Paid to play

A serious accident at Azad Orami’s day job has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the electronic sports veteran, giving him more time to focus on rebuilding his professional video-gaming career, as a member of the new eSports team, Sydney Roar.

In January, the 29-year-old steel fabrication worker’s leg was impaled 21 centimetres on a steel bar when he fell from scaffolding on a building site.

“The timing of the Gfinity (Elite Series) tournament has been good, because I’ve been able to focus on my gaming while recovering from the accident,” Orami tells Insight.

Better known in the game as 'TopguN', Orami was once one of the top Counter-Strike players in Australia, and played professional tournaments in the United States, Malaysia and China.

“I was first round draft pick in America, I was that good.”

“At age 18, I made more money than I ever have since in gaming. Back then I earned $US30,000 a year, there was a great exchange rate, I was given spending money and all expenses paid.”

These days, Orami needs his day job to sustain himself and his young family, as the fledgling eSports industry in Australia gets itself off the ground.

He’s one of a growing number of video-game athletes now being paid for their passion in Australia, playing in purpose-built arenas in front of live audiences, and hundreds of thousands more watching online.

As a Gfinity competitor, 'TopguN' and his teammates were gunning for a share of $225,000 in prizemoney, on top of their contractual salaries.

“The money is nothing like what eSports players earn overseas. I get $350 per game day. Plus they pay you for the four weeks leading up to the competition. Not a lot of money at all, but for me it’s not about the money, I’ve been gaming 25 years and I love it,” he says.

Born in Kurdistan, Orami immigrated to Australia with his family when he was two years old.

He and his brother started playing video-games young, and by age seven he was winning multi-player online bouts of death-match zombie game, QuakeWorld. Orami admits he was too scared to play the game by himself, and used to ask his brother to stand behind him while he played.

“I remember the first time I won and it was a massive rush. It’s actually a physical rush. I ran into Mum and told her I won, and she wasn’t that impressed!”

Along with attending school and playing football, he says he didn’t have much of a life outside of video-games when he was a kid.

“I made sure I did well at school, so I did my homework first to keep my parents happy. Then my brother and I would just play, three hours a night. We would have spent more than 15 hours a week on the PC. It was probably too much, but it became something,” Orami says.

Faced with a choice between pursuing a promising rugby league career, which saw the teenage Orami play first division against Parramatta Eels stars Jarryd Hayne and Tim Mannah, or following his eSports dreams, he chose the latter.

Orami is quick to point out that there are many similarities between playing video-games professionally and more traditional elite sports, not the least of which is the challenge and desire to win.

“A good sprinter won’t necessarily be a good gamer, and vice versa. But definitely there are similarities.”

“It’s still really important to maintain fitness for eSports - it keeps your blood flowing, and your mind sharp. Your thoughts will be clearer, your breathing will be better."

Luke Paton, also known as 'Havoc', is Orami’s 28-year-old Sydney Roar teammate. He agrees that eSports competitors need to be good team players, as well as have high physical stamina.

“You need to be able to endure long hours of just sitting and gaming. There’s constant focus required, high adrenaline levels. Your arm, seat, posture - all have to be managed. We do physical training in the gym, and the top professional teams have dieticians and psychologists,” Paton says.

Paton warns against over-training, saying the recent listing of “gaming disorder” by the World Health Organisation, in its latest International Classification of Diseases, reflects just how pervasive video-games are now.

“Young kids are starting earlier and earlier because there is so much accessibility now with iPads, mobiles, 24/7 connectivity. Social life outside gaming is very important. It’s moderation, like anything.”

A few years ago, Orami’s life was at a crossroads. He had to choose between a top contract playing video-games fulltime in the USA, or settling down and starting a family in Australia.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t commit the hours that were needed. I felt like I was letting the team down. I was devastated, not resentful, but very sad. But now with a wife and a little boy, I’m happy.”

Orami and the Sydney Roar team reached the semi-finals of the Gfinity Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) competition, and while he says he’s gutted to have lost, for him it’s a labour of love, and a chance to keep his hand in.

“I’m past my prime now because I’m nearly 30, and I’m playing 20-year-olds who are more mentally alert. So winning now means even more, because I’ve got more to lose.”

You can watch the full Insight episode of Game On here: