The Future of Esports
In many ways, the world of eSports seems to be exploding, becoming part of the mainstream sporting environment, and reaching all corners of the world. For the last few years, eSports have developed from the small leagues played from PCs around the world to events that have garnered more viewers than even the Superbowl did one year.
eSports is the name given to any sort of competitive gaming, whether played on a PC, on a console, or increasingly, on a smartphone. eSports games can include first person shooters, online casino games like poker, or real time strategy games (among others) – and they can be recognised as having an organised league or a tournament, often with a prize at the end.
The overall revenue of eSports recorded by Statista in 2022 was $1.45 billion. This is expected to grow to a sum of about $6.75 billion by 2030 – and, perhaps unsurprisingly, most of this revenue comes from sponsorship deals, where companies spend a substantial sum of money to have their branding associated with winning eSports teams, much as you would expect with a soccer or a basketball team.
Developing Legitimacy
One of the major growth factors of eSports is the recognition of it as a ‘real’ sport. This support can come from many sources, and one of the biggest is the fanbase. People tuning in to watch the finals of an eSport tournament may have had to do so using internet streaming services like Twitch in the past, and they might have struggled to get involved in the game leagues themselves – and that is all changing in the future because the games are developing legitimacy quickly.
eSports at School
It might be old news that some colleges are offering full ride scholarships to eSports athletes in the same way that they do to outstanding football or basketball players, but a burgeoning varsity system in the US school system is bringing more legitimacy to the games.
175 colleges and universities in the US are members of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), and both high schools and middle schools can join national eSports varsity leagues.
This might be the first step in the development of eSports in school and gives credence to the idea that parents might be enrolling their children in eSports activities when they are looking for extra curricular activities, both in the US and in the wider world.
Women Gamers
Despite every poll of gamers showing that there are about the same percentage of female players as male in every age group, female representation in eSports has been somewhat lacking. While there are no actual barriers to entry for female eSports athletes, it is something that needs to be addressed.
There are a few female-centric gaming initiatives, such as Female Legends, VCT Game Changers, and Formula 1 eSports Series Women’s Wildcard.
Betting
Sports betting is a favourite pastime for many, whether they are betting on their favourite horses or their favourite soccer team – and the development of the esports industry has ensured that the online casinos are starting to offer odds on tournaments and leagues in all sorts of online games.
With a high market of fans, the more eSports betting opportunities a casino operator can offer, the more money they can make – and it all helps to develop both interest in the sport and finances for players and leagues to improve.
Olympic Competition?
The last point – and perhaps the most exciting – is the opportunity that eSports could become part of the Olympic offering. In 2022, both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games featured eSports as part of the competition.
There are some things to overcome for this to become reality (at the earliest in 2028). There needs to be a governing body with overall oversight, and the games that are used need to ensure that they meet the requirements of things like violence and inappropriate content.
A Technological Future
Of course, none of this legitimacy would be possible were it not for the enormous leaps that are being made seemingly everyday in the technology space. Everything from 5G rollout to an impressive internet penetration has a positive effect on the eSports space.
Mobile and smartphone innovations are a huge and important part of the development of eSports and gaming in general – now, not only can fans of eSports watch their favourite competitions on their phones while out and about, but they can also even get involved.
With innovations in the Metaverse and using blockchain technology, the future of eSports looks hugely bright – and may even outstrip the 21.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that the data gatherers are predicting.
Sponsors and TV deals, pop culture references, and varsity eSports teams – and the potential for inclusion in future Olympic games all point to a rosy future for eSports.