Competitive gaming has been around for decades. Ever since the first arcade competitions were launched in the 1970s, gamers have battled each other to earn prizes and the respect of their community. It is only in recent years that the term esports has been used to describe much the same thing, but in a modern and digital setting.
Although already a burgeoning scene in the 2010s, esports were still quite niche when it came to mainstream society’s experience and knowledge of “video games”. That all changed in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped all live traditional sports, and their fans desperately looked around for something to fill the void.
Esports were the answer, with millions more people around the world discovering the excitement and beauty of competitive gaming. That boom has continued ever since, with the biggest events bringing in huge ratings, more professional gamers than ever before, and fans able to back their favorites on the Bovada mobile betting app.
OnlineSportsBetting.net is the best place to discover how to bet on esports, but how has the esports industry changed and developed in the years since?
Sustainable Industry
Even as millions more users and fans became aware of esports in the early 2020s, the industry was still experiencing fast growth without much thought for how things would be in the future. This is understandable to a point, as the interest in esports was unprecedented, and everyone involved was slightly surprised by what was happening.
Now that we have come out of the pandemic years and esports has remained popular, if not even more so, there is a sense of sustainability within the industry. Long-term ideas have been formulized to keep esports relevant and dynamic, with a resulting shift from heavy investment to a focus on profitability.
Personalization
If you are online in any way (and almost all of us are), you will have noticed the trend for personalization of the experience. Whether it is a shopping app or playing a game, technological advances have made it possible to use the available data to make that experience as personal as possible.
It makes sense that something that esports would become more personalized as the technology has been developed, as esports is all about an individual way of experiencing a community. More interactive streams and more choices to personalize watching and playing esports have been a welcome recent development.
Higher Standards
Esports has never been an industry to sit still and be content with what it has, and we have increasingly seen standards across the board being raised as gamers and fans demand better games and better performances. We are now at a point where gamers are playing at a higher level than ever before.
Although there might have been a slight reduction in the variety of styles of esports gaming, the way that professional gamers are able to receive information and better their performances so quickly has improved standards in many areas. Professional esports gamers are now a level above where they were even just three years ago.
Mobile-First
As for the esports games themselves, the main shift we have seen in recent years is that of one to a mobile-first policy. This is another trend that is common across the digital world, but gaming, in particular, has made a huge shift to mobile, and it is a shift that has brought far more people into the community.
Mobile games like PUBG and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang have transformed what is expected of an esports title and also allowed more people to play. This is especially true in places like Southeast Asia and Latin America, where mobile use is far higher than console or computer ownership. This increased accessibility has had a hugely positive impact on the esports industry.
Broadcasting Boost
There has obviously been an increase in the number of people playing esports. But an integral part of esports is the community building around a title. There have been countless examples of very good games that just haven’t been able to grow a reliable fan base, and that has meant that it has not been successful as an esport.
The broadcasting aspect of esports has grown in particular. Live streaming and esports-adjacent content is a major business in itself, and more coverage has resulted in the games themselves becoming even more popular. As more people are able to watch the professionals play at the highest level of esports, there are more people feeling as though they can give it a go as well.
Figure 2 Mobile titles are now a major part of esports – Source: Pexels
The Future of Esports is Bright
Although it might have been taken for granted that the esports industry would be able to adapt and grow as technology advanced, it is still good to see just how much more a part of mainstream society it has become. This may not always seem important to gamers and fans, but the fact that it plays such a part in everyday life for many shows how successful it has been.
Esports really capitalized on its moment during the early part of the decade and has now positioned itself firmly in wider society. Esports titles have improved, standards of play have increased dramatically, and the entire industry and community have adapted to remain relevant, at the very least.
Esports are obviously here to stay, and the direction they have taken in the last few years bodes very well for the decade ahead.