A couple of years ago, eSports took the world by storm. It quickly grew into a sport that many enjoyed both playing and watching. Today, the big tournaments attract crowds of thousands of people. Read more about the future of eSports right here.
Esports, also defined as “competitive video gaming”, has become, over the last years, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Many people do not consider it a sport yet, due to its technological format, which sets him apart from traditional sports where physical training and skills are often required.
There are many other people, though, the majority in fact, that consider it a new type of sport, deserving of tournaments, regulations, and professional gamers.
This industry is expected to reach a total of $ 1.5 billion in revenue by the end of 2023. In this article, we will explore some of the current trends in the esports field to attempt to make predictions about this rapidly evolving industry.
Followers and Practices
Esports has become extremely popular in the last few years, and now millions of viewers and followers worldwide are there to watch professional gamers compete in high-stakes tournaments and games. Only in 2022, there were 532 million esports viewers worldwide!
Of course, this number of followers created venues for different fan practices, including sport betting. As gamers are now recognised as esports athletes, they also show off their skills and therefore find a big following of people who are there to participate, even if just by watching the biggest and most important games of their careers.
Mobile Gaming
One of the main trends in the field of esports is the aspect of mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is one of the driving forces behind esports, where mobile devices are often used to power games and tournaments. Mobile gaming can reduce barriers and allow as many players and fans as possible to check events and similar venues of esports.
New Revenue Streams and Sponsors
Another exciting factor is the aspect of esports and sponsorship. Big company names such as Coca-Cola, Intel, and even Red Bull started approaching this field as one opportunity for investments and future profit. As the revenue in this industry has seen an impressive increase within the last year, it is only natural that this fact gained the attention of some of the main sponsors out there.
New Games and Tournaments
Only some know which are the primary and most popular games in the field of esports. These games include League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Fortnite, and many more.
New games are developing every year, and they, of course, attract new players and audiences of fans to the industry, even if distanced from the more traditional field of sports at this time. Esports are becoming their discipline, and fans know that.
As the world of esports evolves, so does the number of events connected to it, such as new interesting festivals, tournaments, and matches. Even people who are not skilled at the games enjoy watching matches and participating in the moment’s thrill.
Now that we have outlined some of the main trends in esports, we want to dive deeper into this field to find out more about its future and make some predictions on the most likely scenarios and the possible challenges that this field might face.
Continued Growth
The current state makes us think that the esports industry will experience a continued growth trajectory over the next five to ten years. Mane reliable sources, such as Newzoo’s Global Esports and Live Streaming Market Report, have predicted that the esports audience might already have passed half a billion in 2022 and is continuing to grow.
Of course, this does not mean that fans are less interested in traditional sports anymore. The gaming field is gaining popularity and has created a different type of practice, separate from individual and at-home gaming.
The esports field nurtures a sense of healthy competition. It promotes skills not traditionally connected to sports, such as strategic thinking and the ability to operate consoles and joysticks, as they are the only ones who can.
Professionalism and Regulations
As esports is relatively new, it is still somewhat unregulated, and many gamers and viewers recognise the lack of professional figures in the field. What should the role of professional players be? How much should they be paid, and how much are they being paid now?
Every new kind of industry faces these kinds of questions, as there is a need for regulations and frameworks once one sector starts to take off and gains money, investors, and a considerable following. It is already developing in the world of esports, and the future of this industry might need more explicit guidelines on a vast range of aspects and topics, such as wages, sponsors, venues, collaborations, and many more. The world’s best eSports players make quite a lot of money due to the popularity of these games. They are like any other sports stars.
Inclusivity and Entertainment
The world is changing, and the change is constant. But there are some key points and values that every generation or historical period encompasses, and our time can often be related to aspects of inclusivity and entertainment. More and more people value inclusivity from every possible point of view. The online format jumps over geographical borders, connecting players like never before.
Together with that, the unique technological advancements have created a reality where physical challenges are only peripherally crucial to the actual practice of esports, thanks to all the different kinds of games that gamers can try to succeed at.
With that, the field of esports is creating a different kind of entertainment, where people gather together to watch a game like we used to do in the past, for card games or sports of every sort. It is beautiful that the world is being implemented in the fields instead of giving up on old ones, like traditional sports, which have a substantial number of dedicated followers.
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