You may have seen the countless headlines of youngsters making millions playing games online through either winning tournaments or their streaming career – the whole concept of esports is still evolving and growing – from humble beginnings in the late 90s and early noughties with games such as Counter-Strike kicking things off to the full stadiums and global success that can be seen now, and if you are out of the loop may now be a perfect time to check out esports.
Around the world regular sports have been cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus but esports have been going on without much disruption – the ability to view and interact from the comfort of your own home, and even the ability to participate in the game in your own way at the same time is an opportunity that other sports don’t provide. With that there is also a wide variety of what’s available – from fast paced action in shooters to more controlled gameplay in MOBAs, there’s something for everyone regardless of tastes.
(Image from Mercedes)
For those looking to have a different experience, esport betting is now also bigger than ever. Although it faced a rocky beginning many of the bigger operators have begun to see the value in esports, these ones aren’t on gamstop so there is no restriction to access and with sometimes hundreds of games being played across different games every day there’s a huge opportunity with a very easy entry to learning the games.
Once the spread of the coronavirus slows and there’s some return to normalcy, there is the option for those looking to physically attend these events – each region holds their own leagues for their respective sports that tend to happen every weekend for most games, but there are also the larger events which take place in huge stadiums with tens of thousands in attendance – often taking place one or two times per year for each game, once fans are allowed back in attendance this option is exciting for fans who’d like something a little more traditional.
The world of esports is only going to grow – a new game has just entered the market already capturing hundreds of thousands of viewers on popular streaming service Twitch and with an increasing library of what’s available, there’s plenty to not only watch and enjoy, but to also play too as many of the options are free. Whilst being stuck at home during lockdown and with no other sports taking place, now is a perfect opportunity for those who haven’t checked out esports to see what the growing hype is all about – and if it’s something you may not fully understand there is a huge collection of streamers and content creators who explain everything that is happening in the easiest way possible – it may even ignite a new passion for many in a market that is still growing – one thing that is becoming clear however, gaming is certainly the future of sports and will only continue to grow much in the way it has been over the last decade.