What is Esports?

A beginner’s guide to understanding the world of eSports. Everything you need to know about professional gaming competitions, teams, and players.

What is Esports?

Esports is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the Esports system is mediated by human-computer interfaces. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.

A brief history of Esports

The term “esports” covers a wide range of video games, including first-person shooters (FPS), fighting, card games, and more. While esports have been around for decades, they’ve only recently begun to enter the mainstream.

The earliest known esports competition took place in 1972 at Stan Lane’s “Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics,” where students from Stanford University and MIT faced off in the game Spacewar. The event was covered by Rolling Stone magazine and was widely considered to be a success.

From there, esports began to grow in popularity, with more tournaments and competitions being held throughout the 1970s and 1980s. One of the most important moments in esports history came in 1980 with the launch of the U.S. National Video Game Team, which was created to compete in international tournaments.

Esports really began to take off in the 1990s with the emergence of online streaming services like Twitch and YouTube. This allowed gamers from all over the world to watch their favorite players and teams compete in real-time. The increase in online viewing led to a boom in professional esports organizations, with many of today’s biggest names being founded during this time period.

Today, esports is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Professional gamers can make a very good living by playing video games full-time, while large tournaments offer huge cash prizes up for grabs. The industry is only expected to continue growing in popularity in the years to come!

The rise of Esports

The world of competitive gaming, or esports, has been around for more than two decades but it has only recently begun to gain mainstream attention. The global esports economy is expected to grow to $696 million this year and $1.5 billion by 2020, according to a report by market intelligence firm Newzoo.

While the majority of esports fans are still male millennials between the ages of 21 and 35, the audience is quickly diversifying. More than half of all esports fans are now women, and the number of older fans is also on the rise.

With its growing popularity, esports is beginning to attract serious investment from traditional sports leagues, team owners, and sponsors. In September, Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, paid $20 million for a minority stake in an esports organization called Boston Uprising. Other NBA teams have followed suit, investing in or forming partnerships with professional gaming teams.

Major brands such as Coca-Cola, Intel, and Red Bull are also sponsoring esports events and teams as they look to reach a young, digital-native audience.

What are the most popular Esports games?

League of Legends

League of Legends is a five-player online battle arena video game based on the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients. Designed by developer Riot Games, LoL was unofficially released in October 2009. The game is a free-to-play title supported by microtransactions. LoL is one of the most popular Internet games. According to Riot Games, it is played by 650 million people.

League of Legends is one of the largest esport games in terms of prize money, with over $29 million awarded in 2017 alone. The game has also been featured at the World Cyber Games, with a prize pool of over $1 million in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, LoL was recognized as an official sport by the International e-Sports Federation (IeSF).

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

One of the most popular Esports games is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). It is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game and was released in 2012. It is played professionally by many, with tournaments being held all over the world. The game pits two teams against each other, with each team having to eliminate the other to win.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The game is the stand-alone sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), which was a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion pack, The Frozen Throne. Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams that consist of five players, with both teams occupying their own separate base on the map. Each of the ten players independently controls a powerful character, known as a “hero”, that all have unique abilities and differing styles of play. During a match, players collect experience points and items for their heroes in order to successfully battle the opposing team’s heroes who are trying to do the same to them. A team wins by being the first to either destroy the other team’s “Ancient”, an oversized structure located within their base, or by forcing the other team tto surrender.

Overwatch

Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, released in May 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a roster of over 20 characters, each with a unique style of play that is divided into three general roles that fit their purpose. Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time. Players gain cosmetic rewards that do not affect gameplay, such as character skins and victory poses, as they play the game. The game was initially launched with casual play, with a competitive ranked mode, various ‘arcade’ game modes, and a player-customizable server browser subsequently included following its release. Additionally, Blizzard has added new characters, maps, and game modes post-release love increasing the number of things to do in the game.

How do you get involved in Esports?

Esports is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games; the term is used to describe both the games themselves and the gaming industry. Professional gamers are usually sponsored by gaming companies, and teams compete for prizes worth millions of dollars. But how do you get involved in Esports?

