A TRANSIÇÃO DE CARREIRA PARA O UNIVERSO GAMER: características e desafios

Abstract

This article aims to explore the career transition to the gaming universe, identifying characteristics and challenges faced by professionals. In a context of exponential growth in the digital games and e-sports industry, the gaming career, previously seen as entertainment, has come to be recognized as a potential profession. The study uses the concept of protean career as a theoretical framework, characterized by individual autonomy, self-management, flexibility, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment and psychological success. The methodology adopted a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, based on semi-structured interviews with eight professionals working in the e-sports and digital content creation scene. Among the main challenges to professionalization in Brazil, the following stand out: lack of family support, social prejudice that still associates games only with leisure, inaccessibility and high cost of equipment, initial financial instability, and psychological pressure for results. It is concluded that a career in the gaming universe is an emerging profession, aligned with the protean model, which requires discipline and adaptability. Despite structural and cultural challenges, the sector shows continuous growth and a promising future in the country.