Why gaming and esports talent management is still growing up in 2024

Talent management in gaming and esports has become a big business, yet it remains a veritable Wild West, with bad actors and conflicts of interest galore. Veterans of the space believe it still has a long way to go if it wants to become truly equitable for all involved.

Like many businesses in the space, gaming and esports talent managers flourished following the COVID-19-sparked boom in gaming activity in 2021 and 2022. This year, however, some brands’ gaming budgets have returned to pre-COVID levels, forcing talent managers to pivot to keep up, whether by helping their creators build independent businesses or by focusing on more lucrative individual deals with non-endemic brands.

To better understand how talent management in gaming and esports is shaping up in 2024, Digiday spoke to eight talent managers representing a range of companies across the industry. Here are some of the challenges they are facing — and how they hope to overcome them.

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