The esports world can be exciting, but it can also be tough — especially on the players. And this is just as true for players of first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) as it is for the wide range of other games out there. Everything from the intense traveling involved to the high amount of screen time required to get through a tournament or match can take its toll — and the support of teammates can only take you so far in what can often be a personally grueling experience.
Fans rarely see this side of the esports world, with most viewers and followers simply seeing their favorite teams at their best either up on the gaming stage, streamed in action on Twitch or when they’re posting on social media. Now, a new documentary is being released which shows the inside life of a team — KOVA Esports, which plays CS:GO. This blog post will provide a quick teaser of the new documentary.
What’s it about?
KOVA Esports is a top CS:GO-playing team. The documentary, which is titled “Road To 30”, chronicles the team’s experiences as they attempt to secure a spot in the list of the best 30 teams of anywhere in the world. The series is both candid and informative at the same time. The players are happy to reveal some of their innermost thoughts, but viewers also get a concrete and factual sense of what life as an ambitious esports player is like.
Airax: part one
The earliest part of the series focuses on one player in particular: Airax. Airax, whose real name is Jussi Airaksinen, talks directly to the camera about what challenges he faced as his career began to blossom. He’s not afraid to go personal either, revealing a reflective side to his character by discussing what sort of balance needs to be struck to help a player get through the tough times.
The wider context
The documentary is perhaps one of the first to shine a proper light on the way in which Counter-Strike: Global Offensive can pose real career challenges to players. It’s not easy to become a CS:GO athlete. The people featured in this film are all at the very top of their game, and there’s a whole world of lower leagues below that. Many who play in the lower leagues dream of becoming like Airax and making it to the top — but, sadly, they never quite manage to realize their dreams.
There are a number of challenges involved in finding a way from the bottom rung of this ladder to the top. First off, esports is definitely a team sport — but it’s also primarily a solitary activity, with the team aspect only entering around the edges. The body language and physical actions of an esports athlete must be self-focused: only they can control their console, and they can’t look directly at their teammates for too long in case they miss something on the screen. As a result, many esports players find themselves feeling somewhat removed from their teammates even if they are right next to them — which can lead to mental health challenges if left unchecked.
It’s also the case that the more successful an esports player becomes, the more time they are likely to be spending away from home, family and loved ones. Tournaments take place all across the world: a top esports player might find themselves fighting the European Championships one month before heading somewhere on another continent for the World Championships. Players like Airax, who was featured in the documentary, have to spend long periods traveling — and that’s before the time spent managing sponsorship deals is factored in. For most CS:GO players, it’s worth it — but it’s not without its sacrifices.
Overall, this documentary series is a great watch for anybody who is interested in what life is truly like as an esports player. From the way in which it explores the role of sacrifice to the beautiful portraits of team collaboration that it reveals, the documentary is worth a viewing no matter how you come to be involved in the esports world.