For European and American countries, most families are optimistic about the esports industry and support esports players to train and develop from a young age, which gives European and American esports players an advantage in terms of training time.
Comparatively speaking, the domestic youth training system pays more attention to systematic training in selection, including guidance in personal growth.
Text: Huang Jingyuan
At present, the e-sports industry is in a stage of rapid development, and many practitioners in the Chinese e-sports industry have an in-depth understanding and grasp of the development model of domestic e-sports. There is no doubt that the esports industry has entered a golden age of its development. However, for many domestic players and practitioners in the e-sports industry, the development model of foreign e-sports still lacks full understanding and cognition. Especially in the selection of e-sports talents, there are significant differences in development models at home and abroad.
In China, many clubs have built a comprehensive and meticulous youth training system, which provides rich experience and a solid foundation for the selection of e-sports players. In the selection process, these clubs not only pay attention to the player's game skills and competitive level, but also pay attention to the player's psychological quality, teamwork ability and professional attitude. Through a scientific selection mechanism and a professional training system, these clubs have sent batches of outstanding players to the e-sports industry, injecting new vitality into the sustainable development of the industry.
However, in Europe and the United States, the way of discovering and training e-sports players is different from that in China. In these countries, esports club owners or coaches often play the role of a "scout", looking for potential esports players among their game records and players. They assess a player's potential and prospects by gaining an in-depth understanding of their playstyle, competitive form, and personal qualities.
Blitz is the coach of Liquid's Dota 2 division and has led Liquid to several honors, including the Dota 2 Epicenter Cup. Blitz has studied the format of esports and has provided valuable advice on the TI format, as well as youth selection for European and American clubs.
Liquid coach Blitz told the sports business: "A lot of clubs do it through in-game games or invitations to high-scoring players in the hope that they can work together together to match offline and look at the potential of esports. However, over time, we have developed a specific training system for young players in combination with the esports projects we have participated in, aiming to help them become more comfortable and comfortable on the road to growth. ”
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01
Domestic e-sports pay more attention to a complete youth training system
In the first few years in the field of domestic e-sports, a relatively complete youth training selection system has been established. This system not only covers e-sports clubs, but also has been deeply involved and promoted by the league officials. Both e-sports clubs and league officials have set a set of rigorous standards for the selection and training of youth players, aiming to discover and cultivate more potential young players.
At that time, the e-sports transfer market was comparable to the football transfer market in terms of popularity and traffic, and the salaries of some top e-sports players were even comparable to those of today's star football players. However, in the process of developing esports players, clubs generally recognize that high salaries and fame alone cannot fully guarantee the competitive level and teamwork ability of players. Therefore, they pay more attention to cultivating young players with solid basic skills, good mentality and team spirit through the youth selection system to supplement their tactical reserves and talent pool.
Taking the EDG e-sports club that has performed well in the League of Legends project in recent years as an example, their selection and training of the youth training system are at the forefront of the league. EDG has a very strict and efficient training and selection mechanism for its own players, and through strict assessment and training, it constantly selects young players with potential and provides them with systematic training and guidance. The implementation of this mechanism has enabled EDG's youth players to grow rapidly and become an important force in the club.
At the same time, game league officials and universities also play an important role in youth selection. Through the continuous exploration of various selection channels, curriculum arrangements and talent delivery models, they provide more opportunities and platforms for youth players. By cooperating with universities, the league can not only discover more outstanding young players, but also provide them with professional training and guidance to help them better adapt to the professional arena.
In addition, the academy is also expanding as a stable and long-term official event for the training of domestic esports players. As the demand for talent in professional clubs continues to increase, the size and influence of youth academies are gradually increasing. More and more young players are being selected and trained through the academy to enter the professional arena and show their talent and strength.
