Eight weeks, a whole bunch of rivals throughout a number of occasions and a multi-million pound prize pot – however this wasn’t any sports activities match.
Luke Bennett is coming dwelling from the primary Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia as a world champion.
Not solely that, the 19-year-old from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire can be returning £100,000 richer after bagging the highest prize in sim racing (quick for simulated racing).
“It’s fairly surreal,” Luke tells BBC Newsbeat. However now he is hoping he has an opportunity to make it correctly actual with a profession in motorsport.
Luke’s a part of Crew Redline – an offshoot of Crimson Bull’s F1 group which boasts Belgian-Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen amongst its alumni.
“It is similar to racing a automotive in actual life,” Luke says of sim racing. “However on a pc.”
The group was based greater than 20 years in the past however Luke says persons are nonetheless stunned when he talks about what he does.
He says persons are shocked when he tells them concerning the prize cash concerned.
“It exhibits it’s getting greater and larger and it may be a profession for some folks.”
Crew Redline dominated on the Esports World Cup, by no means ending outdoors of the highest 4 as soon as within the grand finals of the match.
“It’s been a tough few months,” says Luke. “Daily – observe, observe, observe.
“All that weight has been lifted off our shoulders now.”
The longer term’s ‘unsure’
Luke is not simply quick on the digital observe. He says his profession is transferring at prime pace as effectively.
“I began driving with only a £100 steering wheel on the desk and having a little bit of enjoyable,” he says.
Not lengthy after, fellow rivals seen his potential and his mother and father helped him purchase a greater simulator.
“That’s when issues actually took off,” he says.
“I joined Crew Redline and after that it’s simply been up and up and up till this level proper now.”
Esports tournaments are nonetheless “fairly area of interest and fairly new,” he says.
“It’s not been lengthy since all this prize cash began coming by means of and all these huge competitions began so there’s not many tales of individuals going all the way in which.”
In that sense, he is a pioneer, admitting “the long run is a bit unsure” for esports champions.
However as unsure because it may be, the business acquired one other increase final month when it was introduced from subsequent yr there would even be an Olympic Esports Video games.
Just like the Esports World Cup, the Video games might be held in Saudi Arabia as a part of a 12-year partnership between the Kingdom and the Worldwide Olympics Committee.
Earlier than the World Cup, gamers, streamers and followers have been divided by the choice for it to be hosted within the Arab nation – which additionally funded the prize pot – as a consequence of its report on human rights.
Homosexuality is illegitimate in Saudi Arabia and it has confronted criticism over its stance on LGBT relationships in addition to lack of rights for girls.
Critics condemned it as “sportswashing” however the determination was defended by organisers who advised Newsbeat no-one would face discrimination on the occasion.
Luke says the nation was “a very cool setting” for the occasion and now has his eye on profitable extra tournaments and making it to the Olympics – one thing he says could be “unbelievable”.
“I believe I’d discover it a bit bizarre calling myself an Olympian as a result of I actually don’t really feel like one,” he says.
“Nevertheless it’s one thing that may be very cool.
“The dream continues to be the identical – we could also be world champions however there’s at all times extra.
“We need to be world champions in every thing, so we’ll maintain going.”
And if he could be a pioneer in a web-based esports profession, Luke sees no motive he cannot be a pioneer offline too.
“I hope in the future to get into the true world of motorsport,” he says.
“I see increasingly more folks get a method in by means of sim racing now, and hopefully that does occur.
“If not, I’ve received loads of time to resolve what I need to do as I’m nonetheless solely 19.”
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