Grass warfare
he esports machine of today is unrecognisable as the janky engine that powered the scene back in the ’00s. These days, maintained by Blizzard and Riot, its pistons fire with practised efficiency. Yet the rattling part of the contraption dedicated to player recruitment is in need of replacement. Like the claw crane of an arcade machine, it picks up too little from a pool brimming with potential. “There’s no clear path to pro right now,” Excel Esports director says. “If you play football, you can enter a Sunday League, get promoted, and theoretically make your
