There’s a lot that’s moved online in recent years, from online shopping instead of visiting the grocery store, to virtual conferences and even attending college online. Yet, nothing is more popular currently than esports. What is eSports you ask? While there are many different definitions of eSports it is competitive gameplay in an organized format sich as a tournament or a league. The prize for such gaming is generally winning a championship title, and/or prize money.
The most popular forms of eSports include games like poker, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), First Person Shooter (FPS), fighting games, other card games, battle royales, and real time strategy games. These games are part of a niche industry that has exploded in popularity in recent years, in which such games are not only attracting younger demographics but a whole new and diverse audience from across the globe and with a genuine passion for gaming.
Below, we’ll take a look how eSports became so popular, what games are popular right now, and what the future of the eSports industry is looking like.
The initial rise of eSports
The growth of eSports has primarily been driven by advances in gaming technology such as improved connectivity, enhanced graphics and sound quality, and the ability for games to be more lifelike. In addition, aspects like the rise of competitive gaming, more and more platforms for streaming online, and the rise of global viewership have driven the growth of the industry.
However, it is important to note that eSports is not a new concept and has been around since the early 2000’s. Such initial events that helped with the growth of the industry have included The World Cyber Games, The Electronic World Sports Cup, and Major League Gaming, in which MLG is one of the most well-known hosts in eSports today.
eSports on a global scale
It has long been known that sports unites people from across the world. Whether it be a football match, cricket, or even an online poker tournament, it is people’s passion for competitive games and their loyalty to a team or player that unites people with seemingly nothing else in common.
Just like real world sports, eSPorts transcends geographical, political and social boundaries and unites people across the world with a common love and interest. In fact today, many eSports tournaments are held on an international scale, in which people can go head to head from different corners of the globe.
These games have created a universal language where eSports players bond in a specific environment where language, culture, and traditions blend together in a harmonious way that makes the industry too important.
What eSports trends are we seeing currently?
The eSports industry is constantly evolving as it grows alongside players, their evolving interests, and ultimately the technology it uses. Below are some of the top current trends we are seeing in the esports industry across 2024.
Government Investment – The popularity of eSports is unsurprisingly creating significant revenue, in which governments all over the world are showing support for the industry. In fact, the power of esports has become so extensive that even rigorous governments like China are now beginning to invest in eSports.
As of Spring 2023, two conservative countries- China and Russia made announcements that they were planning to get more involved in the support of esports, emphasizing just how much of an impact they are having on the globe.
Esports titles joining forces – Esports games are very competitive, in which each one has its own world with different schedules, teams, fanbases, teams, memes and many more aspects of esports life. However, eSports is a very niche part of the gaming market and in order to help it grow and become less niche, many esports providers are now creating sources of entertainment by joining forces.
Enhanced betting features – One of the largest factors of esports success has been better data availability. As technology becomes more advanced, we are better able to predict events that lead to esports success.
The future of eSports
The eSports industry is currently showing no signs of slowing down, in which there were a total of 495 million global fans as of 2020. This figure has just kept on growing, in which experts are predicting the industry will become more professionalized, as well as being a positive force for change in society, offering new opportunities for career development, education, and so much more.
Overall, there are many factors that have contributed to the success of eSports, in which today it is not only popular across the globe but has become an important part of our globally connected society and a key change maker in many different aspects of life. Who knew a gaming niche could change the world in such a profound way.
