How has Professional eSports Changed in the Last Few Years?

A few years ago, no one would have believed there would be much profit in playing video games. Yet, time has changed. The technological progress, streaming platforms, and the diversity of gaming options have attracted millions of people around the globe. Now, gaming is not just a hobby. It's a market, and people are lining up to invest in it.

Indeed, the more people have come to eSports, the more money poured into it. Professional gamers gather large online and live audiences, broadcast their matches in real-time, and compete for immense prize pools.

What Is eSports?

So, eSports share many similarities with traditional sports. The main difference is the realm where all games and competitions are conducted. Here, everything happens in the digital world. Gamers play computer games, compete in tournaments, participate in professional games, and win real-life prizes.

However, people not only choose to play eSports but to watch other gamers. Professional games and competitions are broadcasted live. Hence, it is all just like in traditional athletic competitions.

Professional gamers are true stars in their fields and draw the attention of millions of fans worldwide.

Unlike traditional sports, where most countries already have their favorite national sport, the gaming industry is young and open to everyone. Hence, people across the globe enjoy eSports.

The Recent eSports Growth

Despite being around for almost half a century, eSports have mainly been known only to the fans. However, everything has changed in the last few years. The current scale of virtual sport is unprecedented. Today, around 500 million people either participate or watch eSports on a regular basis. The eSports fan base has been rapidly expanding since 2019. Here are the top three factors for the flourishing of gaming sport in the last few years.

Covid-19 and its consequences

Needless to remind you of the total collapse of the entertainment and sports industries during the peak of the global pandemic. The new reality left a tremendous void in activities and leisure time options. The traditional sports industry has been in chaos, trying to reorganize its approaches and matches to fit safety requirements.

Meanwhile, people had more time at home while many had chosen to game in their free time. Some of these new gamers have even polished their skills and talents enough to participate in professional gaming matches. Thus, the popularity of eSports began to grow, filling the void left by Covid-19.

Brand investments

The rapidly growing audience has also attracted a higher number of investors. Thus, cybersport has faced a large influx of money over a short period. Such investments have resulted in larger monetary prizes, broad advertising campaigns, and greater exposure to the general public.

Popular and large international brands can make a significant impact on any industry. The same has happened to cybersport. Many famous brands have started investing in eSports, sponsoring some teams or tournaments. Such attention from respected brands, like Mercedes-Benz, McDonald's, Microsoft, and Amazon, has also brought eSports to a new level. So now the tournaments look more organized, mature, professional, and of higher quality.

These changes help build a loyal fanbase, increase interest in participation and competition, and create a more grown-up environment.

Passionate fans

Many eSports games have a very loyal fanbase, which keeps growing steadily. The fans have their inside tournaments, ratings, top players, and whatnot. They may all like different games, but love for eSports is the thing they share.

Here are just a few games with more than several million online players:

• League of Legends
• Dota 2
• Fortnite
• Counter Strike: Global Offensive
• Overwatch
• Call of Duty: War Zone
• World of WarCraft
• World of Tanks

The list can go on and on, although the top positions are rarely being replaced these days. Overall, thanks to subscription services and platforms like Xbox and PlayStation, online gaming keeps rising in popularity and demand.

In addition, eSports offer in abundance something very limited in traditional sports, which is inclusivity. Anyone can become a professional gamer no matter what corner of the world one lives in. To start a career in eSports, you need a computer, your game of choice, and some neat skills to enter the tournament. That's really all.

Final Thoughts

The involvement of eSports seems to reach its peak at the moment. More people than ever know about cybersport and choose to participate, watch, or invest in it. For those interested in becoming a part of this world, the timing is perfect. So, if you want to learn more about the upcoming tournaments, matches, prize pools, and results, you can find all the information on GetEsports.net. There, you will have access to live streams, matches records, and more!