What’s New in the World of eSports
These days, playing video games competitively is considered to be a sport. There are tournaments all over the world that give away prize pots that can reach well over $1 million. As this sport has increased in popularity, it’s now prevalent in the betting industry. eSports betting is far more significant than it ever was before and is treated just as seriously as other forms of sports betting.
The Growth of eSports Betting
eSports has grown exponentially in the last couple of years, which is something that casinos and sports betting sites have had to take into account. Currently, the eSports industry is valued at over $700 million and projections show that they could reach close to $1.5 billion by the year 2020. To confirm, this is just the games themselves – if you were to include the money generated from betting – the figure would be much higher than that.
The Reason for its Sudden Popularity
Although the concept of playing video games against one another isn’t a new one, there is an increasing number of people attracted to the online gaming world. Some of the most popular games like Call of Duty, Heroes of Newerth, Warcraft III and more are eSports. There is also that little-known game Fortnite that brought in nearly $455 million in 2018. There is also a more extensive collection of games becoming available, and much more tournaments and matches than before. Technology also plays a part in it; with streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube, it brings a whole new interactive element to eSports which players seem to enjoy. The improvement in internet speed over the years has also had a positive effect on eSports as a whole. It allows you to enjoy a seamless experience that you potentially couldn’t before.
Big Things to Look out for in 2019
There will be a significant focus on the mobile experience in 2019, and the titles will be more engaging than before. Some of the favourites so far have been the likes of Clash of the Titans, Clash Royale, Honor of Kings, Arena of Valor, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang – and of course Fortnite which was mentioned earlier. There will also be more room for digital stores. Steam is lucky enough not to have had too many rivals so far, but the likes of Epic Games and Discord could break into the space and become disruptors. Both of these companies offer a much better revenue share than steam to studios – potentially making them a more attractive prospect.
eSports players are also more well-known than they used to be and are “celebrities” in their own right. We have seen high profile players such as Tylor Blevins promoting Samsung Galaxy. As eSports continues to grow in popularity, the likelihood is that you will begin to see more of these characters gaining larger sponsorships and being part of big marketing campaigns.
With eSports growing at a rapid rate and showing no signs of slowing down – there is no doubt that we will see some significant changes in the near future in terms of technology, revenue, popularity and more competition.
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