Electronic Sports, commonly abbreviated as eSports, is a form of competition that utilizes video games. This type of competition falls under the umbrella of competitive gaming, which includes all types of video game tournaments. It is organized digital gaming that can be watched either live or over video-on-demand (VOD) services, and may feature professional players and teams or amateur players and teams.
Before the advent of online gaming, Esports was relegated to local tournaments at cyber cafes. This was largely due to the slow internet connections at the time. But with the advent of faster internet speeds and gaming consoles that allowed for multiple players over the internet (such as Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network), eSports began to take off.
As eSports has become popular, more competitive gaming leagues have been established and major tournaments are now held all over the world. The most popular games fall under the “MOBA” and “FPS” (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, and First Person Shooter) genres. The most popular examples in these genres include League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, Call of Duty and Counterstrike.
In terms of prize money, eSports is now one of the largest in the world. The prize pool for the 2019 Dota 2 world championship was over $34 million. Each year, more money is added to these prize pools and professional players can now make a decent living by competing in tournaments.
In addition to tournaments, some professional gaming leagues now broadcast streams of the matches taking place throughout the season, making it easy for fans to watch eSports at any time they want. Streaming services like Twitch also provide a popular way for people to watch eSports tournaments as they are happening.
The rise of eSports has been seen as positive as it has provided a platform for gamers to hone their skills and achieve acclaim, and the competitive environment also encourages people to become more involved in gaming. In addition, tournaments now act as a platform for discussion of the various gaming communities, leading to better dialogue and understanding.