"In my opinion, China has a very good way of nurturing young esports players, and they have a very standard training and selection mechanism for players," Blitz said. The implementation of this mechanism enables China's e-sports industry to continue to cultivate high-level players, providing a solid talent foundation for the rapid development of the e-sports industry. This is one of the reasons why China's esports has been able to rise year by year and achieve continuous success in the world. ”
02
Most of the European and American players have been involved in the game since the age of 10
In esports, physical fitness is no longer a key factor in determining success, but a combination of individual talent and teamwork. Esports provides a platform for many players to express themselves and realize their value, so that they can make the most of their strengths and develop team spirit and a sense of belonging.
According to a 2022 survey, up to 70% of children in the United States have given up traditional sports before the age of 13, and participation in traditional sports has plummeted by 10% in the past five years. At the same time, esports is gradually becoming another hot spot in the hearts of teenagers. For example, in one school in Texas, esports has attracted 190 students in just one year, and 70% of them are participating in campus activities for the first time, and esports has become the most popular way to socialize on campus.
Not only that, more and more European and American universities have begun to form their own esports teams. According to statistics, in 2022, nearly 200 colleges and universities provided esports scholarships totaling US$15 million, aiming to attract and develop outstanding esports talents. For example, the University of Miami provides scholarships of up to $4,000 for esports players, Robert Morris University has reduced tuition and room and board fees for team members by 50%, and New York University has also set up an esports scholarship program. These generous rewards have not only sparked students' enthusiasm for esports, but also attracted some students who had reservations about higher education to return to school.
Blitz pointed out that unlike American universities, which focus on cultivating esports players, Chinese universities pay more attention to cultivating talents related to the esports industry. In Europe and the United States, many young people have the dream of becoming professional players and strive to improve their competitive skills. When selecting young esports players, European and American countries usually evaluate and select players based on their in-game performance and the strength of high-level players.
80% of European and American star players are exposed to games very early
Nowadays, e-sports has become a formal subject in many schools in Europe and the United States, so most parents understand and support their children's choice to become professional players, which is somewhat different from the concept of domestic parents. Despite the great strides in the esports industry, many parents in China are still skeptical about their children's involvement in the industry. Comparatively speaking, most children in Europe and the United States are introduced to video games at the age of 10, so it is easier for them to discover and cultivate their esports talents.
For example, we can see that many European and American star players have developed a strong interest in the game since they were young and have shown extraordinary talent. Their families also support their children's chosen esports careers, which allows esports players from European and American countries to be discovered and nurtured earlier. This is one of the reasons why esports players in Europe and the United States usually have more esports experience and longer careers.
03
Learning from China, the European and American youth training models continue to innovate
"We do try to emulate China's model for youth esports player selection, but we rarely organise large-scale youth selection events through the league, and that's really one area where we have a gap compared to China," Blitz made clear. ”
"So, at the moment we're mainly looking for players from the general game and scouting like scouts to find players who are suitable for us. At the same time, we are also gradually transitioning to the model of developing players in the club's youth academy. It must be pointed out that in terms of the development content of the youth training system, the gap between us and China is still significant. ”
Despite this, there are indeed differences between European and American countries and China in the selection of esports players, but each has its own advantages. For European and American countries, most families are optimistic about the esports industry and support esports players to train and develop from a young age, which gives European and American esports players an advantage in terms of training time.
Comparatively speaking, the domestic youth training system pays more attention to systematic training in selection, including guidance in personal growth. In addition to game training, we also focus on the path to growth and other related content learning. Therefore, whether it is in Europe and the United States or in China, there are unique features in the selection method of youth players and e-sports players.
It can be said that China is more mature than European and American countries in terms of training, selection and establishment of e-sports player systems. European and American esports clubs are also following the example of some domestic leagues and clubs, cultivating their own exclusive systems, and are constantly catching up. In general, the selection and training methods in China are more systematic, while abroad is more focused on the wishes of the players and their families, and the growth of European and American players is often accumulated through continuous game matches.
At present, youth training in China mainly relies on the spontaneous organization and activities of the club. But with the development of esports in the country, more and more leagues have begun to participate in it and take the lead in organizing official youth academies. In the future, the tournament officials also need to incorporate the youth training system into the long-term development plan of the tournament to continuously expand the domestic youth training force.
注：所用图片来自Liquid、WE、EDG