eSports – What They Are and Why People Love Them

For many years now, a lot of game lovers have turned to eSports, either because they wanted to become professional or just wanted something to keep them entertained. People who play professional eSports have a good chance of becoming known all around the world while being able to win good amounts of money by simply doing something they love. And because the game industry has so many amazing electronic sports games, it only makes sense that the eSports industry has grown considerably over the years.

But what exactly are eSports, and why do people love them so much? You will find out the answers in this article.

What Are eSports?

eSports are pretty much competitions for video games, just like there are sports competitions. To make this work, people have to play multiplayer video games, where they can interact with each other and go against each other in matches. Once live streaming became possible, eSport competitions became possible because a lot of developers knew the potential.

eSports come in multiple genres, and there are a lot of popular games at the moment. Some of the most loved ones include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League of Legends, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone.

The concept of eSports became familiar in 1991, with the release of the game Street Fighter II. This game allowed fans to play against each other in tournament-level competitions, and whoever was eliminated was losing the match, while the other was winning. Unlike nowadays, though, the best player was determined by score, as games highly relied on scores back then.

Once Street Fighter II was released, though, everything changed. It allowed people to challenge each other to ’’face-to-face” competitions, and the best player was determined depending on who managed to beat the other till they were left lifeless in the game. Thanks to games like this one and Marvel vs. Capcom, the professional eSport competition known as Evolution Championship Series was founded in 1996.

What grew the popularity of this concept was the fact that internet connectivity was more common after years passes, so more people were able to play the games. Especially those who had a PC had the opportunity to try new games. Furthermore, the fact that there were eSports events shown on television was another factor that led to the growth in popularity.

Why People Love eSports So Much?

There is one thing that fuels many gamers, and that thing is competition. Many players of popular games love competition, and they always strive to be the best. That’s what also led to eSports fans increasing in numbers and becoming pros in some cases.

Another reason why people love eSports is that it’s accessible. While traditional sports will require you to gather people from the same location, eSports only require a good internet connection and a good computer. If you have these, you can play at any time you want, without worrying that there is nobody to play with. You can play with random people as well. What’s even better is that you’re in the comfort of your own home, being able to eat and do anything of the sort whenever you wish.

How Do eSports Players Make Money?

It is something that many eSports newcomers are wondering – how are eSports players able to make money? Well, it’s not that hard. Just think about them being similar to sports players, who play in teams and win a certain amount of cash depending on the matches they win, and how big of a name they are in the industry.

Just like that, people who play eSports have the chance to become professional players, which allows them to participate in big events. Tournament participation will give them the chance to play against other teams and, if they are good enough to win, they will get their hands on the prize pools.

Aside from that, these people are sometimes supported by brands too.

At this moment, the eSports player with the highest income is Johan Sundstein. He had a total of $6.9 million in earnings as of August 2019. And to make things even better, that’s only the amount he made from winning in tournaments. It is an even bigger amount if you count his tutorial income, as well as his sponsorships and endorsements.

Who Are the Best Teams?

Every big eSports team is supported by an eSport organization that took an interest in the team and its success. But since there are so many teams in the world, it’s hard to tell who the very best one is. There are various teams for each eSports game, and they all perform differently, and not to mention, they don’t always have consistent success.

However, there are a few names that always stand out in rankings. These are OG, Fnatic, Team Liquid, Team Secret, Invictus Gamins, and Evil Geniuses.

How Can You Watch eSports?

Given the rise of eSports, you can watch the big tournaments streamed on big platforms, such as Twitch, YouTube of Mixer. The cool thing is that you can watch them on your computer, but also your smartphone. You can find specific channels that stream the bigger events, and you will have the chance to see the best teams.

Final Thoughts

eSports are expected to get even better in the years to come, especially since more people want to go pro and make an income from video games. There are a lot of tournaments, a lot of teams and a lot of players who work to make eSports even more popular and loved than they already are. If you are planning to get into eSports as well, succeed at a video game and get the support of an eSport association, we hope this little guide was able to give you some useful information.