We see the term MLG thrown around the internet, but to those that are involved in the culture, the representation is very different than the reality. MLG stands for Major League Gaming, and generally refers to any game that is considered competitive by either one of the official organizations that oversees all aspects of ranked, competitive play. MLG is an actual organization that functions as the authoritative presence in all professional competitive gaming events, similar to the NFL or MLB. The Electronic Sports League (ESL) is the direct competitor to MLG, and hosts events on the same scale. So what does it take to be a competitive gamer? Let's take a look at 5 ways of life that any competitive gamer has gotten used to.
1. Sleep All Day, Game the Night Away
Whether a professional or an amateur, professional gaming takes a huge toll on a player's circadian rhythm. For whatever reason, competitive gamers tend to stay up super late, sometimes as late as 4 or 5 am, in order to get a good game in before bed. Playing in a random matchup competitive playlist can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on what sort of players are on the other team. Most players aren't content on sleeping after a bad game.
2. Less Meals, More Snacking
Alongside sleep patterns, competitive gaming tends to affect eating habits. Studies show that competitive gamers consume only 1 to 2 meals per day, filling the rest with snacks. Getting up and devoting 30 minutes to an hour, or more, of meal prep/ordering and eating can mean the difference between a Platinum 1 and a Gold 4 player. Most competitive gamers would rather snack throughout the day or night to stay alive than eat a full meal. This is where the "Doritos and Mountain Dew" connotation comes from. As much as those two things are great together, each competitive gamer has their own snack combination that suits them. For me it's usually just water and the occasional Monster Energy Drink (only a few rare times per month) and whatever food I can find.
It is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet each day, but for in the heat of the moment, LifeHacker shows us 6 healthy snacks you can eat while gaming, which can be found here.
3. Less Time with Family, More Time Playing
As a gamer gets more and more into the competitive culture, their families and friends tend to see less and less of them. To get better at a sport, you must practice. Competitive Gaming is more or less a sport (with less physical activity, of course). To get onto a team, into the leagues, and potentially go on to make a ton of money (most MLG and ESL prize pools start out around $100 at the very bottom and can top out at just over a few billion dollars), you first need to practice. Gamers don't mean to spend so much time in their cave, but they tend to anyways. My advice to family members and friends is to not take this personally, let them have their gaming time and they will come out eventually. I've been gaming competitively for about a year now, and it gets better. I spend my time equally between my family and friends and my game of choice, so that everyone is happy. You just need to let your gamer feel for his or her own balance.
4. Relationships are Hard
Because competitive gamers rarely come out of their cave, forming romantic relationships becomes somewhat of a challenge. Perhaps they really don't want to meet new people, and that's their prerogative. I know for most there's a fear that your significant other won't support your passion. That's the key about forming any relationship; Don't let your significant other change who you are. If they try to, they aren't the one who is for you. If your passion for gaming gets in-between your time with them, that's another issue altogether. Sit down, talk about it, learn to compensate, and agree on something.
5. Wrist Pain or No Gain
Whether it be a broken bone, sprained joint, or pulled muscle, injuries are a normal part of any sport. In the world of competitive gaming, wrist and hand pain, neck pain, back pain, and headaches are all normal occurrences. However, in mid-match, players will tend to ignore any pain because the heat of the match overwhelms it. However, if players exercised their gaming muscles more, perhaps they wouldn't be in pain as much.
Hand exercises for people who game and/or use a computer/phone for many hours can be found here. These exercises can help prevent joint issues in the hand and wrist further down the road.
