Work structures our daily experiences across all spheres of life, including what we do outside of work. But our theories of work have largely sidestepped a deeper probe into the significance of leisure. This dissertation explores the process and consequences of turning leisure into labor. At the intersection of sport, technology, and entertainment, esports has created a market for professional gamers— those who make a living playing video games. My qualitative study draws on interviews with 75 esports professionals alongside digital ethnographic practices. Video gaming begins as a hobby, a self-driven pursuit undertaken purely for fun. Competitive gamers who take their play seriously find themselves not just playing but training with purpose and discipline. Professional gaming is more than a job; it is an immersive lifestyle that demands arduous work in exchange for fun. But in in getting paid to play, professional gamers enter an uncertain, unstable, short-lived career, with long demanding hours, limited future prospects, and sometimes little to no pay. In the end, some gamers choose to stay, some leave, while others push past the fun. The professionalization and commodification of professional gaming offers a unique take on the boundaries of work, and the meaning and value of our time, effort, skills, and selves. This dissertation presents two papers tracing the career arc of a professional gamer: becoming, being, and retiring. In the first paper I ask: what are the structures and practices of creating and sustaining consent to work? I examine consent through two perspectives: consent at work—high effort and productivity— and consent to work—opting into and staying committed to work itself. The second paper investigates how people balance their intrinsic motivations to work—passion, fulfillment, excitement—with the constraints of work—routine, obligations, necessity— and how this negotiation shapes their career paths. / 2026-05-21T00:00:00Z