What

This week, the Esports Certification Institute dropped out of the clear blue sky with a phenomenal deal. Pay them $300 (normally $400, but if you act now you get a discount!), take an exam, and get a piece of paper that certifies you as… Well… An esports… Certified… Person?

The exam and institute were both co-created by Ryan Friedman (former chief of staff for Dignitas) and Sebastian Park (former VP of esports for the Houston Rockets). Their goal is to help individuals “get noticed and find their dream job” in the ever-booming world of esports. The exam itself contains questions that measure the participants’ understanding of “the esports scene, basic business terms, marketing concepts, and statistical problems” – according to PCGamer.

According to Dexerto, the exam consists of:

• 120 multiple choice questions
• One essay
• Tests on the following topics: esports knowledge, statistical literacy, and problem-solving.

So, who needs this certification? Well, let’s ask the industry experts!

I have taken a ton of certification exams in my career including the Series 7 and Series 9 broker licensing tests and everyone knows even in finance that these standardized tests are a joke and just an outdated hoop jumping exercise. Why bring these into esports

— BC | Brian Anderson (@BrianAndersonBC) April 27, 2021

Fuck the “Esports Certification Program”, for real. Some schools in Japan tried doing the same thing with $30,000 “Esports Degrees” and got blown up for it. Just a bunch of grifters paying community members for credibility so they can try and profit off impressionable kids.

— J I Y U N A (@jiyunaJP) April 28, 2021

I would never have made it into esports with a $400 paywall and a certification requirement. Weighing stuff down with red tape and excessive bureaucracy doesn't keep bad people out, it just shows them what kinda bs they gotta memorize to fake their way in.

— Clayton Raines (@CaptainFlowers) April 27, 2021

All the experts agree – this sounds like a great way to spend time and money!

Honestly though, at first glance, its easy to look at this as a fun little cash grab for some former industry execs, and I wouldn’t be shocked if signups for this are already through the roof. However, no topics on this list are things that aspiring esports professionals probably don’t already know, especially those who have taken a handful of college courses on basic business or marketing.

Does there need to be a benchmark for what makes a great esports hire? Probably. we need a standardized test as though someone is trying to become a lawyer or a teacher or a doctor? Probably not.