Just two years after first playing online action game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, he's playing it professionally and will compete in an international tournament in Toronto this week.

"It is a dream come true," he said.

"I just get to travel around America with friends and then play in the competition and then come home."

Mr Nong's journey unexpectedly began off the back of an injury.

The 22-year-old began playing the multiplayer first-person shooter video game in 2014 after injuring himself at the gym.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the latest in the franchise that launched 12 years ago. Teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists battle to either bomb people and take hostages or prevent the acts of terror.

It didn't take long for Mr Nong to fall in love with the game and commit about five hours a day honing his skills.

About a month ago, eSports organisation Winterfox also picked up on Mr Nong's talent and contracted him along with two other Australians and two New Zealanders to compete in events in North America and Europe.

They will form one of 16 teams that will compete for $100,000 at the 2016 Northern Arena Counter-Strike: Global Offensive championships this week - all while being paid.

Mr Nong expects a few thousand spectators and some tough competition over the four days of the tournament, but he won't let the nerves get the better of him.

"I'm feeling pretty confident, but it is one of our first tournaments together as a team so we'll see how we go," he said.

"To succeed you need good awareness of yourself, awareness of how people react to certain situations and it can come down to a psychological game as well because you have to understand how people think and use that against them."

While admitting the experience is mostly about having fun, Mr Nong hopes it will help with his future career too.

While he's deferred his commerce and event and tourism management double degree, he hopes this experience will take him a step closer to working in the entertainment and eSports industry.

So does he ever worry he'll get sick of playing Counter-Strike?

"No, it's just too much fun and everyone is in love with it," he said.

"My ultimate goal is to be the number one player. To be the best is the dream of everyone."