In 2012, author TL Taylor catalogued the rise of esports as it transitioned from a marginal, niche activity to something we might call mainstream today. In her book,Raising the Stakes: E-Sports and the Professionalization of Computer Gaming,Taylor wrote that esports—the act of playing video games so seriously that you achieve a level of mastery that is rare for a leisure activity—is compelling because we recognize how serious that commitment is.
Playing video games is commonplace, but playing video games this seriously, professionally, is less so.