By Jordan Garcia

From an outside perspective, esports can be seen as a concoction of child’s play and wannabe competition. But it is seen as a classic blend of high-end skill and sporting future, according to those who are immersed in the community.

And to many, that is worth paying attention to.

“I keep a close eye on statistics to find breakout players, milestones that are about to be broken, or other interesting storylines that crop up just from looking at numbers,” Dustin Steiner, senior staff writer at Unikrn Esports explains.

Competitive gaming can be generalized in a sense as stated above, but according to those like Steiner, who covers the cultural phenomena daily, it’s in need of proper coverage as much as other topics.

“Reporting is a job that’s about momentum in a lot of ways. From finding and breaking stories to the act of writing them, staying in top condition from a writing perspective is very important,” Steiner says.

The process behind finding stories within esports is the same as it is in traditional sports, entertainment, etc.

Unikrn Esports is one of many legitimate, up-to-date esports coverage organizations that details everything from breaking news in League of Legends and Counter-Strike to longer think-pieces on those involved. The company even has a verified Twitter account and hosts something that is a staple in traditional sports: a betting platform.

Another big esports newsgroup is Dot Esports. They, like Unikrn, cover all aspects of esports and boast a 38 thousand plus following on Twitter.

From Dot Esports reporter Liz Richardson’s viewpoint, social media use is a vital part of Dot‘s philosophy, as it is for many other newsrooms.

“Reddit is good for [finding stories]; while Reddit isn’t a reliable source, it’s interesting for seeing what things fans are talking about. I also like seeing what my feed is talking about on Twitter. If a certain topic has people talking, and especially if there are two sides to a topic, it could be worth a write-up that generates traffic,” Richardson explains.

With that being said, esports coverage goes beyond conventional “hard news.” According to VPEsports writer Steven Cropley, finding features and unique profile pieces is as important in esports writing as it is in any other sect of journalism.

“You’ll be watching a particular matchup, or be reminiscing on how great a player used to be, what their legacy or perhaps their team’s history has meant to the game and then it hits you,” Cropley explains.

Steiner describes these stories as “human stories,” and that concept seems key in the business of discussing people of immense interest.

“If a player or executive has an interesting past from before esports, I try to focus in on that and what led them to start pursuing esports as a career,” he says, “…focusing on the legacy a player has built through his play and telling the ongoing story of their career is what’s most interesting to me.”

The “sport” aspect of esports also rings true when talking about more minute details.

“For me, I really enjoy breaking down complex processes for new fans and educating them about the intricacies of the league,” Richardson says.

Photo by Jamie McInall

When contrasted with traditional sports journalism, esports journalism still falls under the same tendencies of the common knowledge of players, teams, etc. And through that, it is the reporter’s job in esports to tell the more particular stories that only they can tell, just as it is with other news categories.

“I already know the history of the teams and players and so I then try to find that small little bit of information that 90% of the public doesn’t already know,” Cropley says.

Steiner also expands this idea by speaking about competition between reporters.

“…aggregation can be key at times. Other reporters are smart and are able to identify topics and stories that I may have otherwise missed. Being able to put my own spin on those stories means that even in times where I can’t break my own stories, [Unikrn Esports] still maintains traffic and readership.”

For as much as arts and culture, entertainment, and sports reporting hits hard on the fast-paced nature of their reporting business, esports is right there in the battle.

Photo by Pixabay

Another aspect of basic journalism that also shines through in esports reporting is networking.

“Networking is among the most important thing that I do at my job here at Unikrn. Whether that’s PR representatives, players, coaches, teams, tournament organizers, informants, or even fans, it’s extremely important that I stay in contact with everyone in my Rolodex,” Steiner says.

“This is especially true when a team has breaking news or if I’m tipped off to a story and want to go about breaking the story responsibly, giving all interested parties a chance to respond.”

Esports is not as nonchalant in its reporting as many would tend to believe in the “coverage of videos games.” It seems to be a proper operation that leans on honest connections.

“The thing about networking and building connections is that it has to be genuine. All of the contacts I’ve developed have come about from mutual respect, having conversations, wanting the same things for the scene, etc. I feel like a lot of journalists talk to people just to get “a contact” out of it,” Richardson outlines.

The aspect of the community within esports, both in-person and online, is a large part of how the journalism system works in her field, according to Richardson.

“I feel like the most crucial aspect is being “attuned” to the scene. I spent a year and a half as a fan in the professional Overwatch scene and was lucky enough to make friends and become a part of the constant conversation of esports. When I got involved with the journalism side of things, I was able to stay in contact with the community,” she says.

“By seeing what people are talking about, excited about, or upset about, it makes finding stories a very smooth process.”

Photo by Soumil Kumar

This “attuned” mentality is probably the most unique aspect of esports journalism.

For one, esports is built around a world of always-online competitive video games, both in-game and on social media. No matter the time of day, someone in Vancouver can be playing a ranked match against someone in Seoul. Simultaneously, a professional player or even a highly-skilled player who is looking to get recognized could be broadcasting their gameplay to viewers all over the world on platforms like Twitch.

And esports reporters like Steiner are at the ready to use this as a constant wealth of information.

“Keeping my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in esports is key to my job. This involves anything from watching pro players stream on Twitch, constantly looking at social media to see where the conversation is shifting among fans and analysts, to watching matches myself and making observations.”

Esports may be the very first brand of sport and journalism to be born into a world of constant interconnectivity, and with that, it can be seen as the future of entertainment as it evolves before the world’s eyes.

The medium and it’s reporting may not be as mainstream as film, sports, or those of the like, but it stays true to its roots.

It is capable of quickly informing the masses, while still finding ways to tell compelling long-form stories.

“Finding characters and stories is often about finding passion, no matter where it is,” Richardson explains.

It does all of this while attempting to be the first bloc of reporting to fully embrace the online culture of today.

Don’t blink. Or risk missing the soon-to-be moment esports coverage floods every user’s timeline as news continues to transition to new mediums.