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Esports has transformed online gaming into a spectator sport — and a projects the industry will be worth $3.5 billion by 2025.

As the industry rapidly grows, so too, are job opportunities. From marketing and promotion, to streaming and tournament administration, to game design and graphic arts, to writing and content creation, job opportunities in Esports from 2020-21.

At 5X����, where collegiate Esports were established in 2018, the program is closely connected with the College of Communication and Information whose majors — including Emerging Media and Technology, Visual Communication Design, Public Relations and Digital Media Production — prepare students for jobs in this growing industry.

Ben Vrobel, ’23, public relations major and varsity player for Kent State Esports’s Rocket League team, is one student who hopes to pursue a career in Esports after graduation. In addition to competing on Kent State’s team, he maintains a student job with the team, working at the intersection of Esports and communication.

He credits courses in the School of Media and Journalism like Digital Public Relations and Digital Analytics for preparing him for the type of work he does in the job — primarily cultivating the team’s presence on social media, including Twitch, Instagram and Twitter.

“Gaming as an industry is already giant, and Esports is growing immensely,” Vrobel says. “Being able to get into organizations in the early stages can really help you advance in a career quickly, and Esports is still in the early stages of becoming a booming industry.”