Mastercard has announced a new program today that will give 10 lucky gamers the opportunity of a lifetime, admission into the Mastercard Gamer Academy, to fast-track a career in esports.
The first-of-its-kind development program, the Mastercard Gamer Academy, is now open for admissions. The program is centred around granting those lucky enough to gain admission opportunities found nowhere else in the esports scene. This includes connections, mentorship and skill sets necessary to pursue esports as a career.
Mastercard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Raja Rajamannar, says, “As a global sponsor of some of the biggest, fastest-growing esports, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible passion gaming evokes among players and fans alike,” he goes further, “With the Mastercard Gamer Academy, we celebrate the incredible growth of esports—and we are proud to invest in gaming’s dynamic and diverse future” regarding the ambitious program. It’s worth mentioning that there are only ten slots open for admission, and there are no limitations on location, meaning anyone around the world can apply, provided they are over 21 years of age.
The Mastercard Gamer Academy is powered by the global esports organization G2 Esports, an organization with a massive foothold in the esports space featuring incredibly popular titles such as VALORANT, League of Legends and many others. General Manager of League of Legends at G2 Esports, Romain Bigeard, said, “The Academy is designed to cover all areas of esports to highlight different career paths in the industry,” adding, “Our goal is to create a clearer pathway to a career in esports, to inspire and motivate people looking to launch their career” on the goal of the Mastercard Gamer Academy.
While the Mastercard Gamer Academy is billed as an ‘academy,’ admission will function as a contest, and the terms and conditions state, “The Organizer will determine the review process and the judges that will assess the quality and merit of the received applications. They will review the content of each application to determine the suitability of the participants. The criteria for evaluation include factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, relevance to program goals and objectives, or any other relevant information provided in the applications,” and admission will be limited to 10 selections for the program.
How to Apply for the Mastercard Gamer Academy
First, aspiring applicants should head over to the official website to upload the information required by the program. This includes a Discord username, social media links, a Riot ID, and a Passport. Applicants will also need to provide an up to one-minute-long video introducing themselves, their experiences in esports thus far, notable accomplishments, and why the applicant is passionate about esports.
Further requirements are a commitment for applicants that accept admission to commit 1-2 hours per week during the 10-month Academy to complete the course material and commit to travelling in 2024 to Berlin from March 15 to March 17 and May 31 to June 2 to visit the G2 Esports headquarters in Berlin, as well as travel to VALORANT Champions in August and League of Legends World Championship in Oct/Nov.
Those that meet these hefty requirements are encouraged to apply from the official Mastercard Gamer Academy website to try their chances at this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
