Team Players
From left: Team SoloMid's Marcus "Dyrus" Hill, Nicolas Gleeb" Haddad, Soren "Bjergsen" Bjerg, Maurice "Amazing" Stuckenschneider and Jason "WildTurtle" Tran were photographed June 28 at Manhattan Beach Studios.
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Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou -
Fan Adoration
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou The League Championship Series can draw more than 400 adoring fans. "It’s just exhilarating," says Tran of playing in front of a live audience. "You’re in the spotlight, and you have to perform."
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Live Footage
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Cameras on every computer give fans a peek at the players’ reactions during live competitions.
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Pregame Warm-Up
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Some competitive gamers use hand-warmers before matches to keep their joints supple and fingers responsive. "It’s all about being faster in-game," says TSM coach and former player Choi "Locodoco" Yoon-Sup.
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Marcus “Dyrus” Hil
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou "It’s a dream job," says Marcus "Dyrus" Hill, 22, from Hawaii. "You don’t exactly play video games and magically make money because you’re good at it. But it doesn’t feel like work because you are doing what you love."
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Sold Out
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Riot’s annual World Championship last year sold out more than 11,000 seats at Staples Center and streamed live to 32 million people.
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Team SoloMid
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Founded in 2011, TSM is one of the oldest squads organized to compete in professional League of Legends tournaments.
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Day Off
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Off days are rare when TSM is in season — which amounts to 10 months out of the year — but when the players do get some free time, they like to see movies or go out to eat. The players will take two weeks off after a season ends to go on vacation or visit family.
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Healthy Diet
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou Many professional gamers make sure to maintain a balanced diet and regular sleep schedule so that they don’t fatigue during competition.
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Fast-Paced Industry
Image Credit: Photo Credit: Jessica Chou League developer Riot Games constantly is updating the game to keep players on their toes. "It doesn’t matter how long you’ve played it," says Haddad (center) in TSM’s training room. "It’s about how fast you adapt."