You're watching your favorite stream and your jaw is hanging down to the floor.

How did he just do that!? What a play! You're impressed by their ability, but it
wasn't the first time you've seen them make a play like that.
We hear the term skill thrown around a lot in competitive gaming, but how do you
develop skills for gaming? How do you improve them? How can you learn to play w
ith the finesses and efficiency that the pros do? This series will help you find
out!

What Are Gaming Skills?

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skills are the traits that gamers need to develop to perform at a high le
play. Landing abilities, skill shots, and no scopes are some of the broke
skills that help you get better, but just focusing on them will not make
elite gamer.

The skills needed to be a great gamer are slightly different for each game. What
many gamers do not realize, however, is that they can focus on certain fundamen
tal abilities that will make them a better gamer across all competitive games.
Have you ever noticed how some streamers are able to be at the top-level in mult
iple games? This is because they have worked to develop the proper skill set. So
me gamers naturally develop this skill set without realizing it, but it s just the
ir way of thinking.
Are Pro Gamers Just Naturally Talented?
Not exactly. While many pro gamers naturally have acquired the abilities to play
great, it does not mean that their talent is exclusive to the naturals in gaming.
Some gamers already had the skill sets without having to put much effort into d
eveloping them, other gamers got to the top and developed these skills through e
xtra hard work and persistence.
Don t get discouraged if you compare yourself to the pro players you see on YouTub
e and Twitch. A lot of gamers see the way professionals play and feel like they
will never be that good. What many gamers fail to realize is that the profession
al gamers play consistently, play with a focus, and play with others of the same
mindset.
Most gamers don t realize the amount of hard work and effort that the professional
s put into get to that level. They only see these gamers at the top of their gam
e and do not see the struggle it was to get there.
Remember, no baby at 3-months old picked up an Xbox controller and got a KDR of
4.0 like it was nothing! Everyone starts from a similar point, and everyone can
develop the skills to be at the top-level.
Mid-Post Recap:
Gaming skills can be broken down into smaller skills.
Many competitive games require the same skill sets, just each skill is weighted
differently.
Pro gamers worked hard to get to where they are at, many gamers who watch them n
ever saw the struggle.
No one is born knowing how to be a great gamer, the skills and mindset are devel
oped.
How Much Time Do I Have To Spend To Get Better?

A good question! Unfortunately, there is no definite answer. Your results will b

e different based on your time practicing, your consistency, the content you stu
dy, the application, your focus...and on and on.
I ll be going over ways you can improve at the fastest rate possible in this serie
s.
As a general rule of thumb, it will only take you 10,000 hours to become the bes
t at your game!
(That s only 3 hours of practice for a little over 9 years!)
But I Haven t Played For 10,000 Hours, And I Don t Want To Wait 9 Years!
Better start playing now then...I m kidding!
The 10,000 hour rule is from a study done by K. Anders Ericsson and was discusse
d in Malcolm Gladwell s book, Outliers. The idea is that it takes 10,000 hours of
practice, focused practice (not just playing), to become the best at something in our case, gaming.
If you re like me, and you ve put in well over 10,000 hours to gaming and still not
a professional, there are a few things you should note:
The 10,000 hours rule is a reference point - it could take more or less.
Your focus during play is important, as mentioned in the last paragraph.
While you may have spent a lot of time playing, how much time have you spent wor
king on a skill for gaming?
You Don t Need To Practice For 10,000 Hours!
But I thought you just said that I needed to practice for 10,000 hours to become
the best at my game!?
That s true! I did just say that...but I didn t define what the best means!
To be the best is to be in the top 1% of gamers in your game. You can be in the
top 10% or 5% of a game within a year. There is a structure to improving like th
is at such a fast rate. I wouldn t call it a secret, but it s a way of playing that
many gamers do not do. I ll talk a bit more about this structure later.
I ve reached high levels of play in MOBA, MMORPG, FPS, and RTS games using this st
ructure. My aim of this series to help you understand how you can apply these te
chniques to do the same thing.
Skill Needed To Be A Top-Tier Gamer
There are tons of different skills required to be an elite gamer. I have narrowe
d it down to 6 primary categories to focus on. These categories can be broken do
wn more when trying to improve.
1. Perceptual-Motor Ability - This is having the ability to execute what you are
visualizing yourself doing in a game. This is the execution aspect of gaming.
Examples: Aiming. Movement.
2. Cognitive Processing Ability - This is the ability to understand video and au
dio cues. It is being able to understand the sounds and video of the game and te
ammates.
Examples: Hearing another player s foot steps. Seeing enemies on your minimap.

3. Problem Solving Ability - Figuring out what to do in problematic situations.

Example: Determining the next best move. Finding a counter to something.
4. Information Utilization Ability - Using the knowledge of the resources and po
sitioning of you, your teammates, and your opponents.
Example: Seeing how much ammo you have left before reloading. Keeping track of e
nemy cooldowns.
5. Perseverance - Being able to continually do something when it is boring, diff
icult, or not instantly gratifying.
Example: Practicing DPS rotations/priorities. Working on build orders to make th
em habits.
6. Player Interaction - Not getting upset or angry by other players. Also, being
able to work with team.
Example: Improving synergy with teammates in PVP. Not allowing angry teammates t
o affect your focus.
This series will be going into each of these skills in more depth and how you ca
n apply them to your game to improve. It will take a lot of time and focus to de
velop these skills to a high level, but if you put in the time and effort you ca
n be a top-level gamer!
By the end of this series, you will know how to develop your gaming abilities fo
r the games you play. You will learn to progress your skills and remain at a hig
h level of play. Stay tuned!
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