Think esports pros aren't athletes? A look inside the intense lifestyle of Team Liquid

Unlike other athletes who can walk away from booing crowds, gamers spend so much of their lives online in matches, practices and livestreams. The exposure to criticism is nearly constant and they can fall into a common trap, scrolling past compliments but lingering over nasty comments. — Photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash

Lunch is served in the team dining room, the chef preparing chicken piccata and fresh greens, but there isn't much time to eat.

Players finish quickly and head for the opposite end of their training facility, past a glass-walled office where coaches pour over game data, past a lobby filled with gleaming trophies. They file into a darkened meeting room to watch film, then commence with practice.