How eSports Are Taking the Internet By Storm

Filled with fast-paced action, thrilling games and skilled gamers, eSports are quickly becoming a legitimate sport with a dedicated fanbase. These events are easily accessible, exciting and outright spectacular, and are leaving a significant and constantly growing impact on the entertainment industry. So, let's take a look at how eSports have managed to take the industry by storm and become a market of its own.

 

How eSports Change the Gaming Industry

eSports still has a unique position in the online world – it's already a worldwide sensation, but still has a low of time and space to grow into its potential.  It’s also clear that the rise of eSports will have a significant influence in shaping the landscape of the game industry over the next couple of years.

Competitive gaming has also already entered the sphere of another popular pastime – online betting. As players can now bet on eSports competitions, online casinos nowadays also have to keep up with the evolution of the entertainment industry. We can see them now introducing new offers and deals, like the option to test games out with free spins bonus without risking any of the player's money. This can be a win-win situation for both gamers and casino players, as websites will compete to bring in more valuable content to their customers. This is the perfect example of how the gaming industry is adapting to recent trends.

Biggest eSports Games

 

As eSports continue to grow in popularity year after year, new game contenders are coming out almost every week. That said, some games hold the mantle as the most popular and exciting eSports titles. Here are just five of them which are an infallible part of every eSports competition:

Dota 2

Dota is probably the first game that comes to mind when we think about eSports. It's considered as the pioneer game that set the standards for all MOBA games to come. Dota 2 has been the most popular eSports game for years and holds the first 5 places for largest overall prize pools in eSports tournaments.

Fortnite

Fortnite was the biggest hit of 2017, as it popularised the concept of battle royal games in eSports. This year will also see the Fortnite World Cup, possibly the biggest event in eSports history, with $100 million in total prizes.

League of Legends

League of Legends has been around for a decade, and is to this day one of the most played online games, with over 100 million active monthly users. Its also one of the most viewed eSports games, as last year’s League of Legends World Championship enjoyed more than 200 million concurrent viewers.

Counter-Strike

Speaking of veterans in the game industry, the first Counter-Strike game was introduced in 1999 and has been a player favourite ever since. Counter-Strike Global Offensive was released in 2012 and is one of the biggest headliners in every eSport tournament across the globe.

FIFA

FIFA is one of the most popular games to watch online, mainly because of its longevity and reputation as one of the best sports game franchises out there. Every new season, there’s a new version of FIFA and a number of reasons to be excited for.

Where Can you Watch eSports

Watching eSports is not a difficult task, and nowadays you can do it through a variety of entertainment platform and in a number of different ways.

 

  • Watch eSports online through a streaming service – This is the most convenient way of following eSports events, as you can do it through any entertainment device. Our picks for the two most popular platforms go to Twitch and Mixer. Of those two, Twitch is the more popular one and is the home of many popular streamers, and the go-to place for all fans of League of Legends, Fortnite and CS: GO.
  • Watch eSports on TV - Last year witnessed a landmark event for competitive gaming, as eSports games have aired on several popular TV stations. Looking into this year, this has become an occurring thing, as eSports are slowly seeing more airtime and fans can now watch popular eSports tournaments straight from their TV’s.
  • Watch eSports Live – eSports has grown immensely over the last couple of years, so much so, that players can now watch huge events in sold-out arenas. Avid eSports fans can watch their favourite tournaments live in some iconic buildings like the Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center.

What Lies in the Future for eSports?

It’s clear that eSports will only grow as time goes by, as game designers shift forward to this increasingly popular branch of the video game industry. Many factors will play into shaping the future of eSports, like the diversity of games, tournament expansions, and even traditional media. It’s tempting to think about how far this entertainment industry can go, and we’re just living in it.


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Last Updated: Apr 03, 2019

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