A Closer Look at Careers In Esports: Matt Potthoff on What it’s Like to Be a General Manager at eUnited
“A successful general manager finds balance between being a friend and a boss. You have to know what version to bring out depending on the circumstance. It’s extremely important to work with your coaches, and trust their vision for the team.”
Level Up is a series of interviews with esports professionals, coaches, and individuals playing their part in innovating the competitive gaming scene. Follow their story and advice as we shed light on their journey.
Within the last few years, the esports industry has experienced an increasing amount of support and growth. The gaming community spreads worldwide, with countries like South Korea and China are investing heavily in the development of professional gaming and infrastructure. While most entertainment industries have remained relatively quiet during the COVID-19 pandemic, the esports industry has seen a rise in user activity despite the lack of in-person event revenue; a result of the industry’s skillful transition into online experiences like easily accessible twitch streams or online tournaments.
While many people may know about the large amounts of money professional gamers make through tournaments, sponsorships and streaming, many are probably not aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Like traditional sports, every organization requires a team of talented individuals to help manage and organize the team; especially more important with today’s situation. This comes to show the various career paths that exist within esports. Days are gone where you could only survive in esports if you were in the top 0.001 percent of players in the world. Jobs within the esports industry range from social media manager to business development executives.
This week, the team at Insights.gg had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Matt Pothoff, the current General Manager at eUnited, and to learn more about what a general manager does for an esports organization as well as hear about Matt’s success story and his advice for those aspiring to work in esports.
Q: How would you describe your current position?
I’m Matt Pothoff and I currently serve as eUnited’s General Manager. I really enjoy my job, working with players and helping them grow is something I’m very passionate about. Outside of assisting players at eUnited, I handle our day to day operations, player recruitment, and look over eUnited’s coaching department.
Q: Can you give us a brief intro on eUnited?
We started in 2016, both of eUnited’s owners loved sports and saw an opportunity within esports. We have invested in plenty of games, but are most notable for our World Championship wins in Smite and Call of Duty. The 3 core principles that make up eUnited is focused on community, content, and championships. We value our fans deeply and enjoy bringing them memories that they can cherish for a lifetime.
Q: What inspired you to enter the esports industry? What were you doing before?
I always wanted to be a professional gamer growing up, I attended local LANs in St. Louis and all throughout the midwest for Halo and CoD. I decided to focus on my education first, then pursue professional gaming. After winning the MW3 FFA Championship in 2011, I started to take the team aspect more seriously and traveled to numerous events. Which then led to me signing my first professional contract with Curse (now Liquid) and competing for 15 other esport organizations including eUnited. Bottom line, I have been in this industry for more than a decade. I wouldn’t want to do anything else and I wouldn’t go back and change a single part of my past.
Q: What is one of the biggest difficulties of being a General Manager (GM) for an esports organization?
The most difficult part of being a GM is seeing players not acknowledge the hard work that is done behind the scenes for them. Some players see the extra work that is put in by management to make them better individuals, and some don’t. Finding that balance to connect with different personalities while separating the friend and professional aspect is where the challenge lies. I also have a big heart and connect with a lot of these players since I was in their shoes, it’s difficult letting players go and being the one to deliver bad news, but ultimately someone has to do it.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a successful general manager?
A successful general manager finds balance between being a friend and a boss. You have to know what version to bring out depending on the circumstance. It’s extremely important to work with your coaches, and trust their vision for the team. I work outside of our coaching department by identifying new talent and then we discuss internally about players and how different personalities or play styles could strengthen our current team. It’s extremely important to work with your coaches and not against. I am also not a numbers general manager. In my opinion, statistics don’t show the entire picture. I like bringing my gut instinct from a decade worth of team scenarios to help me make impactful decisions for eUnited.
Q: What would you say your greatest strengths are and what is your proudest moment/achievements?
My greatest strengths are my gut instinct. I am not a numbers guy, I like to visualize in my head what adding and subtracting a player can do to impact the trajectory of the team. Going through countless situations in my head while gathering key information from players and my gut helps me make decisions that propel eUnited forward. My proudest achievement is winning Call of Duty playoffs and Champs in 2019. It was a very special experience for me, I always wanted to win one as a player, but found winning through managing 5 of the best players in the world was even sweeter. My other great achievement as a player was never giving up, and always giving my best regardless of the circumstance I was put in. This led me to qualify for the professional league multiple times and have a 3-year span as a professional player in Call of Duty.
Q: What advice do you have for those who want to enter the Esports Industry for a management position?
Be prepared to work long nights, don’t complain when more work is handed your way, and be cautious of your surroundings to blend in any environment. Gathering information is key to becoming a successful general manager. Additionally, never burn bridges with a player or another co-worker, you never know when a player might come back to compete for your organization.
Q: With Valorant growing in popularity, is eUnited looking to enter the Valorant scene? What should we keep an eye out for next with eUnited?
Valorant is a very interesting title, we definitely have had our eye on the game, along with other esports titles. I’m eager to see the game continue to grow. From watching so far, you are seeing a lot of unknown talent taking it to the likes of some of the best former Counter Strike players in the world. That gets me excited because I love working with hungry players with something to prove. As an organization, eUnited is always looking to expand. We really enjoy diving into games where a clear revenue path is present and a partnership is available between the developer and organization. Having that extra bit of communication and attention to detail from both parties goes a long way.
To learn more about Matt Pothoff and the great things he’s doing at eUnited, be sure to follow them on Twitter.
To keep up with our coverage of individuals in esports like Matt, and to see how Insights is connecting with these individuals, follow us on Twitter or visit our website, Insights.gg.
