British League of Legends caster Aaron ‘Medic’ Chamberlain will take a break from working on the LEC broadcast desk after week 4 of the Summer 2022 split, and his announcement is a reminder to know when to step back, try to relax and prevent burnout, says Dom Sacco in this opinion piece.
Burnout and mental health is a topic that keeps coming up time and time again in esports, and I’ve seen many friends, colleagues and mutuals face challenges in this area.
I’ve written about burnout a lot over the years, and I’m going to continue to write about it until the industry gets better at addressing it. I think we’re taking the right steps in that journey.
Last year, fellow League of Legends caster and host, Quickshot, also took a long break from his work. It was unannounced, unexpected, and until he spoke about his return, left many in the community wondering what had happened and if he was okay.
Quickshot spoke of the ‘non-stop grind’ at Riot, about experiencing burnout and taking a long break and mental health program to get back on track.
I’m glad we have prominent figures like Mac, Quickshot and Medic in the community to not only talk about this stuff, but also speak through their actions. In letting us know he’s taking a break before he does, Medic is also reminding us it’s okay for anyone else to do the same.
The community response to his comments was of course warm and welcoming. I liked this from Riot’s Ben ‘Draggles’ Forbes in particular: “Give mental room before mental boom.”
Medic has taken breaks from the LEC in the past, such as in 2020, which also helps normalise the need for them.
I write this also because I empathise with Medic and relate to his update on a personal level.
Those working in esports will know how bloody hard and demanding it can be at times, this endless grind never lets up in an industry that moves at a million miles per hour. Sometimes there seems to be no ‘off’ switch and sometimes I just want to get off the ride.
I write about esports all day, then I wonder why I don’t get much enjoyment from playing games anymore.
Like Medic, I don’t want any pity. But damn, do I find it hard to take a break in a media role where there is always another news story to write, an interview to do, an investigation to conduct.
Take a holiday Dom, I hear you suggest. And yes, I would love to, but as a self-employed person I’d have to pay for a freelancer to step into my shoes for a week or two, and in a challenged medium that is esports journalism right now, I don’t really have a spare few hundred pounds; I’m barely making enough to get by as it is.
“Working in esports can be bloody hard and demanding at times, this endless grind never lets up in an industry that moves at a million miles per hour. Sometimes there seems to be no ‘off’ switch and sometimes I just want to get off the ride.”
Dom Sacco
Again, I don’t want this to turn into a ‘woe is me’ rant. I’m hugely grateful for what I have and it’s on me to solve this situation. I have recently been commissioned to work on some freelance bits and pieces, and I hope to repackage my consultancy offering up in a way that results in recurring revenues and frees up some of my time (and, fingers crossed, allows me to hire a team for Esports News UK in the future).
Anyway, the TLDR of this article, the point of it, is for you to plan a break if you are feeling down, or are struggling to find joy in work or life in general, as Medic says.
Please learn to rest and switch off, as I am still trying to. You only have one life and your mental health is so important.
On that note, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite pieces by Banksy:
Related article: Esports agency Achieveminds turns to AI to tackle pro player burnout and improve performance
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
