In today’s discussion, I would like to talk about eSports. Short for electronic sports, this is an industry that has slowly become a billion dollars industry. eSports is going forward with a momentum that makes all the other industries jealous. Why is that you ask?

It is because, in eSports, all the renowned players are worshiped like a celebrity, tournaments all over the world are getting massive traffic. And also, the sponsors are putting a significant amount of money into the ecosystem due to its overwhelming popularity.

But before we dive into why eSports is the future of gaming and sports, let us take a look at what it actually is. So, without any further ado, let us dive right in.

What is eSports?

eSports is literally the short form of electronic sports. That means it a sum of video games that can be played competitively. You can play eSports as a team or also as a PVP individual competition.

The idea of competitive gaming has existed ever since the first development of video games was started. The biggest difference between traditional sports and eSports is that it’s subjected to massive changes with every patch update.

That is why competitive players of eSports always have to be on their toes to keep up with the changes and perform at their maximum potential.

How eSports was first started

The first idea of an event dedicated to eSports was back in late 1971. The University of Stamford held the event for their students. In this event students from all disciplines got the opportunity to compete in a battle in a space war game. The winner got a whopping one-year subscription to the rolling stones magazine as the prize.

As the first eSports event, it was just a start to something new in the world of gaming. The momentum this event provided kickstarted the first official competitive gaming event in 1980.

Start of eSports events

In the first eSports event, the number of participants was greater than 10,000. And this unexpected traffic in the eSports event caught everyone’s eye throughout the world. Even though the media was not as fast and effective as it is today, it did not take much time to share the news. Everyone in the media, game development and other industry organizations started to realize the true potential of eSports. And from that, the world of competitive gaming was never the same again.  

The following year, there was another epic competitive gaming event on Twin Galaxies. The Walter day organization created the event for everyone to join. They kept the high score of the players from all over the world. This started a rumble, and everyone competed against each other to hold the title of the top 5 scorekeepers on twin galaxies.

And the craze of this game made its way onto all popular television broadcasting. Many live shows were invited to host the game of Twin Galaxies, where people went head-to-head with each other to get the highest score.

Now let us look at some of the top eSports that are taking the industry to a whole new level. The games described below are building blocks of this ever-growing industry that is slowly becoming the future of sports.

The story of CS:GO in eSports

CS:GO eSports Tournament

If you are looking for a reason why eSports is the future of the gaming industry, then the first game you should know about is CS:GO.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive is famously known as the game that never dies, and for good reasons. In order to grasp what CS:GO is, what it was back in the days, and what it will be in the future, we need to look back in time.

It all started back in the year 1999, with the original Counter Strike game. It was first started as an experiment of some college kids. By mid-2000’s it turned into one of the first global eSports that had no likely competitors.

Even though there was another international eSports during that time, the Counter Strike went truly global. That means instead of only a few countries or a specific region, the whole world dived into this competitive game.

They won the heart of the players due to its strategic gameplay and fast-paced action. But on the other hand, the gameplay was so simple that a 8-year-old will be able to understand the game mechanics.

In 2001, the debut event of Counter Strike offered a prize money of 150,000 US dollars. By this time, various well-established teams started recruiting pro players to compete and shape the FPS industry.

From CS to CS:GO

With the start of CS:GO, it became a generational battleground for the next big eSports team. The team Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) brought the best of the best into this game and slowly started to gain popularity. They took the CS:GO scene by a storm which led to some of the biggest sponsors investing in the eSports industry.

Within years, this became a billion-dollar battle royal that turned franchising into a reality. CS:GO started being a game that something no one can ever forget. And no matter who they are, where they are, and what other games they play, people showed up to see the CS:GO event in full joy. Up to this day, the game still holds the title of the most played FPS game in the world.

Fortnite

Fortnite is another blooming battle royale game in the eSports industry that is slowly becoming the top battle royale game loved by millions of players.

It is a cooperative action-building game, where you craft, scavenge, and build giant forts to protect yourself from the enemy shooting. From my perspective, this is one of the best battle royale, building, and shooting games that offer an RNG loot system.

The early access to this game started back in July 2017. The genre of battle royal boosted with the rise of PUBG. But Fortnite took this genre to a whole new level. The game stands out from any other battle royal with its vibrant graphics and unique building design.

In the game of Fortnite; you will join in a lobby with 99 other gamers from all over the world, and jump into an island. Your goal is to be the last one standing on this map to hold the trophy of victory.

To keep the game from getting dull and boring, there will be a circle that will force players to get closer to each other as time goes by. Unlike any other battle royale game, Fortnite only offers you 5 inventory slots. As a result, you will have to put your wit to the test about choosing what weapons you would like to work with.

Each fight you take with another player is sure to offer chaos, fast pace, and excitement. Every fight you take with your enemy not only tests your shooting skills but also puts your building skills to the test. That’s why Fortnite is slowly becoming an eSports force to be reckoned with.

League of Legends

If you are a fan of MOBA, you must have heard about League of Legends. And even if you are not, the chances of you encountering someone who is addicted to this game are extremely high.

This amazing game offers a competitive style of gaming that makes you play with 4 other teammates on a mission to destroy the enemy Nexus. The idea of the game is quite straightforward; but how to get to the enemy Nexus is not that simple.

To start things off, you will have to choose one of the champions from a list of over 150 options. All the champions in the game have their unique abilities, stats, passives, and 4 different spells. They also have their own unique personalities.

League of Legends offers you a chance to play according to any playstyle you prefer. You can play as a ranged marksman who can attack you from a distance and carry the team in the late game. Some are early brawlers, who like to get on your face and dish massive amount of damage. Regardless of the type of playstyle you have, the league of legends always has something to offer.

The game is also one of the most played eSports of all time. League of Legends also gained plenty of awards for its contribution to the eSports industry.

League of Legends currently has millions of players and billions of dollars in revenue. Currently, the game has the largest eSports community in the world. Every region holds its championships with the top teams in each region. Millions of fans from all over the world come to see their favorite teams and players in highly skilled eSports championships.

The Impact of Twitch on eSports

Although esports made its mark on the world of TV broadcasting before the 21st century, there were massive limitations. Due to these limitations, the whole world could never get a chance to be part of this amazing world of competitive gaming. This is exactly where twitch streaming came into play.

Twitch was invented and effectively been used as the go-to streaming solution for people all over the world. This platform helped people spectate and enjoy the rush of competitive gaming on a personal level. Twitch was responsible for taking eSports to a height that nothing else could. It all started when twitch first came out in 2011.

Mane popular games like CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota, Fortnite were easily available within everyone’s eyes with the rise of Twitch.  As a result, gamers got a new source of income and could start investing their time in games with even more confidence; instead of coin-flipping their future on the professional gaming career, they can casually sit back at their home, play games, and earn their living.

Final thoughts

eSports has come a long way from its beginning. The eSports industry is breaking the barrier of traditional thinking; and slowly being recognized as a real sport by people all over the world. Professional players of esports are being recognized just as much as professional athletes.

Some professional eSports players are part of an organization or team. They spend their time training in a training facility. Some of them are even spending more than 12 hours a day training to stay at their peak performance.

eSports has an ever-growing design and generating a massive amount of revenue. So, it is without a doubt the future of gaming or even sports in general.  

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Ahmed Al Farabi

An electrical engineer and an SEO content writer with a passion for technology, gaming, and Article writing.

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