Why Aren’t Esports Considered a Sport?

Why aren’t esports considered a sport? This is a question that has been asked time and time again, and it’s one that doesn’t have a clear answer. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the reasons why esports might not be considered a sport, and what that means for the future of the industry.

Introduction

In recent years, esports have grown in popularity and become more accepted in the mainstream. However, there is still some debate about whether or not esports can be considered a “real” sport. After all, athletes in traditional sports compete in physical activities that require skill, training, and stamina, while esports athletes compete in video games.

So, what makes a sport “real”? And could esports ever be considered a real sport?

There are a few different criteria that can be used to determine whether or not something is a sport. According to the International Olympic Committee, a sport must “be governed by a set of rules or laws” and “require physical ability and skill.” Based on these criteria, it’s easy to see why some people would say that esports don’t meet the definition of a sport.

However, it’s important to remember that the definition of a sport is always changing and evolving. For example, activities like cheerleading and skateboarding were once not considered sports, but now they are widely recognized as such. So, it’s possible that in the future, esports could also be considered a real sport.

What are Esports?

Esports, short for electronic sports, are organized competitions between professional gamers. The most popular games played in esports include first-person shooters (FPS), multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), and real-time strategy games. Games like Hearthstone, Dota 2, and League of Legends are some of the most well-known esports.

While many people consider gaming to be a hobby, there is a growing competitive scene around these games. Esports tournaments are regularly televised and attract massive audiences both in person and online. The prize pools for these tournaments can be exceedingly large, with some competitions offering millions of dollars in prize money.

So why don’t esports count as a sport? There is no one answer to this question. Some people argue that playing video games does not require the same level of physicality as traditional sports. Others say that the lack of regulation around esports makes it difficult to consider them a sport.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that esports are on the rise. With more and more people tuning in to watch competitive gaming, it seems only a matter of time before esports are considered a mainstream sport.

The History of Esports

The original esports were Maicon Santos “Maze” Ortega in 1998 playing Quake II for a Brazil team called “Frag eXecutors”, and Dennis Fong “Thresh” Fong playing Quake for the US team called “EXCEL”. These two players are considered the first professional gamers. Maze won a match against Thresh in a competition called “Red Annihilation” which had a prize of John Carmack’s Ferrari 328 GTS. This was the first instance of something resembling an esports tournament with a large prize and international recognition.

It wasn’t until 2000 that esports started to become more organized. The Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) was founded by Angel Munoz and Scott Owens. The CPL held its first event in New Orleans with a $15,000 prize pool for the game Quake III Arena. This event was important because it showed that there was interest in competitive gaming and that people were willing to pay to watch it. The CPL continued to run events for various games over the next few years including Unreal Tournament, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Counter-Strike.

The early 2000s also saw the rise of Major League Gaming (MLG). MLG was started by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso with the goal of turning esports into a legitimate sport with mass appeal. To do this, they organized tournaments across the United States for popular games such as Halo 2, Gears of War, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. They also created their own Pro Circuit with points and rankings to make it easy for spectators to follow along. MLG’s Pro Circuit events were some of the largest esports events at that time with prize pools of $10,000 or more.

While MLG was focused on console gaming, another organization called the World Cyber Games (WCG) was founded in 2001 to promote PC gaming globally. The WCG held annual tournaments with games like StarCraft: Brood War, Counter-Strike 1.6, Warcraft III: Frozen Throne, FIFA Soccer, and others. The WCG developed country-based teams which helped create national rivalries similar to traditional sports leagues. These teams would compete against each other at the annual WCG event to see who was the best in the world.

The early 2010s saw esports start to grow rapidly thanks to live streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming as well as improved internet speeds around the world. This allowed people to easily watch their favorite gamers play online without having to attend a live event. Tournaments began offering larger prize pools as more people watched them online and companies began sponsoring teams and players similar to traditional sports leagues. Today, there are multiple professional leagues for many different games with millions of dollars up for grabs each year.

The Growth of Esports

Over the past decade, esports have grown exponentially in popularity. What was once a niche pastime has morphed into a global industry, with professional leagues and tournaments watched by millions of people around the world.

Despite this growth, however, esports are still not considered a “real” sport by many people. This is largely due to the fact that they are played primarily on computers or consoles, rather than in physical arenas.

There are a number of other reasons why esports have struggled to be recognized as a sport, including the lack of standardization between different games and tournaments, and the fact that most players are amateurs.

However, there is no doubt that esports are becoming more and more popular, and it is only a matter of time before they are fully accepted as a legitimate form of competition.

Why Aren’t Esports Considered a Sport?

There are a few key reasons why esports are not considered a sport. Firstly, sports typically involve physical activity, while esports only require mental activity. Secondly, sports typically involve competition between two or more individuals or teams, while in esports the player competes against others in a virtual environment. Finally, sports are typically governed by an official body or organization, while esports are not.

Conclusion

In conclusion, esports are not currently considered a sport for a number of reasons. Firstly, there is no physical activity involved in playing. Secondly, there is no clear governing body that oversees esports competitions. Finally, esports lack the tradition and history that many other sports have. However, it is possible that in the future esports could be recognized as a sport, perhaps with the creation of a governing body and rules around physical activity.