What Is Esports? The Definition and Meaning Explained

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.

What is esports?

Esports is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players. The most common video games in esports are multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), and battle royale games.

The definition of esports

Esports, also known as electronic sports, competitive (video) gaming, or pro gaming, is a form of sport competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players. Although organized online and offline competitions have long been a part of video game culture, these were largely between amateurs until the late 2000s when participation by professional gamers and spectatorship in these events saw a large surge in popularity. By the 2010s esports was a significant industry.

The history of esports

The history of esports is long and varied, with roots stretching back to the early days of video gaming. The term “esports” is relatively new, however, only coming into common usage in the last few years.

Esports can be traced back to the early days of video gaming competitions. One of the first recorded esports events was held in 1972 at Stanford University, where students competed in a Space Invaders tournament. This event is widely considered to be the beginning of competitive gaming.

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the rise of arcade gaming, with classic titles likePac-Man and Donkey Kongfuelling competitive tournaments. These tournaments attracted large crowds and became increasingly popular, leading to the formation of professional teams and leagues.

The 1990s saw the advent of home console gaming with the release of Sega’s Mega Drive (known as the Genesis in North America) and Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This new platform allowed gamers to compete against each other from their own homes, opening up a whole new world of competitive gaming.

The 1990s also saw the birth of some of today’s most popular esports games, including Street Fighter II, Quake, and DOOM. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a boom in esports popularity, with professional teams and leagues being formed all over the world.

Today, esports is a multi-billion dollar industry with professional teams playing games like League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Overwatch, Call of Duty, Halo, and many more. Esports events are now being held all over the world, attracting huge crowds and millions of dollars in prize money.

What are the most popular esports games?

Esports, or electronic sports, are organized video game competitions, usually between professional players. The most popular esports games are MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas), first-person shooters, and real-time strategy games. These are the most commonly played games in the esports world.

League of Legends

League of Legends (LOL) is a hugely popular 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. League of Legends is one of the most popular Internet games. According to Riot Games, it is played by 650 million people.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

CS:GO is a first-person shooter that was released in 2012 as the fourth game in the Counter-Strike series. It is a multiplayer game where teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists battle it out in different maps. The objective of the game is to either plant or defuse a bomb, or to rescue or take hostages.

CS:GO is one of the most popular esports games and has a large professional scene with many big tournaments. The biggest tournament of the year is the Major, which has a prize pool of over $1 million.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is a free-to-play online multiplayer game in the MOBA genre (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). Developed and published by Valve, Dota 2 was released in 2013. The game is a 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 five-player teams, with each team occupying and defending their own separate base on the map. Each of the ten players independently controls a powerful character, known as a “hero”, who all have unique abilities and different styles of play. During a match, players collect experience points and items for their heroes to successfully battle the opposing team’s heroes in player versus player combat. A team wins by being the first to destroy a large structure located in the opposing team’s base, called the “Ancient”.

Dota 2 has been praised for its graphics, gameplay, and focus on strategy. The game has also been criticized for its complexity and steep learning curve. However, despite these criticisms, Dota 2 remains one of the most popular games in the esports scene, with numerous tournaments being held each year with large prize pools.

Overwatch

Overwatch is a team-based shooter from Blizzard Entertainment. It is one of the most popular esports games. Players compete in six-person teams, using a variety of characters with unique abilities. The objective of the game is to capture and hold control points, or to escort a payload from one area to another.

Overwatch has been praised for its amazing graphics, engaging gameplay, and its diverse cast of characters. It has won several Game of the Year awards, and its popularity has only grown since its release in 2016.

Overwatch is played regularly in tournaments all over the world, with a large competitive scene. The game has a professional league, called the Overwatch League, which is highly successful and draws in large audiences.

How do people watch esports?

Twitch

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 spectators are mediated by human-computer interfaces. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although organized online and offline competitions have long been a part of video game culture, these were largely between amateurs until the late 2000s, when participation by professional gamers and spectatorship in these events saw a large surge in popularity. By the 2010s, esports was a significant factor in the video game industry, with many game developers actively designing and providing funding for tournaments and other events.

One of the most popular places to watch esports is on Twitch. Twitch is a live streaming platform that was originally designed for gamers to stream their gameplay to an audience. However, it has since evolved into so much more than that. With over 15 million active daily users, it’s now one of the most popular live streaming platforms period. And a big reason for that is because of its huge selection of esports content. You can find just about any professional gaming tournament being streamed on Twitch at any given time, as well as streams from individual professional gamers such as Ninja and summit1g.

