E-sports have exploded in popularity since the early 2000s, growing from niche competitions held in
local gaming centres to a global phenomenon that is streamed around the world. With so many
different games, and players, on full display it’s interesting how patterns emerge—with a variety of
player types dominating the esports scene for different reasons.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into the 6 types of pro gamers you can find in esports.
1. The Aim Gods
We’ve all seen it done—legendary headshots across the map, effortless team wipes and huge clutch
plays—the players responsible for these are usually the aim gods. These sharpshooters have a god-
like mechanical ability to click heads and make it look easy. Not only that, but their lightning-fast
reflexes have the ability to swing the tide of any match simply by turning up.
In FPS titles from CS:GO and Valorant to Overwatch, these players are among the best to watch but
the absolute worst to play against—as there’s nothing quite like being deleted from out of the blue.
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These players exist beyond the FPS, too, as technical mastery exists in any title out there—but in
those circle’s they’ll most certainly go by other names.
2. The Strategists
To win games, you need to do more than click heads. This is where the strategists come in. These
masterminds are often the core of any esports team, even if they don’t get the same amount of
attention as the team’s star. Instead of total technical mastery, these players master the systems and
their team—working as strategists who devise and communicate complex tactics to their teams both
in training and during the games themselves.
Many strategists find their favourite game outside of the most popular FPS titles, instead looking
towards games like MOBAs which reward the long-term planning and on-the-fly pivots that
strategists enjoy devising.
3. The Speedrunners
As their name suggests, speedrunners are all about going as fast as possible. This community of
competitive gamers are known for mastering individual, mainly single-player, titles and completing
them lightning-quick. While these gamers might sound like they have short attention spans, it’s quite
the opposite. Speedrunners need to stick with games for a long time, learning the ins and outs of any
game while doing their best to find exploits, glitches and other ways to get a leg-up on the
competition.
Nintendo games like Mario and Zelda have always been a core part of the speedrunning community,
but speedrunning has no genre—if it’s a game, you can speedrun it.
4. The Versatile All-Rounders
All-rounders are the chameleons of the esports world, excelling at many different types of games and
in many different roles. These players are often as competent up front in an FPS as they are at the
back supporting their aim-god teammates. This flexibility often makes the profound effect that these
all-round players can have on the dynamics of an esports team—masking their importance as a
reliable pillar of the team.
Given that this type of player doesn’t rely on specific mechanics, they exist all across the esports
landscape—whether they are into MOBAs, Battle Royales or intense FPS games.
5. The Esports Stars
We’ve all seen them, the esports stars who get the crowd going with their antics. Whether that be
their insane aim, their crazy tactics or simply their fiery persona, these are the pro players who have
die-hard fans who follow them for their unique mixture of skill and personality.
While this stardom is really hard to quantify, you know it when you see it. And it can exist across any
type of game—be it sports game, FPS, MOBA or even speedrunning.
6. The Streamers
Running parallel to the esports stars are the streamers. These are the ones whose entertainment
value sits at the forefront—before their abilities come into play. Of course, most esports streamers
have skill but it’s hard to argue that their following comes for them, not their gameplay.
The streamers deviate from the standard esports star, as much of their draw appears away from the
actual matches involved with competitive esports. Instead, they gain their following from twitch
streams, within which they let their personality roam free—entertaining viewers while also giving
them a window onto what it actually means to be a pro player.
The world of esports is as diverse as it is massive; but these six personality types recur again and
again across the entire landscape. If you’re a player, even if your not an esports star (yet), you likely
already know which of these categories you fit into. Maybe if you double down on the traits of your
category, you’ll soon find yourself at the forefront of your favourite games esports scene… who
knows!
