Melanie Bracewell, a comedian and gamer, discusses her journey from casual hobbyist to being invited to a major Teamfight Tactics tournament in Las Vegas. The article highlights the transformation of esports into a lucrative profession, exemplified by Anathan “ana” Pham, who won $4.62 million at a Dota 2 tournament in Shanghai and earned about $8.33 million over six years before retiring at age 21. Esports president Darren Kwan notes that there are now approximately 300 million people globally with an interest in esports, and tournaments attract viewership numbers rivaling major traditional sports events, such as the League of Legends World Championship which peaked at more than 6.4 million viewers compared to the AFL grand final's 4.08 million TV audience.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Melanie Bracewell has a hidden talent.
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Bracewell → have → talent
At work, she’s a celebrated host and hilarious stand-up comic.
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she → ’ → work
At home, she’s a decorated gamer.
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she → ’ → home
“I really got into this game called TFT [Teamfight Tactics].
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I → get → game
At the beginning of this year, I reached Challenger, which means I’m top 100 in Oceania,” the Cheap Seats host says.
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host → reach → Oceania
“I go to PAX in Melbourne every year where they run casual competitions, but I don’t take it very casually …
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I → go → it
We’ve got a whole stash of medals now.”
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We → get → medals
She’s levelling up this year, having been invited to one of the world’s biggest TFT tournaments in Las Vegas.
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She → level → Vegas
“I’m so excited.
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I → ’m → ?
It’s this massive tournament that sells out in seconds, so it’s surreal that I’m going.
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I → ’ → seconds
I’ve never been to Vegas before, and it’s to go play video games.
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it → ’ → games
Bracewell loves video games, but they’re ultimately still just a hobby.
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they → love → games
For other Australians, though, gaming has become a full-time job – and a lucrative one at that.
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gaming → become → that
Anathan “ana” Pham, a Melburnian professional Dota 2 player, won $4.62 million in a 2019 Shanghai tournament, making him the fourth-highest earner on the Esports earnings leaderboard.
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him → win → leaderboard
After about six years of competitive playing, Pham had reportedly made roughly $8.33 million and retired by 2021.
uncertain
Pham → make → 2021
These wild trajectories aren’t surprising, says founding president of Esports Australia Darren Kwan.
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Kwan → say → Australia
As the competitive arm of video games, it’s on par with physical sports such as the FIFA World Cup.
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it → ’ → Cup
“Like other sports, there are referees, rules, a code of conduct,” Kwan says.
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Kwan → be → conduct
“That’s why we call it the sport of playing video games because there’s the recreation side and then there’s the sports structure.
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we → ’ → games
Today, Kwan says there are about 300 million people worldwide with an interest in Esports, from collegiate gameplay to professional tournaments.
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Kwan → say → tournaments
The number of fans who tune into tournaments rivals that of major traditional sports.
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who → tune → sports
For example, The League of Legends 2023 World Championship peaked at more than 6.4 million viewers.
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Championship → peak → viewers
Last year’s AFL grand final, by comparison, attracted a total national TV audience of 4.08 million.
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final → attract → million
Esports tournaments have gained significant lucrative backing, too.
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tournaments → gain → backing
They’re sponsored by an array of brands, from Red Bull and Coca-Cola to Louis Vuitton and Mercedes-Benz.
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They → sponsor → Vuitton
At this year’s Esports World Cup, prize pools ranged from $US500,000 to $US3 million.
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pools → range → million
Meanwhile, the prize pool at the Valorant Champions, set for Shanghai this month, is $US2.25 million.
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pool → set → Shanghai
So, how is it that playing video games – long considered a mere pastime – has transformed into such a popular and lucrative sport?
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transformed → play → sport
Given the current size of the video game industry, a competitive branch was inevitable.
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branch → give → industry
Kwan says that 98 per cent of Australian households contain some kind of gaming device.
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cent → say → device
Further, digital games development in Australia over the past decade increased by an average annual growth rate of 13.1 per cent.
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development → increase → cent
“Interest in gaming begins in the schoolyard …
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Interest → begin → schoolyard
But as generation after generation keep absorbing and getting involved in that culture, it’ll keep developing and will stand alongside those world sports,” Kwan says.
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Kwan → keep → sports
Esports is largely community-driven, with many games connecting players who share similar interests in leagues of various levels.
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who → drive → levels
“It’s very inclusive, and that inclusivity isn’t just about physical ability,” Kwan says.
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Kwan → ’ → ability
“It’s also economic participation – there’s less travel involved.
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It → ’ → ?
The power of the internet being so accessible for everyone, it puts people on a level global playing field.
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it → put → field
“It’s also super accessible when you think of geography, like people in Melbourne and Sydney can be playing together every night.
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people → ’ → Melbourne
So, you’re really interconnecting communities who otherwise, if in other sports, might not have been able to.”
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who → interconnect → sports
Australian Counter-Strike 2 player Vivienne Quach, known online as BiBiAhn, met most of her friends through Esports, including her partner, who she now lives with in Chicago.
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she → know → Chicago
…and 43 more, not listed.
The Aporia
