Introduction
Hello again my Hearthstone peeps. My name is HalfBroke Chris. Thanks to everyone that checked out my little article about Hearthstone tournaments. It is kind of a crazy thing. It was interesting seeing what some of you thought via Twitter and the comments. I always appreciate everyone that takes the time to read and check out any on my articles and for that, I would like to say thank you.
Now onto the subject I want to talk about in this article. It is an interesting being an up and coming player in the world of Hearthstone. Many of you, including myself, have dreams of grandeur of one day becoming a great player. Some even have a dream of becoming a pro player. I think anyone can get there with enough time and practice. Hard work always pays off.
With all of that being said, I am always one that is out to try to help the Hearthstone community to become the best community in all of competitive games. For instance, I have written articles about how to not tilt but also articles about being nice and helping others not tilt also. I like to think that this community is one that actually tries to help each other get better and grow. I do not want to see the Hearthstone community become as toxic as other communities (I am looking at you League of Legends).
This article is things I want people to keep in mind as they grow as a player. This article is not for beginners as much as it is towards the intermediate players that are right on the threshold of becoming great. So let us cut out the chitchat and get right to it.
Joining a Team
The dream of most players is to become a pro player and join a Hearthstone team. The thing I want everyone to remember picking a team, when that time comes is THEY CAME TO YOU. They want you and not the other way around. To be honest, if you are being contacted by a pro team than that means you are a great player. Too many times though, and trust me on this, I have seen people act like because they are the creator of something that they are what holds it together. They are not, the players are. Always remember that when a team contacts you, will it help you as a player to join that team or is it just a team trying to get someone to make them better.
Another thing is, do not jump on the first team just because you want to have a team. IF you are, a great player odds are other teams will contact you. Now if the first team is truly great and seems like they are doing things for you best interest than join them. Just do not jump on a team because you want to be on one.
Being on a team is supposed to get your name out there but also help you become a better player because you are now part of a team of other great players. If you do not feel that is going to be the case than just be patient, another team will come. You can build yourself as a brand on your own without a team. That statement leads me to my next point.
Build a name for Yourself
One thing to keep in mind as you chase your dream of becoming a professional Hearthstone player is it is not all about your playing. You have to build a name for yourself or build you brand, so to speak. Winning tournaments and climbing the ladder is just part of it. To be able to make money playing is more than that. You have to learn to promote yourself.
There are simple ways of doing this. Post on Twitter to gain a following, and do it often (make your tweets make sense and just don’t post random thoughts though hehe). Build a Facebook page and actually post on it. Start streaming via Twitch on a regular basis or post gameplay on YouTube. Anything that can get your name out there will help build your brand. This is an important step in being able to become a professional player.
Now let’s move on to the personality side of things.
Don’t rise above your raising
Now I am from Virginia and live in a rural area. One saying that said and taught to me growing up in my area is not to “rise above your raising”. What that means is never forget where you come from. We were all “scrub n00bs” once upon a time. All of us have net decked and tried to get the same win percentage as the person that listed did..and failed horribly. You should never forget that as a player. Helping someone that may not be on the same level as you help grow the community and that is always good for the game.
Many times, you will hear of a player that may not be a true pro yet but acts as if it would be below him or her to play a best of five match against someone that is new or a Rank 20 in the game. That is something you should never do. You may be a better player than that person may be, but that does not mean you are above them in every way. Taking a few minutes to play someone is not that big of a thing and in the end will help you because that person will never forget what you did for them. It is always better to be remembered as a friendly player as you are building your name, for instance Pro player Hotform, or being known as a jerk. Trust me, people flock more to someone that is nice or to put it in another way, you will always draw more bees with honey.
Another thing about being nice is always remember that you are a professional. An example, do not go out on Twitter and put a caster on blast because you lost in a tournament or constantly piss and moan about other people. It makes you look immature and makes the whole scene look petty. Remember, you are a professional athlete, so act like one. You would never see Michael Jordan go in an interview and put Al Michaels on blast. If esports is going to grow and reach the heights of other sports such as the NFL, NBA and MLB, we must start acting like more mature about situations.
Always remember that you are a pro player, or want to be, and that means you are a public figure. You will always be under a microscope. Just take things in stride and rise above situations. In addition, being a pro player does not always make you right, it just makes you a good player. Just think about how you would want to be treated and things usually will even itself out.
Closing
Well, that is it, I know that some of these thoughts may be a pipe dream of mine, but I promise these things will help you in the end. Just stays focused on what you want, play and practice hard, be nice but be social, and treat others how you want to be treated. Those things will help you build yourself as a brand and get you to the goal you want, which is becoming a professional player. You not only need to be a great player but salespersons of sorts. You have to learn to market yourself as you become a great player…and most people do not want to work with a jerk. Stay true to yourself and realize you are important. Do not let some team just take you over because you want to be on one. Take your time and the right team will come your way.
Leave me comments below and let me know if any of this was helpful. Also, if you have some other things to add, feel free to post them down there for others to read. As I said earlier, we as a community are here to help each other.
I hope you have enjoyed your time with me. If you want to send me a hello, you can follow me on Twitter and check me out on Twitch.
In addition, there is a new tournament in the world of Hearthstone. The link is here. It is on Saturday nights and is played on the NA server. It does feature group stages. The Top 8 will be streamed via Twitch on Sunday nights. So, if you are looking for a new tournament, head over there and join right up.
And until next time….
