycheque depending on the amount of sales they have accumulated within a particular month, or if they have hit a certain target.

Esports teams may also have their own partnership executives who are required to establish relations with other companies and partners.

They will work on joint projects with partners and sponsors, help generate revenues for the team and work on initiatives designed to engage and monetise their fanbase.

Agent

Esports agents will aim to get the possible contract and deals for their players. They will negotiate on the player’s behalf, manage partnerships and present players with different opportunities in order to grow their stature and revenues.

Agents will usually take a commission from any deals they strike.

Event manager/production executive

These managers will be responsible for organising and overseeing live or online esports events.

They may be required to develop strategies, work with different departments and partners on content and ensure everything is in place to oversee a successful event.

Production/broadcasting

People in the broadcast and production department at an esports event will be working on a wide range of activities, from lighting and camera work, to ensuring all the technicalities are working correctly, such as the streaming set up and any screens/projectors/speakers, and will have to work to a set schedule.

Video production staff may need to record additional interviews before the event and edit them in.

Some esports studios will have their own dedicated broadcast/production rooms for staff to work.

Legal/finance

Lawyers, legal experts, accountants and solicitors will usually help esports teams and companies produce contracts, settle disputes (inside and out of the court, or through arbitration), restructure and work on any complicated legal matters.

Some organisations will have internal finance staff to keep on top of accounts and manage incomings and outgoings. These areas can be well-paid but will usually require a degree or other higher education qualification.

Other careers

This is just an example of some of the more well-known jobs within esports. There are other careers and specialist jobs that may not be mentioned here.

Outside of esports, there are many other jobs in the games industry which may crossover into esports, for example game developers, audio engineers, publishers and testers.

Click here for more details on other jobs in gaming outside of esports.

More info

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