The creator of the biggest unofficial League of Legends tournament in Brazil, and one of the biggest streamers in Brazil, is ready for more.
Gustavo “Baiano” Gomes is determined, as he puts it, to save the Brazilian League of Legends scene.
One of the biggest streamers in Brazil, Gomes has accomplished a lot in 2023. He was the most watched co-streamer of the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational, with a peak of around 150,000 concurrent viewers. 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 Legends what Gaules is for Counter-Strike.”
With a loud and wholesome laugh and the charm of a person with dreams, Gomes now aims to expand his work by connecting Brazil with other League of Legends communities. That is, if he can find a decent work-life balance.From Bahia to the world
Gomes’ success might be rare in Brazil, but his story began in a way that is unfortunately common in the country. Born in Bom Jesus da Lapa, he grew up mostly in places where access to the internet was a luxury. 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 grew up in a lower-middle-class family. Health problems in his family led to debts that caused a lot of pressure; gaming was his refuge from real-life problems.
Transforming a passion into a profitable career was a challenge. As a professional League of Legends player in Brazil, where support and investments were close to nonexistent in the early 2010s, money was only a promise. Although Brazil is a big market when it comes to game sales, convincing his parents to let him follow a career in the gaming industry was not easy.
When Gomes pivoted his career to streaming, he also faced setbacks. The biggest one was seeing his one-year contract with Facebook Gaming terminated by the company after only 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.
