The Rise of eSports: Your Guide to Competitive Gaming

Playing video games has ceased to be just a pastime anymore. It has transformed into a legitimate profession that can provide you with international recognition and seven figure earnings. Welcome to the world of eSports!

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What is eSports?

ESports, or electronic sports refers to the world of competitive video gaming as viewed by spectators. Fans watch teams of video gamers compete against each other in a virtual environment in popular games like League of Legends, Call of Duty or Fortnite, to name a few, just as they would watch a physical sporting event, like a live basketball match at the court.

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With their growing popularity, eSports tournaments can now often be viewed at an organized arena event, or streamed online, and are followed by millions of people across the world. There were an estimated 215.2 million eSports viewers in the United States in 2020, a figure which is projected to rise to over 318 million by 2025. In fact, more people watched the 2016 world finals of the popular eSports game League of Legends (43 million viewers) than the NBA Finals Game 7 that year (31 million viewers). eSports is now a booming, international sensation that has entranced the major lot of the crowd.

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The History of eSports

The history of eSports dates back to the early 1970s when competitive video gaming began gaining traction. One of the first official video game competitions was held in 1972 at Stanford University, where students competed in the game "Spacewar." The concept of competitive gaming evolved through the 1980s with arcade games like “Space Invaders”, "Pac-Man" and "Donkey Kong" and exploded in popularity in the 1990s with the rise of LAN (Local Area Network) parties and multiplayer PC games such as "Doom" and "Quake". The “Quake Red Annihilation” competition is regarded as the first significant eSports event. The winner drove home a Ferrari, highlighting the growing stakes in the world of gaming.

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The 2000s proved to be a turning point with the advent of the internet, gaming PCs, games like "StarCraft" and "Counter-Strike," and the creation of Major League Gaming (MLG) in 2002, leading to organized leagues and global tournaments. This era also saw the rise of other leagues, such as the Electronic Sports League (ESL), further legitimizing eSports as a professional pursuit. The inception of Twitch in 2011 revolutionized eSports by providing a platform for gamers to stream their gameplay live and engage a global audience.

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Corporate sponsorships, eSports arenas, the rise of mobile gaming and now AR and VR technologies are poised to transform this industry, which now attracts millions of viewers and players worldwide, with professional leagues and teams competing in diverse game genres.

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Why is eSports so popular?

The eSports industry has been around since the 1990s, but it has recently gained a lot of momentum and popularity across the globe, and has exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry.

• The quality of video games has improved greatly over the years. Each new FIFA game has better graphics; the latest ones are almost life-like. The emergence of augmented reality and virtual reality has further elevated the gaming experience, allowing players to engage in hyper-realistic environments, blurring the lines between the virtual and physical worlds.

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• Moreover, the internet has undoubtedly revolutionized almost every domain, including the world of eSports. Enhanced connectivity allows the users to immerse themselves in a realistic game without interruption, making an already addictive activity even more absorbing.

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• Besides, gone are the days when you needed an extensive PC set-up to play or watch your favorite video games. The mobile revolution has allowed gamers or viewers to carry these games in their pockets and access them anywhere and everywhere.

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• And let’s not forget, gaming is an extremely social activity. Friends compete against one another and gamers engage with other gamers or fans, connecting people in never seen before ways. If you have ever been to a live basketball or soccer game, you know how electric the atmosphere there is. Live gaming events bring people from across the world together to enjoy an exhilarating experience.

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• The beauty of eSports lies in the fact that your height or your strength are inconsequential, for the most part, in your being able to compete. Factors such as gender, culture and location have a relatively insubstantial bearing in players’ participation, thus contributing to a wider and global fan base.

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eSports Jobs and Careers

eSports players generally engage in two activities:

1. Streaming: Some gamers livestream themselves on the internet while they play video games. ‘Streamers’ can add custom graphics to their stream or interact with viewers via a chat room, thus engaging with and entertaining them. ESports live streaming can be extremely profitable, and allows streamers to make money straight from their homes. Gaming influencer "PewDiePie'' is one of the most popular and highest earning YouTubers, with a net worth of around $45 million.
2. Pro gaming: Skilled eSports players who rise through the ranks can compete professionally in teams (Evil Geniuses, Fnatic) or play solo (1v1). Successful professionals can make six figures or more and also develop a huge fan base. Retired gamers can choose to stream themselves or coach eSports teams.

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Pro gaming teams compete against other teams in eSports leagues or tournaments, which host regular seasons, playoffs and world championships and offer enormous amounts in prize money. Leagues generate huge amounts from ticket sales as they are watched by tens of thousands of spectators in-person.

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However, making a career in eSports is not solely limited to being a pro gamer. There are plenty of other jobs in the market, some of which are:

• Esports coach - Guides, trains and mentors eSports players.
• Esports agent - Represents players and helps them secure team placements and sponsorship and partnership deals.
• Esports host or commentator - Provides live commentary and analysis during esports events and engages the audience.
• Esports referee - Oversees competitions and tournaments, ensuring rules are followed.
• Esports journalist - Covers esports trends and events.
• Esports marketing - Develops strategies to promote esports teams, tournaments, and brands, be it through content creation, social media marketing, influencer partnerships or more.

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The eSports industry is the highest employer by demand right now and traditional industries are finding ways to be involved with eSports, so now might be a great time to consider a career pathway in this flourishing industry.

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Why is eSports a viable career option?

Gaming, albeit an unconventional career option, may be emerging into a rather practical one, considering the accelerating emergence of eSports in the past few years.

The 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals had a prize pool of $30.4 million. The inaugural Esports World Cup that took place in Riyadh this year boasted a total prize pool of over $60 million. This prize money is split between the players on the winning team, in addition to their league salaries, which goes to show that pros can make BIG money competing in eSports tournaments. Players and teams also earn money from sponsorships, brand endorsements, merchandising and ticket sales.

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Other Benefits of eSports

While video games have always traditionally been viewed as “the villain”, they offer many of the same benefits that engaging in traditional sports would. Playing video games is shown to improve cognitive development such as better eye-to-hand coordination and superior memory. Video games also enhance multitasking, decision making and problem solving abilities, skills which are very important in everyday life as well. Pro gaming in teams teaches you the importance of leadership,  communication and teamwork, and strengthens social skills. Gamers get to play alongside each other and build connections and friends, building a sense of kinship and belonging.

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Gaming has its obvious advantages, and while you must keep in mind that it takes a great level of practice and dedication and years of preparation to rise through the ranks and be at the top of the sport, gaming can be far more than just a hobby.

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The eSports industry is estimated to reach a projected market volume of US$5.9 billion by 2029. This shows how lucrative a market it is, for players, brands, producers and everyone else involved. As gaming is integrating itself into popular culture, it will continue to grow and revolutionize the gaming and sports industry.