“It would be short-sighted to say StarCraft is more difficult than chess. But I can say it’s more complicated” (Image: Cameron Baird/Red Bull)

Manuel Schenkhuizen unpacks life as an esports athlete, from being watched constantly by online fans to the challenge of building a decent career

How did you get into pro gaming?

It’s like these Idol shows. I didn’t think I could ever be the best at anything. But people said I was pretty good and that I should try a competition. I won. And I won the next one and the next and the next. After I’d won some tournaments I was picked up by a well-known team and given a small salary. It wasn’t much but I was still living at home at the time and I didn’t have to get another job.

How often do you compete?

Several times a week online for sponsor money or for a qualifier. Once or twice a month I’ll travel to a competition somewhere around the world.


Has the growth of esports turned what you do into a proper career, like playing soccer?

I don’t really think soccer is a valid career choice, in that I don’t think you choose to be a professional. In both cases, when you’re really good and really lucky and the infrastructure is there, it sort of chooses you. Now, though, thanks to live-streaming of our games, the options for a professional gaming career are much broader.

Is streaming an essential part of being a pro gamer?

It is. It’s also very fun. You get used to online feedback from the crowds, so playing by yourself with no one watching can get a little dull. I wouldn’t have it any other way any more. You just need to find a good balance between streaming and practising.

Do you practise every day, like a musician? And is it common to have a coach?

Yes, it’s just like that. I play between 4 and 9 hours a day. A lot of people could benefit from a coach, but I don’t think esports is big enough yet. We do the best we can, by ourselves, with the people we care about and who care about us – it can be our partner, a teammate, friends. That’s what I’ve experienced the last 10 or 11 years.

Do you stream your practice sessions, too?

Sometimes. But streaming isn’t great for practice: we’re entertainers when streaming, not just playing with a webcam. To make it a good show, we keep it high-paced, which makes it hard to learn from mistakes. You don’t have time to reflect on a loss. You have to talk to the viewers, explain what just happened. And they’ll have their ideas about it too. Sometimes the best thing to do after a game is to take a half-hour break or watch the replay very slowly, but that’s boring for the viewer.

Do you have rivalries?

Not really. But there are people I like to beat. When you meet the same people a lot it starts to become this thing in your head; you remember all the history.

Is it fair to compare strategy games like StarCraft to chess, as people sometimes do?

As a professional player, it would be short-sighted to say StarCraft is more difficult than chess. But I can say it’s more complicated. There are so many permutations, they’re infinite. You couldn’t explain all the rules in 10 hours. Chess gets really tough at a high level, but its rules are simple. And in StarCraft you also have to be fast.

Read more: “Esports: Video games jump from couch to stadium“

Profile Manuel “Grubby” Schenkhuizen, 28, of the Netherlands, is a pro gamer who has been in three world-class teams. His game of choice: StarCraft 2. Freelance since 2011, he used to compete alongside his wife for the team Evil Geniuses

This article appeared in print under the headline “Guy’s got game”