Like all competitive activities, esports benefits from dedicated practice and skill refinement outside of actual gameplay. Now, a new platform aims to provide that focused training.

Gwoop, a company originating in Minnesota, is developing a suite of accessible, browser-based training resources designed to assist gamers in improving key abilities. These tools allow players to assess and enhance crucial statistics such as reaction time, mouse precision, and aiming accuracy, and then compare their performance against top competitors.

Currently available training exercises include:

• Reaction Training: This exercise tests your responsiveness. Players click as quickly as possible when the screen transitions from grey to orange. Faster reaction times, measured in milliseconds, indicate better performance. Increasing difficulty levels introduce additional colors to challenge players.
• Visual Speed: Targets appear sequentially across the screen. Players click each target as it appears, earning points for speed and accuracy. The goal is to click as many targets as possible before time expires.
• Keyboard Speed: This drill focuses on efficient keyboard usage, minimizing the time spent looking down and maximizing in-game awareness.

Mouse Control: Accurate mouse movement is essential for aiming. Gwoop’s mouse control exercise challenges players to guide a ball along a curved path. Successfully completing tracks without straying from the path earns points.

FPS Training Arena: Players navigate a 3D environment, identifying and clicking randomly appearing targets. Hitting the center of each target yields bonus points.

Performance data from each tool is compiled into an analytics dashboard, enabling players to monitor their progress over time. Individual skill leaderboards allow for comparisons with other players globally and within friend groups.

Gwoop intentionally utilizes simple graphics, even in its 3D exercises, to maximize accessibility. The developers aim to ensure compatibility with a wide range of hardware configurations, prioritizing functionality over visual fidelity. Co-founder Gavin Lee explained that their objective is to ensure the platform runs on any computer with internet access, regardless of its age or specifications. Even the 2D exercises offer options to further reduce graphical demands and enhance performance.

The browser-based design further contributes to accessibility by eliminating the need for downloads. This approach also simplifies maintenance for the Gwoop team, removing the complexities of supporting separate versions for different operating systems.

While the current exercises lean towards improving skills in first-person shooter games, the team intends to expand into other genres. Plans include a “MOBA Arena” designed to enhance skills for games like League of Legends or DOTA, and a training exercise specifically tailored for Rocket League. Currently, the tools primarily cater to keyboard and mouse users, but support for controllers is under development.

Gwoop is available to players at no cost. The company plans to generate revenue through two primary strategies: offering advanced analytics tools to esports teams and serving as a recruitment platform connecting players with sponsors and teams. Players will have the option to share their data with potential recruiters, with Gwoop facilitating the connection. Lee likened this approach to platforms used in traditional sports for film review and recruitment, aiming to establish Gwoop as the equivalent for esports.

The origin of the name “Gwoop” is surprisingly straightforward. It wasn’t derived from gaming slang or an acronym, but simply a memorable five-letter domain name that Lee had registered back in 2002 because it was available and easy to pronounce.

The timing of Gwoop’s launch is particularly opportune, coinciding with a surge in gaming participation due to current global circumstances. Popular Battle Royale titles like Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends are experiencing increased player bases, but achieving improvement can be challenging given the steep learning curves and the need for rapid adaptation. While many games offer practice ranges, they often lack the detailed metrics and long-term tracking provided by Gwoop.

The company is currently comprised of its three co-founders and is based in Minneapolis. It has been self-funded to date, but is currently seeking seed funding.

Gwoop is presently in a semi-closed beta, requiring an invitation to sign up. However, readers can use the code #TC2021# to bypass the signup process.