YouTube

YouTube is the most popular video platform for esports with over 1.9 billion logged-in monthly users. Fans can watch live streams of their favorite tournaments, or catch up on highlights and replays of matches they missed.

ESPN

ESPN is a leading broadcaster of esports, with tournaments shown on its various channels including ESPN2 and ESPNU. It also has a dedicated esports website, which offers news, event coverage, player profiles, and more.

How do people bet on esports?

Esports betting has grown in popularity in recent years as more and more people have become interested in competitive gaming. You can bet on esports matches just like you would bet on traditional sports games. The most popular way to bet on esports is through online bookmakers.

Online sportsbooks

While some people may bet on esports through illegal bookies or at casinos, the majority of esports betting takes place online through legal and regulated sportsbooks. These sportsbooks offer a wide variety of betting options for esports matches, including moneyline bets, point spread bets, and prop bets.

Moneyline bets are the simplest type of bet, where you simply pick who you think will win the match. Point spread bets are a bit more complex, where the sportsbook will assign a point spread to each team based on their expected performance. The favored team will have to win by more than the assigned point spread for bettors to win their wagers, while the underdog team can lose by up to the point spread and still have bettors win their wagers. Prop bets are bets on specific events that may or may not happen during an esports match. For example, a prop bet might be whether or not a specific player will get a “double kill” in a particular game.

The legality of esports betting varies from country to country. In some countries, such as the United States, only certain types of bets are legal while other types are illegal. In other countries, such as most of Europe, all types of betting on all types of sporting events are legal. Before placing any bets on esports matches, be sure to check the laws in your jurisdiction to make sure you are complying with all applicable laws.

Fantasy esports

Fantasy esports betting is a lot like traditional fantasy sports betting, in that you’re essentially putting together a team of players and competing against other teams. The difference, of course, is that you’re betting on esports players instead of traditional sports athletes.

There are a few different ways to go about fantasy esports betting. One popular option is to bet on a specific event, such as the League of Legends World Championship or the Dota 2 International.

You can also bet on fantasy leagues, which are essentially like season-long bets on esports. These leagues typically last for a few months, and you can win or lose money based on how your team performs over the course of the league.

Finally, you can also bet on individual matches. This is pretty similar to event betting, but you’re just placing a bet on a single match instead of an entire event.

What is the future of esports?

The word “esports” conjures up different images for different people. For some, it calls to mind images of young people hunched over keyboards in darkened rooms, eyes glued to monitors as they click away at breakneck speeds. For others, it may bring to mind more traditional athletes, playing in sold-out arenas to massive audiences.

The growth of esports

The global esports market is still in its infancy but it is growing at an incredible rate. According to a report from Newzoo, the esports market is expected to generate $696 million in 2017, a year-on-year growth of 41.3%. This figure is expected to rise to $1.5 billion by 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5%.

The majority of this revenue will come from advertising and sponsorship, which are expected to generate $521 million and $266 million respectively in 2017. The remaining revenue will come from game publisher fees, merchandise, tickets and online streaming platforms like Twitch.

There are a number of factors driving this phenomenal growth. Firstly, the number of people watching esports is increasing at an unprecedented rate. According to Newzoo, there are already 385 million people globally who watch esports either occasionally or regularly. This figure is expected to rise to 589 million by 2020.

Secondly, the prize money on offer is increasing as more and more brands look to get involved in the space. The total prize money for esports tournaments was $112 million in 2016 and this is expected to rise to $455 million by 2020. The largest prize pool ever seen was for The International 7 DOTA 2 tournament which had a prize pool of over $24 million.

Finally, the amount of investment pouring into the space is also increasing rapidly. In 2016, VC firms invested $492 million into esports startups and this is expected to rise to $1.48 billion by 2020. Some of the most well-known investors include Accel Partners, Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital.

The Olympics

The Olympics is one of the biggest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, and it seems that esports could be on the cusp of becoming part of the games. In 2018, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized esports as a sport, and in 2019 they announced that esports would be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games.

This is a major step forward for the legitimization of esports, and many are hopeful that it will lead to esports being included in future Olympic Games. While nothing has been confirmed yet, it is certainly something that the IOC is considering, and with the immense popularity of esports, it seems like only a matter of time before we see competitive gaming at the Olympics.