The Protagonist

After quitting Overwatch back in 2022, for one reason or another, I found myself searching for another online competitive game to play.

Have I learnt nothing? I barely escaped Overwatch as it was.

Let me introduce you to my next era: Teamfight Tactics (TFT). For the last 3 years or so, I have been madly into Riot’s auto-chess game. I somehow managed to dodge anything League of Legends (LoL) related up until that point. Who would’ve thought it’d be the cute Tacticians that won me over in the end. Or how colourful and polished the game is. Or how it’s a strategy-based game. The nail in the coffin was definitely the ridiculously in-depth lore that theLoL universe had. TFT had me at Yordles and it became my ‘main game’ over the last few years.

Then, late 2024 saw the launch of Marvel Rivals, Marvel’s first team-based shooter. Everyone was calling it ‘Marvel Overwatch’… so you can probably guess what happened. I was a moth to a flame. My family and friends were also playing it. How could I say no?

The grind

When it comes to competitive games, there are three categories that players fall into. The first is the casual gamer-they’re just here to play (mostly unranked mode) with friends and chill. Bless.

Then there’s the second type that most people think you are if you tell them you play a game competitively, AKA a god gamer. This second group are gifted at the game and though they still grind, they improve and climb faster than the average.

Which leaves the last (but certainly not least) group, the average joe. They’re the people who slave away at the ranked ladder, stacking up hours upon hours trying to reach a certain rank. Think of the ‘just one more game’ or ‘can’t end on a loss’ at 2am type. In other words, if anyone’s ever spent many nights playing just to get nowhere (or net loss) by the end of it, I’m sorry this is probably you! 😭

So you’ve probably worked out as I make the above statements, that I am not a god gamer- and when you’re not a god gamer, you find yourself putting in more hours into a game, which can turn it into a big grind. This is especially true if you don’t focus on improving and are hell bent on just playing the hours and hoping you get better miraculously (yep, also been there!).

There was a period of time this year where, on top of my 9-5 job, trying to stay fit and maintaining something of a social life, I was somehow juggling both TFT AND Marvel Rivals at the same time. I couldn’t decide which one to focus on of the two so I did both. WHEW. My performance anxiety and stress was over the roof! I wasn’t having a good time at work either so you could just imagine what happened when I finished work and played these ranked games after an already stressful or frustrating day. No, I didn’t yell at everyone in my games but yes, burn out was my middle name. Even when I reached my ‘desired’ rank, the goal post always shifted further and further until I hit a ceiling. It was largely dissatisfying, as much as I was in denial about it most of the time.

Every day became a blur of monotony. Wake up, work, eat dinner, play ranked, sleep and repeat.

Competitive gaming should be about having fun while improving. If you’re feeling crap when you play, it’s probably time for a break. In that state, you’re not doing you or your teammates any favours. You’re more likely to play even worse too.

So, to anyone who needs to hear this, let this be a friendly reminder to take breaks from the world of competitive gaming!

A fresh perspective

Here are some thoughts on my most recent competitive break.
For this break, I spent time touching grass (like literally gardening), going out on the weekends instead, baking, exercising and basically anything but opening those two above mentioned games. I also dove into the amazing world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a game that I had wanted to play for a while but hadn’t made the time to.

And? It was a nice dose of fresh perspective. For the past month, my partner and I have been playing Clair Obscur together on the PS5 after work. It is an absolutely cinematic experience. But Elena, how do you play a single player game as a co-op, I hear you ask. It was strange at first when we were learning what each other’s play-styles were for a solo game, but we got into a rhythm and it was an engaging experience. I particularly liked being able to bond over all the details in real time together without worrying about spoiling the game, which could’ve happened if we both played the game separately. Also, depending on your play-styles, it’s nice having someone knock out the tough bosses while the other does all the chill stuff like taking care of the small fry (I’ll let you guess who did which 🤣).

It was just gratifying to focus on something else and even learn something new about each other (and ourselves) in the process.

After my break, I felt refreshed and had energy to spend on the other things going on in my life. My mood was better too, which translates to a better mindset and therefore better gaming performance. This isn’t my first time reaping the benefits either. We often get so caught up in the game/s that we forget to take a step back and check in with ourselves.

So if you’re a serial competitive grinder like me, I highly, HIGHLY recommend taking a break from time to time- like you would for work if you were experiencing fatigue or burn out. It can be a week, a month, a season of the ranked game. However long you want. It will do wonders for you.

The competitive online gaming world is amazing but it can be a very toxic and draining place. We have to do what we can to protect our inner peace, even if it means stepping away temporarily.

A 3-step process to plan your break

For anyone who’s taken a break before, whether it was accidental or imposed, you’re probably familiar with the FOMO from not playing for a while. Maybe you were sick, or life got in the way and when you come back, it feels like you’re washed and you’ve missed out on so much. We are creatures of habit, and the desire to stick with a comfortable routine is hard to disrupt. Don’t let that discourage you though. It takes time to kick a habit, and we’re not trying to stop competitive gaming forever (unless you want to).

If you’re like me, someone who enjoys structure or a plan and a good visual motivator as a reminder to stay on track, I’ve put together a little 3 step process for you below.

Step 1: Use a calendar app to identify your gaming sessions

You can use any calendar app you already have for personal use. No need to download or draw up anything fancy. For the duration of your break (if you don’t know how long that will be, you can start with a week), schedule in the gaming sessions you likely would have done and when. For example, if you work a day job, your gaming hours might be after dinner until bedtime, and perhaps a few hours on the weekend. It doesn’t need to be an exact science, but the closer it is, the more time you will need to make up for during your break.

Step 2: Pick some activities you would like to do on your break

I’ve included a list here to get you going, but by no means is it an exhaustive list. From my personal experience, aiming for a balance of all categories keeps the schedule fresh and exciting.

Something social:

• Catch up with old friends and go for a nice meal and movie
• Play a co-op game
• Host or attend a board games night

Something active:

• Go on a day or weekend trip
• Try a new sport
• Visit the local market

Something creative:

• Learn a new recipe
• Revisit or discover a new hobby
• Start a side project

Something relaxing:

• Play a farming game
• Bury your nose in a good book
• Catch up on TV shows or movies

There are plenty of things to do, and I’d love to hear what others recommend!

Step 3: Replace gaming sessions with activities

You guessed it. Substitute each gaming session on your calendar with the activities you selected in step 2. Now you have a whole break with different activities to do!

You can tweak the sessions as you go, and keep repeating these steps week by week. Alternatively you can use it if you’re trying to cut down gaming hours or want more balance in general. By adding these activities in, you’re more likely to hold yourself accountable to doing them than reverting to your usual gaming schedule. Especially if you’ve committed to plans with other people- it would be rude to flake, right?

If you’re still struggling

If the above doesn’t help, let me impart the words of wisdom I reserve just for me. And no, I won’t tell you to uninstall the game or anything drastic.

When times are tough, I simply remind myself:

“I can return to the competitive game at any time because the game itself isn’t going anywhere.

Just like my rank🤠.”

Look after yourself,

Elena