10 Ways To Get Paid To Play Games You Love

The gaming industry has reached an unprecedented level of popularity. With the rise of mobile gaming and eSports, it’s no surprise that there are now more gamers than ever before. Not to mention, with games being such an enjoyable pastime, people are spending more time playing them than ever before too! However, as fun as video games are, there comes a point where you just have to stop playing and get back to work… unless you can get paid to play! Today we’re going to show you how to get paid to play games that don’t require you to give up your passion.

1) Start with the basics

If you’re one of those gamers that would like to earn money playing games, you first need to be able to play games online. Thankfully, there are a lot of different options available today for players looking to make money playing their favorite games. From simple in-game tasks (like walking your character across a virtual map) to more complicated forms of real world gaming (like participating in studies or clinical trials), there are plenty of ways for players to make money online by playing.

2) Focus on one game

Can you imagine playing World of Warcraft for a living? For some gamers, it’s not so much a pipe dream as a reality. Blizzard Entertainment, creator of one of PC gaming’s most enduring franchises, pays its employees in part based on how many hours they log. Game developer ArenaNet, maker of Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, offers hourly wages to salaried employees who meet monthly play time targets.

3) Work hard and grow your skills

If you want to get paid to play games, you have to first put in a lot of hard work and improve your skills. Game developers want skillful and talented players who can demonstrate their talents in-game. For most game companies, that means playing games, observing other players’ strategies, then building your own arsenal of skills based on what worked and what didn’t.

4) Learn how to stream well and promote yourself

So, if you’re in to video games, there’s a good chance you have a Twitch account. If not, set one up now. Streaming on Twitch will allow you to build an audience (of possible sponsors) and make some decent cash. I won’t go into details here though, as we just released a massive post on how to start streaming on Twitch! Check it out!

5) Study up on sponsorship deals and income streams

So, you’re going to be sponsored? No, not likely. Yes, maybe—but then again, maybe not. Sponsorship can mean a lot of different things depending on what game you play and who your audience is.

6) Create content around your play time

There are lots of ways to profit from your love of gaming. You can monetize through YouTube (with ads or sponsorships), Twitch.tv (user subscriptions), eSports competitions and even game development. Turn your passion into a career, and you’ll never have to play World of Warcraft while you work again! If you’re interested in getting paid to play games, here are 10 ways you can do it!

7) Teach others how to get good at the game

If you want to get paid to play games, consider creating a channel that teaches people how to get good at one game in particular. Let’s face it: There are always going to be more kids than adults searching for help on any given video game. If you can become an expert at one popular title (think League of Legends or Overwatch), YouTube could become your cushy full-time job with a minimum viable audience of one: yourself. Just go for it!

8) Build a community and support it with content creation

This one is really important. If you’re creating a community, or an online game or service that has social components, it needs to have support from a staff of people that are willing to help out and get involved. It takes time and effort to engage with people in a meaningful way, but it’s essential for your community to thrive over time. This kind of consistent attention is what earns people’s trust and gets them involved in your product.

9) Get involved in gaming events, conventions, meetups, etc.

One way to get paid to play games is to volunteer for gaming events, such as conventions and meetups. By giving your time and energy, you’ll gain valuable connections with other passionate players—and more opportunities for sponsorship. If you want to try getting paid to play a game, but don’t have a specific event in mind, consider getting involved with game-focused online communities, such as forums and subreddits.

10) Don’t stop once you start earning—keep going!

It’s important to recognize that there’s a time commitment required for earning money on games, and you have to keep going if you want your investment of time to pay off. It’s easy to fall off track with a game or two and give up entirely, but remember that it can take years of work to land a good-paying stream—and if you leave too soon, you risk throwing all of that effort away.