The former LoL pro Yan “Letme” Jun-Ze explains how tough professional eSports is in China. The former pro of League of Legends states that if you are not famous, you will be replaced and forgotten. He also talks about physical injuries that arise from the intense training.
Where does the information come from? CNN visited the Chinese eSports team Royal Never Give UP (RNG). They spoke with the team manager and a former pro.
The focus of the report was on how hard Chinese players train to be successful eSports professionals in games like DOTA 2 or LoL.
In the current hype around gaming through Twitch and YouTube, some only notice the high prize money and salaries that eSports involves. But the reality also has its downsides.
The dark side of eSports
What the pro says: “Letme” started his pro career in LoL as a teenager in 2014. Between 2015 and 2019, Letme was a top laner for RNG. However, he ended his career for personal reasons. Now he wants to become a fashion designer.
Looking back on his career, Letme says there are many positive aspects to being an eSports athlete. The career offers the opportunity to pursue your dream.
But Letme also says that due to the intense training, physical injuries occur, particularly in the head and neck:
“It is not as good as people think. If you are not famous, you are lost. And you don’t know what you should do. You can pursue another career, but by then your body has already suffered some damage.”
Letme
Letme says that only famous pro gamers receive opportunities for post-career roles, such as commentary:
“They will be forgotten. If you are not famous and have not achieved anything, you will be replaced.”
Letme
From 1 PM to 4 AM, everything revolves around LoL
This is what the daily routine looks like: The manager of the eSports team, Bi Lianli, talks about 14-hour days, 7 times a week during the peak season. Before the World Championship, the LoL Worlds 2019, the team prepared for three months with a demanding daily training program.
The players of RNG followed this routine in the three months leading up to the Worlds:
- They wake up at 1 PM and squeeze in an hour of solo practice before team training until 5 PM
- Then they eat, go for a walk, take a shower, and train again from 7 PM
- Around 11 PM, they have training matches against other teams
- Finally, the pros can train independently until 4 AM, before going to sleep
The team manager says it is common to train late into the night: that is the usual routine for all players.
A doctor and a physiotherapist are present and keep an eye on the players.
Did it help? The LoL Worlds have now been played. At the LoL Worlds, RNG was eliminated in the group stage despite the extensive training.
Our goal is to win, not to have fun
Who wants to become that? According to the team manager, RNG has a training school in Shanghai, where hundreds of teenagers apply every year, but hardly anyone makes it through:
“Our goal is to win, not to have fun. Everyone wants to win. This also leads to group pressure. That is why nearly no one makes it through from 100 people who enroll. The process is so tough.”
Bi Lianli, Team Manager RNG
Career end for LoL pros at 24
When do players stop? The manager says that most eSports athletes in China are younger than 22. Many stop at 24:
“In general, a 24-year-old is considered too old to be an eSports athlete.”
Bi Lianli
A problem continues to be that games can fall out of fashion. Then careers can end overnight:
“We have tried to transition athletes who are good in one game to another game. But we found out that it doesn’t work. They failed… it is very cruel.”
Bi Lianli
