In 2019, Benjy "benjyfishy" Fish and Martin "MrSavage" Foss Andersen became professional Fortnite players in a very short space of time with little knowledge about the esports industry; they had to learn fast and so did the people around them.

The attention from general media outlets, sponsors and fans continues to grow in a professional player’s career. The amount of work involved can often be too much for one person to manage therefore a support team is a key requirement.

This article is a copy of the chapter ‘Support team’ from the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage: The Unofficial Fortnite Esports Guide for Players and Parents, written by benjyfishy’s mother Anne Fish and me.

Key members of Martin's support team. From left to right: Teodor Thoresen Skarpaas (Channel Manager), Johnny (Business Manager), Martin, Peter Rudi Pettersen (Personal Manager). Photo credit Erik Hem, Twins Productions.

Parent support

The age range of players who start their professional Fortnite playing career is between thirteen and eighteen, with the majority being at the younger end of the scale. At that age players will probably not have a basic understanding of business and life skills, so it is important for parents, and a player’s extended family and friends, to be able to guide and support them.

Johnny: ‘As a parent, we advise you to learn a little about Fortnite, follow what tournaments are taking place, and if there are any LAN tournaments happening. This will give you a better understanding as to how to support your child. Whilst teenagers can be challenging at times try to work as a team with them on a common goal.

If players start earning money consistently, whether that is from placement in tournaments, streaming revenue, or YouTube, players in effect become self-employed and are running a business. There are requirements that come with that, for example getting accounts prepared, organising bank accounts, paying taxes, setting up a company (depending on individual circumstances) and taking legal advice on contracts if they are approached by an organisation or sponsors.

It is important to get professional advice from accountants and lawyers who have an understanding of esports, influencers and content creators, as there can be some unique challenges. For example with tax, there are different tax systems in different countries, therefore you should seek more specialist advice in the country you are based.’

Anne: ‘Benjy joined NRG in March 2019 after Martin had already signed for them in January of the same year. Shortly after this, Benjy and I went to Oslo in Norway to meet Martin and his family. It was very useful for us to be able to talk and share experiences about navigating the world of esports and professional gaming.

Admittedly, when I left Oslo, I felt even more overwhelmed by what Johnny had to say, than when I had arrived. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes of managing a professional player, but it was good to know that Benjy and I were not alone. It is one of the reasons why both Johnny and I want to help and advise parents who are new to esports as well as future esports professional players.’

Anne and Johnny at the players' lounge during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup finals in New York City. Photo credit MrSavage.

Managers

If the support tasks become too many, consider hiring a manager to help.

Johnny: ‘Initially I started out as Martin’s manager, but after just a few months we hired Peter Rudi Pettersen to help out part-time, which later evolved to a full-time position. I am still greatly involved in Martin’s team but more on the technical, legal and overall business side of things, while Peter handles day-to-day scheduling and activities with the esports organisation, social media, sponsorships, his agency and general media.’

Martin: ‘Having Peter as my personal manager saves me a lot of time and allows me to focus on what matters most to me, namely practice and tournaments. Peter acts as my single point of contact towards almost everything that goes on – and it is a lot! Peter is simply invaluable and I’m so glad that we have him on our core team.’

Anne: ‘I act as Benjy’s manager with help from his organisation and his agency in all the logistical and practical aspects of his career. I arrange all travel, accommodation and tournament schedules as well as external negotiations and legal matters.’

Johnny: 'Since 2019 the workload to manage Martin’s business has increased. Therefore in 2020 we hired Teodor Thoresen Skarpaas to help Peter out with social media tasks.’

LAWYERS

Before any contract is signed, it is in the best interest of players to consult with an esports lawyer. They can help, for example, to negotiate an esports organisation agreement on your behalf as well as checking out sponsorship contracts and assisting with any copyright issues and more.

Accountants

Benjy and Martin both have a Limited Liability Company (LLC) set up to protect their interests. Having an esports accountant who understands the intricacies of the different revenue streams, including how tax works with Epic Games’ prize money and the regulations within your specific country, is essential.

Tech advisers

Even though Benjy and Martin know a lot about Fortnite settings, they are not experts at configuring their PCs and hardware for their gameplay and streaming. Early in their career they relied on friends and family to help out with the technical side of gaming.

Anne: ’Benjy’s older brother Charles initially helped out with his PC set-up. Later Benjy chose to use Luke Davies from CLD Computers, a local computer shop, to assist him.’

Johnny: ‘I still take care of the tech support for Martin, but I lean heavily on Roberth “Fantonald” Hansen, a local PC and hardware specialist and Marc Serra, an IT infrastructure specialist out of Barcelona, Spain. Roberth’s young son Daniel “Cobra” Hansen does all the initial testing of Martin’s new PCs, making sure Fortnite always behaves as smoothly as possible.’

Influencer agencies

Managing the demands of the esports industry can be hard, even with the help of managers, lawyers and an organisation. As in traditional sports, an agent is someone who looks after a player or other talent’s best interests, whether that is securing sponsorship deals, handling their image or negotiating better organisation agreements for them.

An agent will represent a player, caster or other esports professional. They will aim to do whatever is in their clients’ best interests and will usually take a commission on deals and contracts secured.

Some agencies may also act as advisors, or personal assistants to their clients, managing their schedules, such as booking accommodation and travel for promotional activities. Others will handle a brand or individual’s image or arrange commercial partnerships on their behalf.

Johnny: ‘After the Fortnite World Cup in 2019 I realised that more help was needed for managing Martin’s career. After reviewing offers from several agencies, Cengiz Tüylü, the founder and former CEO of Germany’s most successful esports team 'mousesports', was hired and has proved a very close and valuable partner ever since. I’m proud to say that Cengiz has become a good friend of mine.’

Martin: ‘Cengiz seems to know everyone within esports, having been involved in esports since the early 2000s. I mean, with his team he won several world championships in different games! Being able to tap into his experience is simply amazing.’

Anne: ‘There was a lot of interest from agencies to sign Benjy but after careful consideration we chose to sign up with Loaded in January 2021.’

Benjy: ‘I was approached by several agencies looking to represent me but decided that Loaded was the best fit for my brand and aligned with my goals for the future.’

Cengiz (right) together with Ola "Element" Moum at ESL Katowice Major 2019. Ola is a Norwegian Counter-Strike Legend, member of the Esports Hall of Fame and a good friend of both Peter and Cengiz. Photo credit Peter Rudi Pettersen.

Organisation support

Some esports organisations can assist with a variety of services including:

Coaching
Bootcamps
Video editors
Peripherals
Sponsorship opportunities
Travel to LAN tournaments
Computer setup
Graphic designers
Content creation

Also note that the Coalition of Parents in Esports (COPE) offers mentoring and advice to parents, in addition to a wealth of information about esports (visit cope.gg to learn more).

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Interested in learning more about MrSavage but also his duo partner benjyfishy and how they built their career? Check out the book Build It Like benjyfishy & MrSavage with a wealth of useful information both for players and parents alike.

Esports player’s support team