Who are the 5 professionals we need more of in eSports?

When people think eSports, they always think of teams like the Singapore Sentinels or OMG, and of players like Mushi, ChuaN, and iceiceice. After all, that’s what eSports is: professional cyberathletes playing games— no, performing at their peak. It’s like the Olympics. These players are celebrated for being very, very good with their games.

In Asia, many gamers dream of someday going pro. After all, the only way to grow a community is to join it. And what better way to increase the talent pool of eSports in your country than to actively contribute to it?

(See: How pretty or sexy do you have to be for eSports?)

While this is true, what if I told you that eSports doesn’t actually need more players for the industry to grow?

What eSports in Asia really needs to grow is professionals. Here are some types of individuals the eSports industry badly needs a lot more of.

The manager

Yes, managers in eSports now are a dime-a-dozen, but how many of them have actual management skills and business sense, and know how to milk an opportunity for what it’s worth? Managers are the go-to people for scheduling team games, securing sponsorship, and even budgeting expenses. Sometimes, they also double up as coaches for their teams.

Yet I’ve seen team “managers” who either look like they’re wearing their fathers’ blazers (that is to say, they look like kids), or are girls who take advantage of their team’s fanbase to whore their fansigns and selfies out. A lot of eSports managers in Asia handle teams because they’re asked to, because they’re a little more organized than the rest, or simply because they’re girls. Few of them have any business or game sense at all. Those few, however, are the ones who succeed.

Manager to aspire to: Wen Yi ‘71’ Tang

Formerly the manager of celebrated Chinese multi-game eSports team Ehome, Wen Yi ‘71’ Tang recently came out of an extended hiatus to coach Dota 2 team DK. His past achievements include leading Ehome to consistent podium finishes over four years, and grooming top Dota 2 players Zhi Lei “BurNing” Xu and Zeng Rong “Dai” Lei during his stint as Ehome’s manager.

You can bet Tang also had to do his fair share of booking flights, buying food, scheduling matches, and wiping tears during his Ehome stint. No doubt he’s now doing it for the DK boys.