When it comes to the eSports industry, you’d be forgiven if you think the career options are limited to just professional players and hosts or anything of the sort. Those seem like the most popular after all, and most of the big names in League of Legends stem from one of those categories.
There are, however, some more niche options off the beaten path. One such example is an analyst. What is an analyst, you may ask? Well, read on to find out, as we explore what it is, how you may become one, and if this might be a career you find yourself interested in!
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Dissecting the Analyst
So, what’s an analyst in the first place? As the name suggests, a League of Legends analyst is someone who watches replays and dissects what happened in game. By doing this, they are effectively able to watch what happened, what went wrong, and how it could have gone better. Of course, this is a gross oversimplification of what analysts actually do.
A lot of data crunching is involved as the analyst, because it’s never actually the same every game. Add to the fact that how a game goes is as dependent on the enemy team’s reaction to your moves as it is on how your team reacts, well, you’ll have your work cut out for you. In most cases, you’ll have to scour through frames and frames of data, and that can be a bit frustrating, especially for the new would-be analysts out there.
Traditionally speaking, sure you could do all the analysis you want, but most people tend to work with specific teams in order to familiarize, and eventually specialize, in that team’s playstle. By doing so, you can formulate a strategy against enemy compositions and basically make everything run more efficiently. Always be updated with current goings-on in the scene, as it helps establish your credibility and reliability.
The Long Climb Up
All that being said, becoming an analyst requires dedication, and it may not even show immediately. Oftentimes it requires months or even years to get the hang of it and even land the spot you originally came from.
Don’t worry though, because this is one of those situations where the quality is vastly more important than the speed in which you do it. Let’s look at some important things you may need in order to start your journey into the world of League of Legends analytics, and what you may need to do to get noticed.
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Get Yourself Out There
The first step is always the hardest, and gaining traction requires you to actually begin. While a lot of analysts do have connections, it isn’t unheard of for aspiring analysts to gain a following from the ground up. There are several ways to do this, one of the most common being streaming and content creation.
Lucky for us, the modern world has a lot of platforms where we could do this. TwitchTV is an excellent platform for unedited live streaming. You could react in real time (though an analyst really is better suited for situations with prep time), and it gives your budding followers a chance to get the organic feel of what you’re all about.
Another option would be YouTube. YouTube is one of the most popular sites in the world, and while their algorithm may be a bit iffy and questionable sometimes, it’s still a great platform to put your content out.
While you can livestream on YouTube, it just targets a different demographic. Here you can use your own footage or different kinds of footage and just talk over it. This gives you time to make a script, present your different points, and just talk over it.
Reaching Out
No one goes from a newbie to challenger in one night. Start small and divide your goal into manageable parts. It may look daunting at first, but tackling one step at a time has its perks. You could reach out to smaller, local teams and ask if they’re looking for analysts. ( Depending on where you live, you may even be accepted and work on multiple teams.
However, please keep your expectations in check! Don’t expect to be paid a hefty sum upfront, or even to be paid at all. Again, this is very dependent on where you live. An easy way to do this would be to check out the different teams, see which playstyle you’re familiar with, and reach out to the respective team’s coaches.
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True Grit
We mentioned before, it’s going to be a long grind. So why did we tell you to get yourself out there? Well, being noticed is very important. After all, without connections, the reality is that major teams won’t give you a second look if you’re still new, especially if you haven’t made a name for yourself. At least with the ways we mentioned where you can build rapport, they have something to look at.
If you get rejected a few times, it really isn’t the end of the world. We get that you understand you may not get paid right away, but we also get that being rejected multiple times in a week can be a bit heart breaking. There are a lot of people out there who are trying to break into the scene, it just needs dedication and some brain work.
Practice Makes Perfect
Check yourself and see if you have the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. If not, it’s not too much to worry about. Much like the platforms available to get ourselves out there, we have a lot of platforms where we can learn more about the game.
Familiarize yourself with important things like the different champion playstyles, popular itemizations, current patch changes, both meta and off-meta strategies, and maybe expand your hero pool. By learning more about the game, you will develop key characteristics that will help you formulate game-winning plans in the future.
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Is it for You?
We’ve learned a lot about what analysts do, and if we’re being honest, the best teams have good coaches and an equally competent analyst behind them. They often work hand-in-hand, and the teamwork shows beyond the 5 summoners in the rift. However, it may not be for everyone. It isn’t the most glamorous job.
Some people enjoy the spotlight, while others are content pulling the strings from behind. In the more professional scene, the analyst is also given a host of new responsibilities to tackle, none of which would be easy in the slightest. Taking up the role isn’t as simple as the description says, and dipping your toes in it can give you an idea about what it’s like.
Because of the dedication required, it’s quite a commitment, so it definitely needs some thought. What about you? Is this something you feel like you could be interested in? Let us know in the comments below!
Feel free to take a look at our guide on how to check how much time you’ve spent on LoL so far.
