Nawaal Nackerdien/Fourth Estate
Sit down with Jordan Whitaker on becoming an Esports player
BY CHRISTIAN SEGOVIA, SPORTS EDITOR
Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part series on Jordan Whitaker and Esports.
“We’re competitive by nature,” Whitaker said about a player’s drive. “The longer you play the game, the more you feel like, proud of… your identity in a sense and mechanisms like reward systems, and rankings do tend to help people feel like the time that they spent on the game is rewarding.”
Most Esports games have a competitive ranking system, where players climb the ladder by competing against others at their skill level. “Everyone who’s recruiting you at these different colleges, they’ll look at your profile, they’ll look at your rankings, they’ll look at the material you’ve done,” Whitaker said, emphasizing the importance of ranking up and standing out.
However, breaking into the Esports scene can be difficult due to its highly competitive nature. Within the scene are different tiers of competition, Tier 1 being the highest. As the tiers decrease, so does the level of competitiveness. To gain visibility, Whitaker advises players to create highlight reels and share on their social media pages.
“If you have a highlight reel that’s really good, and you’re a teenager and you want to be considered for a scholarship at the college level, you’re going to have that highlight reel as something that shows off who you are,” Whitaker said. “You know this player is like, okay, but they’re amazing at making content. I want to recruit them for the program and get them…half their tuition every year just to make content.”
Esports is a diverse industry with multiple career paths beyond playing professionally. Aspiring players become content creators, coaches or broadcasters for Esports events. Due to how competitive the scene is and its set-up, players are forced to market themselves to get noticed. In this way, Esports helps players expand skills such as self-marketing and creating a brand.
“Diversifying how you showcase yourself is really important because then not only are you giving yourselves options as a player in your path, but you’re also developing a unique brand identity, and you’re showcasing a variety of skills,” Whitaker said. “Maybe I’m not destined to go professional, but I can still work in Esports for an Esports organization because I have these skills creating content. I know how to market; I know how to broadcast; I know how to manage a community on Discord.”
Success in Esports requires professionalism and accountability. Players must collaborate with others and foster a positive environment.
“People care about your grades. People care about your accountability and how good of a person you are to be around,” Whitaker said. “People want to be alongside other players, where they know that they’re going to be supported by good positivity and somebody who listens to these ‘soft people’ skills.”
According to a study on sexism in esports, “most gamer communities remain male-dominated, which may give rise to prejudices against female players and their skill among gamers and the general public.” Women in online spaces often face sexist comments while gaming, and even struggle to find a role model in the field.
To combat this, initiatives such asValorant Game Changers provide a space for women to compete at a professional level. Recently, Ava “Florescent” Eugene became the first Game Challengers player to compete in a Tier 1 league, joining Apeks in Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA. Meanwhile, Shopify Rebellion became the first team to qualify for Challengers league.
“I’m aware that there’s a lot of high-ranking women in the North American ladder right now who are enjoying success at the college level and getting recruited from programs,” Whitaker added. “[The coach at Northwestern] was telling me about three or four of his starting varsity players.”
As Esports continues to grow, efforts to promote inclusivity and sustainability will be crucial for the industry’s future.