eSports is big business and it has been estimated that by 2020 this hugely popular business will be worth around $1.5 billion. There are players that are taking part in competitions that are offering prize money of $24 million. Not everybody can understand what eSports are all about as it comes with loads of technical jargon and terms that only the enthusiasts will understand.
So what does it actually mean? It can be best defined as gaming competitively at a professional level. eSports only consists of video games, but really any game that has a winner and a loser can be defined as an eSport. Similarly, eSports can be bet on, o if you enjoy Australian Open tennis betting or wagering on any sport, eSports betting may be an option too.
In eSports, the more players there are the more fun and competitive the competition. Most of the eSports are played in teams and there are tournaments and leagues that run throughout the year and conclude with a big final event.
Types of eSports
eSports is becoming more and more popular because of the wide range of formats that they come in. eSports can be classified into two main types, first person shooters (FPS) and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA). The MOBA’s have two teams and each team has heroes with different and unique abilities. The aim of these is to annihilate their opponents in order to gain the advantage and take over their base. When these heroes kill their opponents they gain what is known as gold experience which is then used to enhance their character. The FPS games have varying goals. In games such as Global Offensive for example the aim is to wipe out the opposing team, but in other FPS games such as Overwatch the aim is to be the best and here teams will fight against each other to gain control over a location.
Other types of eSports include card games as well as sport games such as FIFA or eSports such as strategy and fighting games are popular. The sports games are often the easiest to play as they are based on real sports and the fighting games are mainly comprised of fighting back and forth. Strategy games are great for players who enjoy building armies and fighting other armies to gain control using strategies and tactics. The card games use things like magic and have monsters and mythical creatures. The popularity and growth of eSports is largely due to the fact that there is an eSports format for everyone who loves video gaming.
Winning Money from eSports
eSports involves competing not only for being the best player but there are also prizes involved which include cash. Many of the international eSports competitions have generous prizes as well as lucrative sponsorship deals for teams. There are also eSports leagues which are able to pay their players’ salaries. If players are able to stay in the competition they are guaranteed a salary and if they win competitions, they are also given rewards.
One eSports player known to all as Jimbo actually plays FPS games and streams them for a living. He makes around $700 a month just for playing a game online. He also plays in tournaments during the year with team mates, and some of these tournaments offer prize money of about $1 million.
eSports are a growing industry and is set to grow into a billion dollar industry as more and more players begin to play professionally.