Mobile gaming is on the rise, especially considering the state of society at the moment. More and more games that you’d typically see on console are making the cross over to mobile, and with that being said the age of mobile gamers is upon us. With big name companies such as AT&T backing the PUBG Mobile ESL this year you already know it’s going to be larger than life!

It’s safe to assume everyone owns a cell phone these days, which is really what gives mobile gaming, contrary to popular belief, such fierce competition. Anyone can download a game like Player Unknown Battlegrounds on their cell and start playing in a matter of minutes! So… What sets professional players aside from casual players? And how do you become a professional player? We asked our PUBG Mobile team about their experiences in entering the professional mobile Esports scene, and what it takes to even do so. We found some of their answers seemed to match up, and some even seemed to differ from the rest.

Every pro player starts somewhere- And as a casual player, too. For our team the answer seemed pretty uniform. “I started playing PUBGM when the game first released…” Says Enigma, and his team was right there with him. Experience certainly matters, but that doesnt mean the average player can’t strive for greatness. Small things can set a casual player aside from the rest, “I knew I was better than the average player because I played RoS competitively…” Enigma says, “When the game first released I played on an ipad so I was already above most players due to having a bigger screen.” 

But… Being better than the average player doesn’t make you a professional. There is still a level of greatness that does, in fact, need to be achieved before you can take your skill anywhere near the pro scene. For Slicky, it was his fans that made him realize he had potential. “When people started noticing how good I was [on my streams] [is when I considered going pro].” And on the other end, players like Beach knew they had potential for much different reasons, saying “I knew I could go pro when I was making more playing games than [I was from] my part time job.”

Though, knowing you have the potential and then acting upon it can be a bit of a different story. So what happens once you know you have the skills to play games like PUBG Mobile at a professional level? Where is a good place to start? For Beach he said “Making youtube videos and getting noticed for my gameplay. Also, record your gameplay; review your mistakes. Make montages and show off your skills.” is what helped him make a career out of what was once only a hobby. We know that doing anything on social media can be difficult, so what’s an alternative? Aesorr told us that “…Establishing connections and working to improve myself as a player [helped in getting some recognition].” For TheSpring he had a bit of a different take on raising to a professional status. “Subbing for a team just to fill a spot and learning as much as I could from them [is how I got into professional Esports].” 

So let’s say you’ve entered the professional scene. Now what? Well, finding an organization to play under and a team to play with should be the next on your list. Similar to TheSpring, Enigma said “I joined the pro scene by joining a lower tiered team, then began grinding the game to improve and to get on better teams.” However, if you don’t have the connections or the know-how to find smaller teams, there are always smaller tournaments you can enter. “I Tried as hard [as I could] to win tournaments that lead to getting noticed by organizations.” Beach told us.

While playing any game on any platform at a professional level is a difficult journey that doesn’t just happen overnight, there are also many things to consider before you even attempt said journey. TheSpring warned that “Playing the game feels more like a job [sometimes], so burnout takes longer [to fade] than playing the game casually. Don’t expect it to be easy, and be ready to put in the grind.” Aesorr had a similar opinion, saying “You play the game a lot as a pro which can lead to feeling burnt out and you [always] have to work hard to make sure that you are improving.”

While reading an article won’t make you a professional player, taking tips from people already in the pro scene is definitely a good place to start. Enigma lends some great advice, saying “Create a team, stay together as a team, and improve on game essentials such as gun skill, map knowledge, and an understanding of what you should be doing. Don’t copy top teams because you don’t know why they are doing [what they’re doing] and once you do understand why teams do certain things, then you’ll be above most teams.” Aesorr added that “[You should] review your mistakes, be confident in yourself, and ultimately don’t be too hard on yourself.”

At the end of the day going pro in a game you enjoy will be hard, but it’s obtainable with the correct mindset and discipline. Almost anything can be learned, and as long as you’re willing to go through the motions you might just find yourself playing against our players one day- And maybe even with them!

About Wildcard Gaming
Wildcard Gaming is a leading Esports brand aiming to stabilize the uncertainty involved with the Esports industry. Wildcard has professional rosters in a variety of titles including PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, World of Warcraft, and Brawlhalla. Welcome to the elite- Wildcard is here to dominate Esports at a Global Level. Join us, be a part of our family. #stackthedec