| The goal for this thesis is to explore how Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) eSports teams from Brazil accomplished the challenging task of becoming world champions, creating elite players despite coming from a country that lacks support compared to United States and Europe (see Table 1). In order to do so, this study is going to be based on two research questions:;1) What is involved in becoming a professional CS:GO player? The first question should address the challenges and meanings of becoming a professional CS:GO player. It is important to notice the word "involved," a vague word chosen on purpose to denote different aspects of becoming a professional player. Those aspects were explored as the researcher delved deep into the data, resulting in different meanings, which include the awareness of CS:GO player as a profession, the definitions of professionalism in eSports, player motivations, and the challenges of constant hard work and practice.;To better understand those aspects, this study looks at the history and popularity of Counter-Strike, going back to Half-Life, the game from which Counter-Strike was modded, released in 1999. Also, this thesis touches ground on the importance that internet cafes (also known as LAN houses) had in the wild growth of the game, and how they ignited a generation interested in competing against each other.;Finally, this work dives deep into how players define being professional Counter-Strike players, their motivations, and the challenges that come before and after deciding to turn their leisure activity into work and the consequences of that transition. The purpose for the first research question is to give readers the big picture about this emerging world. 2) How are Brazilian eSports CS:GO players excelling in an industry that lacks extrinsic incentives? Complementary to the first research question, the second question tries to explore in more depth the problems Brazilian teams and players face in order to pursue their goals. It utilizes archival research on the Brazilian scene from the time people started playing the game until today, tackling information on specific situations such as tournaments, organizations, laws against Counter-Strike and the infrastructure for players to practice.;The choice of the Brazilian scene for this study is part of the author's identity as well as the curiosity behind great personalities that are proud to represent their country by becoming the best players in the world, and at the same time, not having enough extrinsic incentives. The intrinsic value is what drives players forward, and has a big role in Brazilians' success. On the other hand, the lack of extrinsic values such as monetary support, infrastructure, professionalization and infrastructure serves as an active disincentive to push players away. Finally, this thesis talks about the release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the renovated game made for competition, and how it is reinvigorating the game. Not only that, from sport stars' investments, to the powerful influence of social media and streaming platforms, chapter six explores the future of the game as an eSport in Brazil and everything that might contribute to making the professional scene in the country more mature. This study is based mainly on online data collection and archival research, and understands it as a limitation. The goal of this approach is to trace back the path from casual to professional and to be able to understand how it is affected by the lack of extrinsic incentives. Nonetheless, both research questions should complement each other in understanding the big picture that is the professional scene of CS:GO in Brazil. |
