Twitch streamer Baiano is transforming Brazil’s League of Legends scene

Gustavo “Baiano” Gomes is determined, as he puts it, to save the Brazilian League of Legends scene.

Gomes, one of Brazil’s biggest streamers has achieved a great deal in 2023. Gomes was the co-streamer who attracted the highest number of concurrent viewers during the Mid-Season Invitational 2023, peaking around 150.000. He also organized the fifth edition of his unofficial tournament, the CBOLÃO, during which he raised 200,000 Brazilian reais (around $39,000) to assist nongovernmental animal rescue organizations.

Gomes’ rise has been fast and his success paved by a unique trait. As Luís Santana, a Brazilian journalist who works for the website Mais Esports, puts it, Gomes differentiates from others due to his capacity to create shows that are informative yet playful. By doing so, he closes gaps that developer Riot Games can’t.

“Baiano is a phenomenon,” says Santana. “He is for League of LegendsWhat Gaules stands for Counter-Strike.”

Gomes is now looking to extend his reach by connecting Brazil and other countries. League of Legends communities. It depends on whether he is able to maintain a work-life harmony.

The world is yours from Bahia

Gomes’ success might be rare in Brazil, but his story began in a way that is unfortunately common in the country. Gomes was born and raised in Bom Jesus da Lapa. Internet access in his childhood years was rare. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statics, the average monthly income in his state, Bahia, is around 1,000 Brazilian reais — the equivalent of $200 USD.

Gomes came from a middle-class, lower-middle class family. Gaming was Gomes’ refuge when he felt the pressure of real life problems.

It was difficult to turn a hobby into a lucrative career. Being a professional League of Legends In the beginning of 2010, money in Brazil was a mere promise. Support and investment in Brazil were non-existent. Brazil has a large market for video games, but convincing his parents that he wanted to pursue a career as a gamer was difficult.

Gomes’ career suffered a number of setbacks after he decided to switch from broadcasting to online streaming. One of the biggest setbacks was when Facebook Gaming ended his contract after just one month. Believing he would have financial stability for a period because of the contract, Gomes rented a house with a couple of friends, paying six months of rent in advance with the first — and only — payment he received from Facebook. He then had to reduce his expenses. Gomes claims that he had barely enough money to buy food during this time.

He changed his life in 2020. Living in São Paulo, Gomes seized the opportunity to organize an unofficial tournament and broadcast it on his Twitch channel. The event, named CBOLÃO — a play on CBLoL (the Campeonato Brasileiro de League of Legends, Brazil’s League championships) — had no funding, and Gomes had low expectations. The event attracted more than one million viewers, with an average of 100,000 Twitch users, and raised 125,000 Brazilian Reais ($30,000 USD) for COVID-19. His initiative was acknowledged and supported by international names such as T1 CEO Joe Marsh and the European caster Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere. After years, success had finally hit Gomes’ door.

Save the Brazilian League of Legends Scene by understanding the culture

Now an established streamer, Gomes’ plan begins with finding formats for new shows and adapting them to the Brazilian audience. “The geniuses that appear in each ecosystem are those capable of adapting something to their community, to their region,” Gomes says.

Brazil is known for its more relaxed, casual approach when it comes to content creation. CBOLÃO portrays this spirit, putting skilled players together in competitive, high-level matches, while at the same time running a show full of memes and jokes.

Gomes says that the relationship between Brazilian viewers on-stream and celebrities is what encourages engagement. “In Brazil, you’re either a world champion or the public needs to sympathize with you,” he says.

Gomes shares his personal stories on his streams. The trajectory of Gomes’ life and all the experiences he had make him unique but at the same time relatable, since followers can easily find points of connection. “Sometimes I share with my chat that I’ve been in a famous bar in a certain city and they say, ‘I can’t believe Baiano has been here,’” Gomes says.

He has produced shows like Depois do CrimeThe show is a space where Brazilian players can talk about the sport and themselves. It’s a way for players and fans to communicate. In the show, the players are able to discuss their views on CBLoL, the season they’re in, and their favorite teams. They can also tease each other. Gomes, by creating spaces such as this for players and audience to communicate with each other, strengthens bonds between Brazilians.

Gomes’ playful content has been extended to include other forms of media. The 2022 Olympics will be held in the League of Legends World Championship, where the Brazilian team Loud was going to play, Gomes started a campaign called “#RobsDay,” referring to the inconsistent play of a competitor named Robo, as a way for the public to support the team. What he didn’t imagine was that viewers would pile on his joke, turning the hashtag into a mini phenomenon. #RobsDay reached out to organizations in other areas, such as Cloud9.

Push and Pull

Gomes struggles with finding a work-life balance despite being successful.

Because a streamer’s success is usually built around their personal image, taking time out to rest and not harm their monthly income can be almost impossible. Gomes’ health issues — from anxiety to ongoing complications from a tumor — have meant he’s needed to take some time off, though. Gomes created Ilha das Lendas, an ex-professional group of players that participates in Gomes’ shows and comments on both national and international issues. LoL matches.

“Creating a project like the Ilha das Lendas is way more difficult than being a streamer because I need to teach everything I know to all these people,” says Gomes. Gomes says that he can find the balance if he has a team.

Gomes can also spend more time on other ideas. For example, he wants to work on a project that has international connections. “My idea is not to draw viewers from other countries, but to engage with influential figures from these other countries that can connect with the Brazilian community,” says Gomes. He believes in unifying global League of LegendsThe community is not only possible, it must be the future.

Gomes is excited when he talks about his future plans for Brazil. Gomes says that, although he may slow down the pace of things in time, he is too busy with his plans for him to be concerned about it.

“I always keep in mind that it’s thanks to my viewers that I was capable of buying a new house for my parents,” he says.