◆ Gaming & Esports

What an esports analyst
really does.

6 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

6evidenced tasks
6systems it runs on
This is what one task looks like here
Analyze match footage and generate reports
Watch last night's VCT match footage, tag each round's utility use, en…1 sources agree

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The work, task by task

6 tasks
Hands on the work4
Analyze match footage and generate reports+
Watch last night's VCT match footage, tag each round's utility use, entry timings and rotations, pull the kill/death heatmaps and economy swings, then write a two-page report with three tactical takeaways for coaches by noon Wednesday.
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when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Keep up to date with game updates and meta changes+
Track today's patch notes and the official patch thread, log every weapon and agent change, compare win-rate and pick-rate deltas over the last three weeks, and produce a one-page meta brief with suggested practice priorities by Friday.
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when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Identify strengths and weaknesses of players and teams+
Aggregate the last 20 games for each starter, compute per-map impact metrics, create a ranked strengths and weaknesses table with examples of play that illustrate each point, and deliver a one-page summary for the head coach before training tomorrow.
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when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Communicate data insights to players and coaching staff+
Convert match analytics into a one-page visual brief for the roster: highlight the top three actionable numbers each player must improve, attach two short clip examples, and present it at the next team review on Thursday.
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when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice1
Develop strategies based on opponent analysis+
Review the next opponent's seven most recent matches, map their default executes, timing windows and favored sightlines, draft three counter-strategies with drillable practice steps and assign responsibilities to coach and captains by Monday morning.
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when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Keep the record1
Record and review gameplay videos for performance improvement+
Record the scrim and official match sessions this week, tag death timing, positioning and decision forks, extract eight clips showing recurring mistakes, and compile a 10-minute review video with voiceover notes for Wednesday practice.
web
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
4 tasksShadow.ggingests match recordings and timestamps events for round-by-round analysis
2 tasksGRIDcreates visual timelines and heatmaps from tagged events
2 tasksCloud Notebooksruns reproducible analyses on time series of pick and win rates from patch windows
2 tasksTableauvisualises comparative metrics for quick coach review
1 taskSQLqueries historical match databases to compute pick/win deltas
1 taskPythoncalculates custom impact metrics and extracts example plays from match logs

The same task, four heights

this page is height one
ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where an esports analyst actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself

Close to this work

12 nearby
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Questions people actually ask

You start by reviewing match footage from the previous day — usually 2–4 recent games — and write a short report in Cloud Notebooks or a shared Google doc. Morning work: pull stats with SQL or Shadow.gg APIs (kills, economy, objective timing), then slice clips in GRID for coaches and players.

Afternoons: meet with coaches to explain insights using Tableau dashboards or simple charts from Python (pandas/matplotlib). Before matches you prepare 10–15 short clips of opponent habits and a one-page strategy outline for the team.

Start with Shadow.gg and GRID because they give direct match data and clip-making skills you’ll use daily. Shadow.gg provides match logs and event data; GRID helps you trim and annotate video for players.

Next learn basic SQL to extract specific stats (player economy, ability usage). Then Python for cleaning data and making quick charts; finish with Tableau if you need polished dashboards for staff.

Set a regular routine: after every major patch, spend 2–4 hours reading patch notes and then run a quick SQL query or Shadow.gg report comparing the last 3 days of matches to the previous week (win rate, pick rate, item/ability usage).

Make a one-page notes file in Cloud Notebooks summarizing concrete effects: which champions/items dropped in win rate by at least 5% and why. Share that with coaches so changes become actionable, not just theoretical.

Yes, use AI for summarizing match reports or auto-clipping highlights from GRID, but always verify outputs. AI can mislabel events or miss context (e.g., a fake rotation that looks like a mistake).

Keep raw data (SQL query results, original clips) and note where AI was used. Never share AI-generated scouting outside your org without coach approval, because it can contain hallucinations or reveal sensitive tactics.

Entry-level analysts for semi-pro teams often start around $25,000–$40,000 USD per year; pro academy or regional leagues range $40,000–$70,000; established pro-team analysts can earn $70,000–$120,000 plus bonuses. These ranges come from public hiring posts, esports salary surveys, and reported contracts.

Freelance or part-time analysts may charge $20–$60 per hour for clip work or opponent reports. Pay varies by region, the game’s money pool, and whether you also do coaching or video editing.

An analyst focuses on match footage, data extraction (SQL/Shadow.gg), and creating actionable reports and clips in GRID for coaches and players. You identify opponent tendencies, strengths/weaknesses, and suggest strategy adjustments.

A coach manages player practice, psychology, and in-game calls. A statistician builds large-scale models or dashboards (often in Tableau/Python) but might not produce tailored video clips or sit in team meetings. Analysts sit between both roles.

Show concrete examples: a 1–2 page opponent report, a small SQL query with outputs (CSV), and 5–10 annotated clips exported from GRID or another editor. Use Cloud Notebooks or GitHub to host your work so recruiters can open it.

Mention tools: Shadow.gg for match data, Python for cleaning, Tableau for a simple dashboard. Also show you can explain insights clearly — include a one-page summary that a coach can read in five minutes.