Cape Town - Esports and video games, whether casual or competitive, has picked up and the popularity and love for it continues to grow.
The 12 September 2020 marks Video Game Day and in honour of that, IOL Tech chatted to competitive gamers from Goliath Gaming who shared their best tips to level up.
Always be keen to learn
"When trying to improve, you always need to go the extra mile and learn things about the game that you can use to your advantage, especially when starting as a new player. I remember watching countless videos from other pro players that provide tips on positioning, spray control, crosshair placement, and just the overall mechanics of the game (CounterStrike) which all make a big difference on performance," said competitive CounterStrike player, Rikus 'ZipZip' Klue.
“ZipZip” played casually for about a year before going competitive and has competed in many top SA CS tournaments. He has also competed in CS tournaments in Delhi and Dubai.
Competitive Xbox FIFA player, Muhammad Fa’iz “UnFaizdd” Mahomed supported this and encouraged people to watch top professionals play on Twitch.
"They’re professionals for a reason, and it’s because they understand the game on a different level. Watch and analyse their every move, understand it as well. With this you build a sort of muscle memory in your brain that will react the same way when you are faced with a similar situation in game."
Be a good teammate
ZipZip also highlighted the importance of being a good teammate and encourages bringing clear and positive communication to the game.
"Even if you are not at the point where you are playing in a competitive team, when playing solo and queueing for games you still get matched up with other random teammates and the input and communication you bring to that game could be the difference between winning and losing. Always be the player to uplift others and empower them to perform at their best."
He added that these good vibes will increase your our chance of a victory. And that of course, means it's a win-win.
Take note of your health
The higher up the ranks you climb (in your competitive gaming career) the smaller the difference between winning and losing a game.
That is why is it important for competitive players and teams do to be at their physical and mental best on a daily basis.
"Being mentally and physically fit becomes a big aspect of the game at a pro-level. It’s extremely important to look after yourself as external things can easily knock you off your game! Exercise every day, eat healthily, and be social, as having a good life outside the game will help you deal with any mental fatigue or frustration in-game, and will help keep you focused and motivated to keep improving as a player."
“UnFaizdd” added that it helps to have football knowledge if you happen to be a FIFA player.
“UnFaizdd” has won numerous FIFA tournaments during his competitive gaming career.
"FIFA is of course a football game, so football knowledge is a big benefit to performing well on the virtual pitch. The meta of the game changes every year, but as long as you have a solid football knowledge foundation, you won’t feel out of place playing any year of FIFA."
Speaking of meta….
"There are tons of videos on YouTube explaining the meta. Once you know the best way to win, you can implement those strategies into your own way of playing, to create the perfect gameplay for you," added “UnFaizdd”.
Competitive CounterStrike player, Tyler “adaro” Oliver, recommends warming up as you would for another sport. -
“When it comes to gaming competitively in a title like CS, it’s really valuable to warm up by either playing ‘Deathmatch’ or by playing an offline map against bots to practice your aim and mechanics.”
He adds that playing with like-minded people does a world of difference.
“It makes a big difference when you play with people who take the game as seriously as you do and want to improve at a competitive level. This provides an opportunity to gain knowledge, improve on your skills and build upon teamwork.”
Like ’ZipZip’ and ’UnFaizdd’, competitive PlayStation FIFA player Julio ’Beast’ Bianchi insists that being open to learn new things is one of the best things you can do to help level up, adding that consistency is key.
“Put in the time and effort to practice and play hard, and always give your absolute best in every game to reach your goals. Be consistent with your performance. If you stumble or don’t have a good game, pick yourself up, take the lessons, and strive to perform better next game.”
IOL TECH