On November 20, 2021, Free Fire — an Esports game, won the title of Esports Mobile Game of the Year. Free Fire had 5.4 million viewership, higher than the popular League Of Legends, 4million viewership.
Technologically advanced innovations fuel these games, and the innovations have influenced many industries, from online sports betting to casino games, bringing about games like poker, baccarat, and blackjack online.
Video gaming has come a long way since the 1990s Super Mario we all played, introducing tech innovations like mobile gaming, VR and AR technologies, cloud gaming, and many more. It is safe to say the gaming industry has improved significantly since its inception.
One of the major improvements witnessed so far is the introduction of Esports. Esports has gained millions of viewers since it was introduced in 1972. Statistics by Insider Intelligence have estimated that Esports would have 29.6 million monthly viewers in 2022, an 11.5% increase from 2021.
What is Esports?
Electronic Sports, popularly known as Esports, is a competitive sports gaming platform that allows players to compete against each other, usually with monetary prizes for the champions.
Esports transforms online gaming and video gaming into spectator sports. Just as you would enjoy a football match at the stadium, spectators and viewers of Esports games also enjoy watching their players compete against each other.
This gaming innovation creates an organized platform where players can compete against each other, with interesting additional features like live matches and the inclusion of many audiences and spectators, which evokes the feeling of being in a real stadium.
Important Facts About Esports
Esports has gained popularity in the video gaming industry in the past decade due to its unrivalled features. Here are some important information you should know about the gaming platform.
1. Who Can Use Esports?
The competitive gaming platform is open to all gamers and viewers. Since it’s a kind of spectator sport, fans spend an average of 100 minutes streaming and watching it.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also declared that Esport gaming could be considered a sporting activity, and it has been scheduled to feature in the 2022 Asian Games.
This worldwide recognition has opened the platform to professional players, gamers, and spectators.
2. Esports Professional Players Get Paid
As with players in sports, Esports players also get paid. Although, only professional players are paid.
Esports pro-gamers earn within the range of $12,000 to $60,000 annually. This depends on the teams’ success at tournaments. If the teams win championships, they could even be paid much more.
The tournaments they compete in determine the amount of money a professional gamer earns. The gamers also earn prizes from winning tournaments.
In 2021, the championship prize pool for Dota 2 was $34 million. In 2022, Dota 2 gave out a prize pool of $47.73 million. As a professional gamer, you can make money from playing in more tournaments and winning championships. Already, professional Esports players are recognized in the US.
3. Millions of People Stream and Watch Esports
Statista estimates that there will be almost 300 million frequent Esports viewers worldwide, a notable increase from the 58million viewers in 2012.
This stat shows that Esports can be considered a sport and might even be as competitive as the actual sports. As of now, League Of Legends is the most-watched and streamed Esports worldwide. However, sports-related games like FIFA and Madden are on video-gaming streaming platforms.
4. How Does Esports Work?
Unlike video games where players play against non-human characters known as bots, Esports creates avenues for players to compete against themselves.
The competitive video gaming platform includes multiplayer battle arenas, first-person shooters, and strategy-based games. This means that teams could compete against each other, individuals could play against each other, and strategy games could be played on the platform.
5. How Much Does Esports Generate?
Esports has generated millions as revenue in the past decade than it ever has since its introduction into the gaming world.
In 2022, its global gaming revenue will be over $1billion, and online streaming platforms like Twitch have contributed to its revenue. In 2020, Twitch’s revenue was estimated to be 2.3 billion dollars. Now that Esports is to debut in the 2022 Asian Games, a spike in the annual revenue is likely.
Final Notes
Competitive video gaming is fast growing in the gaming industry because of its many advantages and opportunities for players and viewers.
Esports’ competitive nature has appealed to gaming enthusiasts and spectators. Soon enough, it might be the most-watched game worldwide.
