Esports games are Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), First Person Shooter (FPS), and real-time strategy (RTS). They are video games that are played in a professional manner by gamers who are signed to gaming organizations. These organizations hold tournaments in which teams of gamers compete against each other for prize money. The most popular esports games are Dota 2, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
A brief history of esports
The earliest known video game competition took place on 19 October 1972 at Stanford University for the game Spacewar. Stanford students were invited to an “Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics” whose grand prize was a year’s subscription for Rolling Stone magazine. Stan Francis, a graduate student at Stanford, won the tournament and received the subscription. The first organized esports league was Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), founded by American entrepreneur Megan Brown in 1997. Brown later established the World e-Sports Games (WESG) in 2016.
The rise of esports
The global esports market is forecast to generate revenue of $1.1 billion in 2019, an increase of 27.4% from 2018. The total global esports audience in 2019 is expected to reach 495.0 million people, up 7.5% from the previous year.
The popularity of esports has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, with the number of professional players and tournaments growing exponentially. This rise is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing accessibility of esports, the growth of online streaming platforms such as Twitch, and the vast amounts of prize money available to winners of major tournaments.
While the majority of esports audiences are still male (61%), there is a significant and growing number of female fans worldwide. In 2019, 39% of all esports viewers will be female, up from 34% in 2018.
The Asia-Pacific region is currently the largest market for esports, with China and South Korea being particularly active markets. North America is the second-largest region with a little over a quarter of all global Esports revenues. Europe is the third-largest region with 23% share
The top esports games
eSports are becoming increasingly popular, with games such as LoL, Dota 2 and CS:GO becoming some of the most watched events in the world. If you’re thinking of getting into the world of eSports, or are simply curious as to what games are played at the top level, then this article is for you. We’ll be taking a look at the top eSports games, as well as giving a brief overview of each one.
League of Legends
League of Legends is a five-versus-five, online battle arena video game based on the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne mod Defense of the Ancients. Designed by developer Riot Games, LoL was unofficially released in October 2009. The game is a free-to-play title supported by microtransactions. LoL is one of the most popular Internet games. According to Riot Games, it is played by 650 million people.
Weaker structures are destroyed, and victory conditions include either the destruction of the central structure—the “Nexus”—of the opposing team, or the forced surrender of an adequate number of enemy players. Each League of Legends match is discrete, with all champions starting off fairly weak but increase in strength by accumulating items and experience over the course of the game.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The game is the stand-alone sequel to the Defense of the Ancients (DotA) mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion pack, The Frozen Throne. Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams that consist of five players, with each player controlling a distinct character known as a “hero”. Heroes are capable of using abilities and items to help their team. Each match takes place on a unique map, which has its own objectives, terrain, and set of rules. Players are assigned to one of three lanes on the map: the top lane, middle lane, or bottom lane; and must work together with their team to accumulate experience points and gold to level up their heroes and make them more powerful.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a first-person shooter video game which is a part of the Counter-Strike series. It was released in 2012 for Windows, macOS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The game pits two teams against each other: the Terrorists and the Counter-Terrorists. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other while also completing separate objectives. The Terrorists, depending on the game mode, must either plant the bomb or defend the hostages, while the Counter-Terrorists must either prevent the bomb from being planted or rescue the hostages. There are nine game modes in total, all of which have different objectives and rules.
Overwatch
Overwatch is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released in May 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a roster of over 30 characters, each with their own unique abilities. Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time.
Hearthstone
Hearthstone, also known as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is a free-to-play, online collectible card video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Released in March 2014, Hearthstone builds upon the already existing lore of the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters and relics. It was first released for Microsoft Windows and macOS, with support for iOS and Android devices being added later. The game features turn-based matches between two opponents, using constructed decks of thirty cards along with a selected hero with a unique power. Players can choose from a number of game modes, with each offering a slightly different experience.
Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game based on the Warcraft universe. The style of the game is similar to other collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon Trading Card Game, but with a few unique twists. One of the most notable features of Hearthstone is that it is free-to-play; players can earn in-game rewards to unlock new cards and deck slots without having to pay real money.
The game has proved popular with both casual and competitive gamers, with tournaments being held all over the world. In 2015, Blizzard announced that they would be hosting the first ever Hearthstone World Championship, with a prize pool of $1 million.
The future of esports
The esports games that are played today are a far cry from the simple two-dimensional games of the past. These games are now multi-dimensional with some games having three different ways to play. This means that there are more opportunities for people to get involved in esports.
The growth of esports
The global esports market is expected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2019 to $1.8 billion by 2022, according to marketing research firm Newzoo. By 2021, the number of esports enthusiasts is expected to reach 286 million worldwide.
There are a number of factors driving the growth of esports, including the increasing popularity of streaming services like Twitch and YouTube, the growing popularity of competitive gaming, and the rise of mobile gaming.
As the esports market continues to grow, so too will the prize pools for competitive gaming tournaments. The 2018 League of Legends World Championship had a prize pool of $2.5 million, while the Dota 2 International 2019 had a prize pool of $34 million. This growth is expected to continue as more companies invest in the esports industry.
What are esports games?
There are a variety of different games that can be classified as esports, but some of the most popular ones include League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch. These games are typically played by professional gamers who compete in tournaments for cash prizes.
The challenges of esport
The future of esports is promising, with the industry having already achieved mainstream popularity and huge financial success. However, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed in order for the industry to continue growing.
Firstly, there is a lack of regulation and standardization in the esports industry. This makes it difficult for tournaments and leagues to be taken seriously by major investors and broadcasters. As a result, many esports events are not as well-organized or professionally run as traditional sports events.
Secondly, the vast majority of esports players are male, which alienates a large portion of the potential audience. This is slowly changing as more women are becoming involved in playing and commentating on esports, but there is still a long way to go.
Thirdly, esports face stiff competition from traditional sports when it comes to broadcast rights and sponsorship deals. This is because traditional sports have a much longer history and are better established in the mainstream consciousness.
Finally, there is always the risk that the popularity of esports could decline just as quickly as it rose. This could be due to a variety of factors such as changes in technology or taste, or simply because another entertainment form comes along that captures the public’s attention more effectively.
