Getting paid to play video games sounds like the cushiest job in the world. Stumble out of bed, fill a bowl of cereal, boot up Steam, and go hunting for thrills and spills. Pants and personal hygiene are optional. That’s the pervasive, and in many cases valid, image of the professional gamer — a layabout with a purpose and a paycheck — but there’s a great deal more to making a living from gaming than meets the eye. Games are usually a leisure activity and an entertainment, but now they’re also generating enough income to sustain entire leagues and multimillion-dollar professional competitions.
