From basement to big leagues: How Esports is taking over the world

Esports, the competitive form of computer gaming, is all the rage these days after having come out from its niche hobby years back to become an international phenomenon over a period of ten years. This rapid growth gave rise to small-scale tournaments up-to-date.

The Early Days

From the late 1970s to early 1980s, arcade contests and minor competitions were part of our lives. However, it is in the 2000s that we saw actual esports gaining momentum due to the emergence of such games as StarCraft: brood-war and Counter-Strike.

The Turning Point

In spite of being around for quite some time already; Esports surged significantly during the 2010's due largely to this:

* An increase in popularity among multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games such as League of Legends and Dota 2
* New streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Live launched
* Greater prize pools and sponsorship deals had come up.

The Way Things Are Today

Esports is now an industry that is booming today, having:

* Teams and players competing in sold-out arenas professionally
* League competitions based on franchises’ such as Overwatch League or NBA 2K League
* Prize pools that exceed $30 million, for instance, The International and Fortnite World Cup
* In addition to this, they are featured in traditional mass media and included in Olympic discourse

What Makes It Happen

1. Upgrade facilities: Improved hardware, software, and internet make for seamless online competition.
2. Game developer support: For example, publishers like Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment are encouraging these competitions.
3. More accessibilities: This is because streaming platforms together with social media allow fans to interact with it easily.
4. Increase prize amounts: This draws in the best players who want a piece of cash as well as encourages investment.
5. Media Attention: Esports are increasingly getting recognition as serious competition forms today.

The direction in which Esports are headed indicates that we should expect:

* More global acknowledgement and entry into the Olympics
* Greater consideration for players’ health socially and psychologically
* Broader university degrees for sport gamers
* An expanding scope of interest from common sports clubs or labels

Esports represent a huge change in entertainment sector with a range of competitions, social groups formation and irresistible imagination. In reality, this industry is growing so fast; indeed, it is possible to foresee how electronic sports will define video games existence among other dimensions.