From pro gamer to what?

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We look at job security and long-term options for esports players after they hang up their controllers.

The industry is worth billions of dollars and players win big prizes, but many make more money as content makers, and plan to move away from esports long-term.

We head to an esports event in Birmingham UK to speak to professional gamers about their career prospects - and to young people who idolise these players and want to enter this field themselves.

Produced and presented by Will Chalk

(Image: Esports player Archie Pickthall at the 2025 RLCS Major 1 tournament in Birmingham UK. Credit: BLAST/Michal Konkol)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Will Chalk. Today,
0:08.2	imagine you're at a sports tournament with thousands of other fans watching the best players in the world competing for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
0:16.8	Yeah, when you speak to the competitors. I've lived through the stress of, I think, a full lifetime at this point.
0:22.9	You know, I'm balding.
0:24.3	You don't know where your next check is going to come from.
0:26.5	It can be tough.
0:29.2	Honestly, it's, like, scary to be in because you never know what's going to happen day-to-day.
0:34.2	The job security is, like, very poor.
0:36.2	You can get dropped at any time, any time for nothing, and I'll see it.
0:42.2	And when you ask a player where they see themselves in five years' time...
0:46.0	I think for me I want to teach in elementary and middle school.
0:48.2	In high school, I had a couple of teachers that I love and I still think about all the time.
0:51.5	And for me, that's... I want to make an impact.
0:55.5	Yeah, it doesn't sound like a great advert for the game, does it?
1:00.8	In this episode, I've been delving into the multi-billion dollar world of competitive video
1:05.9	gaming or esports, because while we've heard time and time again just how much money is kicking around.
1:12.3	A 16-year-old gamer from the US, he's known as Booger, has won $3 million.
1:18.3	The League of Legends World Championship final packed out London's O2 Arena.
1:23.2	Gaming generates more than TV, film and music combined.
1:27.2	There are still big questions about how the industry is structured.
1:31.1	And if current pros are fearing for the future, what does that mean for the millions of children who idolise them?
1:37.5	It's my birthday.
	...

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