You might be reading this as an ‘80s kid that remembers the days of the Street Fighter tournaments at the local rental store or you might be someone younger looking to cash in on your gaming hours.
Either way, you might be surprised to learn that eSports has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Tournaments take place all over the world in big conference halls and giant stages and are watched by millions on the internet.
Colleges now have eSports teams and even offer scholarships to young players seeking a higher education. New video games are constantly being released, but there is already a diverse catalog made up of different genres that make it easy for anybody to become an eSports fan or even an eSports player.
In a world connected by the internet, eSports have never been more easily accessible.
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What Makes eSports Different from Online Gaming?
You might already play video games, but does that make you an eSport athlete? It could.
If you’re somebody who wants to do more than play leisure games with your friends on the weekends, and you think you’re good enough to play against some of the best players of the game, then maybe becoming a professional eSports player is in your best interest.
It’s a goal that might not as out of reach as you might think. Going professional means you’ll need to attend tournaments with prizes that drive competition and attract the best of the best to compete.
You may even need a team to help you get to the top of the tournament leaderboards. Grab some friends who are ready to make the leap to professional gaming like you or connect with people online who have the same ambitions as you.
eSports can be tough competitions where everybody wants the grand prize, but if you’re ready to face the challenge, then eSports is your chance to prove how good you are.
Are eSports Growing?
If you love gaming, and you haven’t heard about the growth of eSports, you might want to climb out from under the rock you’ve been hiding under. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be boon for eSports as viewership grew exponentially during the pandemic.
People turned to YouTube and Twitch to cure their boredom and found eSports tournaments. eSports are even showing up in between other sports programming on TV channels like ESPN.
Before the NBA Finals, an NBA 2K tournament was broadcast, and when auto racing was canceled during the pandemic, iRacing took its TV slot.
eSports are expected to grow 6% between now and 2025, and just like any other sport, eSports have found a place in the gambling world with people placing bets on who they think will win a big tournament.
What New Games Are Being Added to eSports?
New video games are released every day, and every one of them has the potential to become worthy of an eSports audience. Most recently, Halo Infinite took the gaming world by storm and quickly became a competitive eSport for players looking to take up a new first-person shooter.
If those kinds of games aren’t in your wheelhouse, then maybe you’d like to watch or play Diablocial, a role-playing game that has an eSports following. Even a video card game like Gwent: The Witcher Card Game has tournaments that attract players and fans alike.
NASCAR has even started looking for games to make a partnership with to have eSports tournaments sponsored by the American motorsport. All a game needs to become a potential eSports competitor is a good fan base and a group of players who really want to compete against each other.
As The eSports Industry Grows, What Job Opportunities Are Opening?
eSports aren’t just great for players, but they also contribute to the workforce. Tournaments need enthusiastic hosts to keep viewers entertained and engaged with the gameplay. eSports teams hire coaches to train them and analyze potential game plans.
Event organizers are needed to set up the tournaments and keep them organized. Social media managers spread the word about the event and promote the players competing. Agents for eSports teams usually show up to get new clients and manage their competitions or set them up with a better team.
eSports isn’t just an opportunity for players and fans; it’s an industry of its own.
Does The Competitive Nature of eSports Force Gaming Evolution?
Competition is what drives eSports. Players come together from all over the world for grand prizes but also for the bragging rights to prove that they are the best of the best.
Video game developers have also taken notice of how popular eSports have become and now incorporate eSports in their game development. Game franchises that once focused on quick fun now have rank systems for players to create competitive teams that mirror those seen in eSports tournaments.
Some developers have even gone so far as to market their games as made specifically for eSports competition. Focus on competition and professional team-making has become a norm in the gaming industry since eSports became popular.
Final Thoughts
eSports are a new form of competition, but they are already a giant empire. As long as players continue to compete against each other, eSports will always be around.
I hope you now have a better understanding of how fast eSports are growing and how they are evolving. Do you have thoughts about the growth and evolution of eSports? I’d love to read them in the comments!