Playing Esports games

Whether you want to be a professional player or just play for fun, there are plenty of options available. You can join an established team, start your own team, or play solo.

If you’re looking to join an established team, there are a few things you need to do. First, find a game that you’re good at and that you enjoy playing. Once you’ve found your game, research the teams that play it and see if any of them are looking for new members. If not, you can always start your own team!

If you’re planning on playing solo, that’s great too! You can still compete in tournaments and ladders and try to qualify for professional events. The most important thing is to have fun and keep getting better.

Streaming Esports games

If you’re interested in becoming an esports athlete, you first need to find a game that you’re good at and that you enjoy playing. Once you’ve done that, the next step is to start streaming your gameplay on a platform like Twitch or YouTube.

By streaming your gameplay, you’ll not only be able to build up a following of dedicated fans, but you’ll also be able to show off your skills to potential sponsors and teams. If you can build up a large enough following, you may even be able to make a living from streaming alone!

Of course, becoming a successful streamer takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and talent. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, it could pay off big time in the form of sponsorships, team contracts, and prize money.

Betting on Esports matches

Now that you know what Esports is, it’s time to get involved. You can do this in many ways, but one of the most popular is betting on matches. Like traditional sports, you can bet on who you think will win a particular match or tournament. You can also bet on other aspects of the game, such as how many kills a player will get or which team will get the first blood.

There are many different types of bets you can make, and you can even bet live on some matches as they are happening. To start betting on Esports, you will need to find a good betting site. Some sites only offer bets on certain games or events, so it’s important to find one that offers bets on the game or games you are interested in.

Once you have found a good betting site, you will need to create an account and deposit some money into it. Then you can start placing bets on the matches or tournaments you want to bet on. If you win your bet, you will get your winnings in real money which you can then withdraw from your account.

What is the future of Esports?

The esports industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing at a rapid pace. It is estimated that the industry will be worth $1.5 billion by 2020. The future of esports looks bright and there are many opportunities for growth. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that will contribute to the growth of esports.

The growth of Esports

The global pandemic has had a profound effect on the world of sports. With traditional live sporting events cancelled or postponed indefinitely, fans have turned to Esports as a source of entertainment. This shift has led to a significant increase in the popularity of Esports, with reports estimating that the global Esports audience will reach 495 million this year.

This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing availability of Esports content, the development of new platforms and tournaments, and the growing investment from traditional sports organizations.

As the Esports industry continues to evolve, there are a number of trends that are likely to shape its future. Here are three key trends to watch out for:

1. The Rise of Mobile gaming

Mobile gaming is becoming increasingly popular, with reports suggesting that it will account for almost half of all gaming revenues by 2025. This growth is being driven by the increasing availability of high-quality mobile games, the growth of 5G technology, and the rise of mobile esports.

2. The Growth of Hybrid Events

As traditional live sporting events remain on hold, we are likely to see more hybrid events taking place in the future. These events will combine live and online elements, giving fans a chance to watch their favorite players and teams compete in person and online.

3. The Rise of Non-Endemic Sponsorships

Esports is no longer just a niche market; it is now attracting interest from some of the world’s biggest brands. This is evident in the growing number of non-endemic sponsorships deals that have been signed in recent years. These deals are likely to continue as brands look to reach new audiences through esports.

The rise of Esports betting

The future of Esports betting is looking very bright. The industry is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to be worth billions of dollars in the next few years. There are already many websites and platforms that allow people to bet on Esports matches, and this is only going to increase in the future.

The popularity of Esports betting is due to the fact that it is a very exciting and fast-paced industry. There are many different games to bet on, and the matches are often very close. This makes it a very thrilling experience for many people.

There are also many different ways to bet on Esports matches. You can bet on who you think will win a particular match, or you can bet on other aspects such as how many kills there will be, or which team will get the first blood.

The future of Esports looks very bright, and it is only going to get more popular in the years to come.