PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC TRAN, Caption: Eric Tran (right) poses next to popular VALORANT streamer Aceu (left). The two met at Finalcon during a press event.
Tran plays e-sports competitvely, is lead to new career opportunities outside of gaming
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“Like most people, I got into gaming as a hobby,” says senior Eric Tran.
At the early age of 8, Tran was already playing video games. Quickly discovering his affinity for gaming, Tran decided to try his hand at competing professionally at 13 years old. Only a few years later, he was offered a tier 2 offer for Counter Strike in a Major League Gaming (MLG) Pro team. Unfortunately, he had to decline the offer due to his conflicting school schedule, but his experience in the professional gaming industry led to him discovering a different opportunity.
“I started building a passion for the business side behind [gaming] and the things it takes to be someone of that caliber,” says Tran.
Tran already had an interest in pursuing business as a career, and his professional gaming career had connected him to people behind the scenes of professional gaming. He met online alias NachoCustomz, who was an artist for several prominent players within the VALORANT community.
“I met them through a convention for a brand called Finalmouse,” says Tran.
Through this connection, Tran was introduced to an internship with Addice Inc., an esports gear manufacturer that worked alongside Nacho.
“I’ll be shadowing how it works logistically, doing some system analytics and view market trends,” says Tran
This opportunity was made possible by his exploration of professional esports, so he naturally had much appreciation towards the sport. In an attempt to let others experience the wonders of professional gaming, Tran helped co-found an esports club on campus during his junior year.
“We came in with the intention of making this club more than just a gaming club, and hopefully give more people the chance to compete, and experience firsthand what professional gaming is like,” says Tran.
Now in his senior year of high school and on track to graduate, Tran plans to attend Cal State Fullerton and start his internship with Addice, where he will develop essential skills to his potentially prominent future career in the gaming industry.
