The ( very) late adopter ’s guide to e- sports

Video games have over taken T- spor ts ( traditional sports) in viewership. If you’ve never seen a live competition, find the next one in your city, and follow these steps to get the most out of it.

PLAY THE GAME YOU’RE

GOING TO SEE. It doesn’t matter if you’re terrible at it. You need to understand the basics to know what’s happening on the Jumbotron. Most of the major titles are free to play and will work on older generations of VR and AR headsets.

TAKE OUT YOUR EARBUDS.

You can afford to miss the shout-caster’s commentary to hear how huge and loud the crowds get.

GO TO ESTABLISHED, FAMOUS

EVENTS. Look up the Fortnite Summer Skirmish of 2018, a tournament for the most popular game at the time that was ruined by underpowered servers causing serious lag. Games that have held big tournaments before will have their own servers nearby (as opposed to the underwater servers most of us use) that will ensure there’s no lag.

COSPLAY ENCOURAGED. Dressing up like the characters from the game is part of the scene, and something that still doesn’t translate to live streaming. Just make sure that when you print out a fake laser rifle it has an orange muzzle, so you don’t set off the securitycamera algorithms.

BUY THE MERCH. These competitions are more fun when you’re rooting for a specific team or player. Part of that is the merch you buy and wear. Most modern stadiums will drone-drop your shirt or hat straight to your seat.