Cash for kills: why are people paying for coaches to get better at video games?

A thriving new industry, matching people with pro gamers who advise and counsel, has exploded during the pandemic

Eighteen months ago, Fabio Dores was making good money as a drag queen. Performing under the name Felicity Suxwell, he had a club residency and worked hen nights throughout the UK, attracting enough bookings to quit his day job at a lettings agency. Then lockdown came and everything shut down.

Bored at home, he was browsing Facebook and spotted an advertisement for LegionFarm, an online video-game coaching platform that offered to match pro gamers with clients looking to improve their abilities. As a skilled player of battle royale hit Apex Legends, he applied to become a coach. Four months later, he's in the site's top 20 pros, making $3,500 a month from around 80 hours of coaching to supplement his re-emerging drag career.