eSports is the short form of “electronic sports” which is also called computer games. These are competitive multiplayer video game contests, especially between professionals and these eSports contests are streamed on entertainment platforms like twitch.tv.
Esports Industry Market Growth Trends
As video games that compete continue to be incorporated into the popular culture, investors from around the world, as well as brands and media outlets, are watching. People are also paying attention. In fact, there’ll in 2024 26.6 million monthly esports players in 2024, which is an increase of 11.4 percentage from 2024, as per our projections.
The popularity of the esports industry has fueled the growth of esports investments and revenues. Esports has reached heights due to the social aspect in live streams and games.
Gaming-specific streaming platforms for video games like Twitch or YouTube Gaming give fans a direct connection with the teams and players, whereas more mainstream social media have enabled these connections to grow. Certain esports teams, such as FaZe Clan, are also making a move into other industries like merchandise, which has given their brands greater fame than if they had remained in only esports.
The history of esports can be traced back to 1972 during Game one, which was developed by Stanford University students. The game was called “Space War” and was later changed to “Asteroids”.
Currently, esports is gaining momentum in some countries like the USA, China, the UK, Korea, etc. According to a research report published by Newzoo eSports market will grow up to $1.8 billion in 20120. Here are some interesting facts about eSports you should know:
1) According to the report published by SuperData, the total revenue of 2016 was $748.2 million and this is expected to grow up to more than $1 billion in 2024. The market is growing rapidly.
2) research conducted by Newzoo revealed that there were around 270 million people who watched eSports online and this in 2024
3) A survey conducted by Gamoloco analytics platform showed that League of Legends has the most number of viewership, with 11 billion minutes watched in 2024, followed by Starcraft II – 5 billion minutes watched, Dota 2 – 4.2 billion minutes watched, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – 804 million minutes watched.
Most popular eSport games
There are several genres of eSports games but among them, MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) and FPSs(first-person shooter) are popular ones. Among the MOBA games, Dota 2 is one of the most famous esports games played by professional gamers worldwide with multi-million dollar prize money for tournaments every year. It has a 5v5 gameplay where team players work together to achieve their objective against all odds. LCS Season 8 World Championship had a massive Prize pool of about 4 million dollars where teams from different countries like South Korea, China, North America, and Europe compete to win.
So let’s list some of the most popular esports games in 2024:
1. Dota 2
Dota 2 is one of the most played MOBA games which is free to play. Every year Dota 2 releases an update in the month of September called ‘Dueling fates’ where they add new heroes, items, and gameplay changes. The game has so many tournaments with multi-million dollar prize money every year, the International being one of them. Moreover, this game is very popular on betting & gambling platforms because it has a large number of players who go for high value bets.
2. League of Legends
One of the most played MOBA games with a huge fan base of about 115 million players every month. Riot Games host LCS (League Championship Series) in different regions around the world to find out the best League of legends teams who compete against each other for winning $1 million prize money in World Championships every year. This game also has a viewing platform where people can watch live matches on twitch.tv and youtube.
3. Starcraft
StarCraft 2 is one of the most famous RTS esport video games where professional gamers compete against each other in 1v1, 2v2 3v3, or 4v4 matches. There are so many tournaments with multi-million dollar prize money for this in South Korea like GSL, SSL, and ProLeague. In 2015 Blizzard released an expansion called Legacy of the Void where players have different units with unique abilities when compared to other races in StarCraft 2 . Starcraft 2 also has a viewing platform for streaming live matches on twitch.tv or youtube.
4. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
CS: GO is an FPS sports game where teams compete against each other to win by eliminating all their opponents or achieving specific objectives like planting/defusing bombs or rescuing hostages. It was first introduced as a mod for Half-life in 1999 but later became so popular that Valve Corporation, the developer of CS launched it as a standalone game which you can buy from the Steam store. The addition of skins and exclusive skins like the cs go vanguard case have ensured the longevity and cash flow in the game.
5. HearthStone
HearthStone is one of the most played digital card games where players build their own decks to compete against other opponents in matches. In 2016, Hearthstone had a massive player base of about 50 million monthly active users and that’s why it is also one of the most-watched sport .
It has been developed by Blizzard Entertainment which is a subsidiary of Activision-Blizzard Inc. This game has very interesting gameplay with different types of cards like spells, minions, and weapons which you can buy from the shop using in-game currency or real money. But this game has not yet started widely on betting platforms but will be one of the most played sports games in 2024.
Betting on eSports
It is getting popular among the betting community. Instead of betting on traditional sports, people are shifting towards eSports because of its huge player base and prize money. You don’t have to worry about the rules or understanding complex terminologies in eSports because it is much easier than traditional sports. Online betting websites help you in getting started by giving you bonuses when you sign up through your referral link.
