Gaming is a huge part of current times. There are about 3 billion and more people in the whole world that play games. This means that gaming is an internationally popular market. Just like any profession or hobby, competitions work as a great event to showcase talent, skills and chance to be the one who wins it all. That is why Electronic Sports or Esports is a popular aspect around the globe. In this article, we will talk about the ever-growing craze of Electronic sports around the world.
What is Esports?
Esports can be described as a form of competition that focuses on video games. It is usually held in an organized way between professional individual players or teams over any multiplayer video games. It is an essential part of our gaming culture and community and has been this way for years. Competitions of such likes are a thing of past, present, and, by the looks of it, the future.
The earliest evidence of a video game competition dates back to 19th October 1972. It was a competition held at Stanford University for a game called Spacewar. Since then, the whole video game competitive scenario has evolved into a much more organized and global form. We now have better games, better management, better organizations, better teams, promising players, a larger sum of prize money, global coverage and much more.
The importance of Esports now
Gaming has always been looked at from the perspective of a hobby or a time killer. But it has grown to be more than just a mere hobby. It can now be a profession with a source of income and a passion for many. Nowadays, gamers can be divided into two main groups. One that just likes to play video games and the other that takes up playing games to be a streamer, video game content creator or a professional player. If you can play a game astonishingly well then why not try your luck at it professionally?
The Massive Craze of Esports
People around the globe are crazy about Esports and they have invested a lot of their time in it. Just like people like to watch a game of cricket or football and support their favourite teams, Esports is a similar thing but electronically. You can follow the games of your liking and support your favourite team or player in the competition. It has become a popular form of entertainment and a big market full of potential.
The craze of Esports has significantly grown in recent years and there are many reasons for its cause.
- Easy Accessibility
PC and Console gaming was the major part of Esports for a long time but with the more types of games released on mobile, it has attracted a wider scale of audience. A smartphone is a much more accessible form of platform for many users. With games like Clash Royale, Free Fire and PUBG Mobile, more people were exposed to the competitive Esports aspect of video gaming. Games like Free Fire and PUBG Mobile have single-handedly contributed to engaging a massive audience and market, from the Asia Pacific region, in the Esports industry.
- More Opportunities
Each day, we are seeing more and more local tournaments getting hosted. This is a great way to build great players by participating. Many companies have also taken interest in sponsoring several events to promote Esports like LG, ASUS, Red Bull, etc. Not just that, many tournaments and events across the nation, region and international-based are also a reason for the growth of Esports.
- Larger Prize Pool
Nowadays, gaming events often have great cash or equivalent prizes that attract a lot of attention from gamers. Competing for a handsome reward and wide exposure leads up to many opportunities like brand deals. All in all, Esports has become a well-established form of event throughout the years followed by massive promotions. The biggest prize pool in an Esports event is mostly conquered by Dota 2 with the highest being about $40 million in The International 2021.
From the Fans
Esports is not just about the money or brand deals. It is about watching your favourite players playing your favourite game and competing with others. It has as much tear and sweat involved as other popular sports and fewer injury risks. For example, the recent Major win for Team NAVI in CSGO Stockholm has been more than just a win. It is the first Major win for, arguably, the best CSGO player to ever touch the game, Oleksandr “S1MPLE” Kostyliev, after years of competing and losing. It might not be as widespread as Lionel Messi winning the Copa America with Argentina but is very important to the CSGO community, which has more than 20 million active users each month.
Similarly, there are various games, various teams and various things at stake. Every minute thing about Esports is what makes it thrilling and a popular event. Esports will keep growing rapidly in the upcoming future.
