Ah, the good old days—remember huddling up with mates at the arcade or just lounging at home, controller in hand? Many of us used to (and still do) while away the hours with pals, co-workers, significant others, or even call girls sinking into classics like Mario Kart, Crash Bandicoot, Street Fighter, or Tekken.
The competitive edge is a huge draw in these video games, so it’s no wonder esports have come into their own. For years now, national and international tournaments have been organized, drawing hundreds, if not thousands, of players to single venues, spawning leagues and even world championships. Once a casual pastime, gaming has now gone pro.
In recent years, esports has seen an explosive surge in popularity, becoming a global phenomenon captivating fans, players, influencers, and businesses alike. These events pull in millions of viewers worldwide, giving rise to professional teams and becoming a hotbed for advertising and promotions, luring in major brands and companies like Skokka.
But What Exactly Are Esports?
Esports, short for electronic sports, are grand-scale video game competitions that take the global stage, attracting a truly international audience. Depending on the game and the setup, either teams or individual players vie for the win in organized contests, aiming to best their opponents in a series of matches.
The most popular games in the esports arena tend to require considerable skill, precision, coordination, and teamwork—think real-time strategy games, first-person shooters, and fighting games.
2024’s Heavy Hitters:
- League of Legends, often abbreviated to LoL, is a Massively Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy (MMORTS) game that has garnered a dedicated following globally, cutting across all age groups. It’s not uncommon to spot people dressing up as characters from the franchise at events like Halloween or Mardi Gras.
- Pokémon: A giant among franchises, it has branched out into TV shows, movies, and all sorts of merchandise. Its major competitions challenge the most adept trainers to put their teams to the test. Pokémon events are a hit with all age groups, offering the latest in-game updates and must-have plushies of your favourite pocket monsters.
Pokémon events are very popular, attracting audiences of all ages from all over the world. In addition, you can enjoy the newest additions to the game, buy promotional merchandise such as plushies of any of these curious creatures and protagonists. Some of them are as desirable as the most beautiful woman on the planet.
- Dota 2: This is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game where two teams of five square off in a three-lane map. With asymmetric multiplayer elements similar to LoL, the gameplay varies greatly from match to match, making each game a unique experience.
- Fortnite: It’s a video game, and it has a simple premise: At first, players land on an island and shoot at each other as the available territory gets smaller and smaller, until there is only one player left.
It is a third-person shooter, which has become popular in recent years and has become a global phenomenon. It has come to include in its open world platform major events such as concerts by renowned artists like Ariana Grande, Marshmallow or Travis Scott.
One of the peculiarities of this game compared to other shooters is that players can build structures to protect themselves from enemies or to reach high places.
- Call of Duty: Perhaps, for the seasoned gamers among us, this video game series is best known for having a few rounds with friends at a local cybercafé, having a few drinks and enjoying the company of a beautiful escort who advertises on portals such as skokka.com.au, as can be done in many other adult-oriented games like GTA.
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter game series that offers a variety of game modes. Players can select from an array of weapons and vehicles to combat their foes, with the objective being to defeat the opposing team.
A Bright Future Ahead:
The esports industry has witnessed an exponential and incredible surge in recent years. What once started as a hobby, with humble local LAN tournaments, has now transformed into a global phenomenon with millions of enthusiasts worldwide.
Competitions are now held everywhere, from North America to Asia, passing through Europe, the Middle East, and South Africa. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player in the esports landscape, with a clear aim to dominate the market.
To illustrate the scope and growth of this market, in 2018, esports generated $906 million according to a study conducted by professors at the European University, and it’s projected to reach $2 billion in 2023.
Major Esports Events:
Thanks to its remarkable growth and outlook, more and more events are being added to the calendar, attracting an increasing number of players, spectators, sponsors, as well as developers, creatives, and workers who create new games and put them to the test year after year.
- Fortnite World Cup 2024: This esports event has been eagerly anticipated for several consecutive years. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the Fortnite World Cup 2024 boasts a prize pool of $7.7 million, the largest prize ever for an esports event to date, and it’s grabbing a lot of attention. This tournament will be organized by the game’s developer, Epic Games.
- League of Legends World Championship: This is the biggest tournament for players of this classic game worldwide and has been organized by Riot Games since 2011. The Final will take place in London from November 2nd, featuring a new format and million-dollar prizes.
- The International, Dota 2 Competition: This is an annual championship for Dota 2 players and one of the biggest events scheduled for 2024. This edition will be held in Denmark. Will it surpass the $18,930,775 prize pool of the previous event?
A Growing and Expanding Sector. For anyone looking to dip their toes into the competitive gaming world, there are smaller esports-related events like regional leagues, university tournaments, and streaming events. These events also draw large audiences and help promote this style of play to a broader audience.
For all video game enthusiasts, esports offer a fantastic way to enjoy them. There are many ways to savor esports, whether it’s watching live championships, playing the games themselves, or supporting one of the numerous teams out there.