The Rise of New Gen Sports: Esports

Esports - The future of entertainment

The world is in a technological era, and the internet is now the most important thing. Almost everything, from searching for information to building a massive platform, is done with the help of the Internet. The internet has become part and parcel of our day-to-day lives and is a platform for entertainment. There are different kinds of events growing with the help of the internet, and esports is now a vast entertainment platform with a huge fanbase. Esports are quite like traditional sports in that they have a daily competitive scene and can be played either individually or with a team. Though sports are played physically, esports are played online. Sports are usually broadcast on TV, whereas esports are streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, and sometimes Facebook.

What are esports?

Electronic sports, or esports, are competitive sports like traditional sports, attracting the younger generation. Esports are played using electronic devices like computers, mice, keyboards, consoles, and so on. The games are online video games that can be played solo or with a team. Teams must build their strategies and improve their skills and teamwork to play in tournaments and win over other teams. While sports are usually based on physical activities, esports challenge players mentally as they are played strategically. Players train themselves mentally to compete in esports. Esports are competitive, and many tournaments are hosted with massive prize money. The spread of esports is happening as it is streamed on various broadcasting media, which are easily accessible through the internet. Millions of people watch the tournament streams, attracting investors or franchises to take a shot at esports. As a result, esports is also experiencing economic growth, which has made it more acceptable to people who were not that fond of esports earlier. Now people accept it as a sport and a job to be done. Traditional sports players made much money through their occupation, but esports players did not. Nevertheless, nowadays, they also make a handsome amount of money by playing competitively, streaming, and endorsing them.

The audience of esports and their influence

There are different types of games: battleground, MOBA, FPS, story, arcade, racing, role-playing, and casual. Still, battleground, MOBA, and FPS games are usually played as esports, as these are strategic games, and all of these have millions of fans or viewers across Youtube and Twitch. Youtube and Twitch are the two biggest streaming platforms, and these two channels broadcast all the esports tournaments. The most exciting games with the most viewers are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Apex Legends, PUBG, Dota 2, and Fortnite. Several tournaments are held for these games internationally and regionally every year. The NA and EU regions are the most prominent in FPS games, whereas the JP and KR regions are well-known for their dominance in MOBA games. The people of the respective regions are usually attracted to the games their region has asserted dominance over. Still, they also enjoy other genres of games, and the count of these people or audiences is in the millions. As esports is only getting more popular and exciting every day, many esports franchises are rising with the help of international companies that invest in these franchises. As a result, esports is gaining international acceptance. A few years ago, esports did not have much acceptance. Thus, it did not have too many sponsors. All these investments, sponsorships, or economic growth of esports have only happened because of the popularity they gained amongst their audience. People from all regions can easily watch the tournament streams held in any region through YouTube and Twitch. As it is easily accessible, viewers are increasing daily, and so are investments. The audience has played a crucial role in building this vast platform. They have had an immense impact on esports.

The esports scene in South Asia

The scene in South Asia is also on the verge of growth. It has been a rollercoaster ride for the fans and the athletes, as the scene in South Asia has gone through many ups and downs. Esports have been here in this region for a long time, but around 2015–16, they saw a rising trend. Esports was not famous here, but some determined players played CS:GO then. In local competitions, India is the country that usually has the edge over other South Asian countries. Still, they were also the countries that brought the region to its knees. As CS:GO gained popularity and attracted talented players in India, a North American organization named Optic Gaming started its journey there. It gave a kickstart to the slowly growing scene in the SA region. Everyone got a new spirit to perform better on the international stage, so more international organizations became interested in this region. Sadly, a player from Optic Gaming India named Forsaken was caught cheating in a CS:GO tournament in Shanghai. As a result, Optic Gaming closed its operations in India, and the dream of the rise of esports was shattered.

Luckily, PUBG, a mobile-based battleground game, is popular in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and other Asian countries. PUBG brought international organizations back to India, like TSM, Galaxy Racers, Fnatic, and so on. Though these organizations only have teams in India, the spark has enlightened the whole SA region, and the competition is really good. After PUBG got banned in India, an FPS game called Valorant came onto the scene and gained popularity overnight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People were at home at that moment and played the game to enjoy their leisure time. This region is fighting neck-and-neck with the strong regions and has also created a great image on the international platform with its terrific performance. A unique thing about this region is the love that they shower on the athletes they cherish. This region is crazy about the teams and players they support, and this craziness is only helping the region grow in esports daily.

List of top esports teams and their income

• Team Liquid

  Total Earning: $39,911,614.57

  Total Tournaments: 2287

• OG

  Total Earning: $36,888,212.19

  Total Tournaments: 141

• Evil Geniuses

  Total Earning: $25,903,119.19

  Total Tournaments: 934

• Team Spirit

  Total Earning: $21,106,324.51

  Total Tournaments: 173

• Natus Vincere

  Total Earning: $18,768,493.52

  Total Tournaments: 642

• Virtus.pro

  Total Earning: $18,359,706.79

  Total Tournaments: 583

• Fnatic

  Total Earning: $18,213,955.15

  Total Tournaments: 1039

• Paris Saint-Germain Esports

  Total Earning: $17,674,964.55

  Total Tournaments: 308

• Team Secret

  Total Earning: $17,066,558.01

  Total Tournaments: 348

• Vici Gaming

  Total Earning: $15,731,970.21

  Total Tournaments: 308

Esports are proliferating worldwide.

Esports is a form of sport where players compete in video games. Esports have been around since the late 1990s, but “esports” is relatively new. Major esports tournaments were first held in the early 2010s, and the popularity of esports has been on the rise ever since. Though esports are comparably newer than traditional sports, they have already gained a large following. This is partly because esports is easily accessible—you only need a computer and an internet connection. With the help of the internet, esports has been able to reach a global audience. As a result, esports are proliferating, with more and more people tuning in to watch professional gamers compete.