Sponsored: The Rise of Competition
Competitive video gaming is on the rise. What once was just a few people stood around an arcade machine or a console is growing into one of the most popular forms of entertain in the world. With YouTube, Twitch and more, people can stream and upload their own games and wins, while tournaments and events can be broadcast live all over the world. It’s becoming more and more mainstream and it’s popularity can’t be stopped.
Overwatch is already one of the most popular games ever. Released in May 2016 for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the six-on-six hero shooter has sold millions of copies with over 11 million people already having played the game. A poll in conducted in South Korea determined that the game was had overtaken the king of online gaming, League of Legends. It’s intuitive and fun gameplay, mixed with depth and character has taken the world by storm. Overwatch has already boosted the online competition scene. The first a major tournament or the game ESL’s Overwatch Atlantic Showdown has a prize pool of $300,000 and the finals will be aired on American cable TV network Turner.
Street Fighter has been around for over twenty-five years and is as popular as ever. Street Fighter IV helped reignite interest in the series and Street Fighter V is taking it to a new level. The annual Evolution Championship Series (Evo) event has been gaining more competitors, larger prizes and countless more views each years and in 2016 things went even further. Over 4000 people competed in Street Fighter V alone and it gained 125,000 active views on Twitch. It was bolstered by an additional 125,000 viewers when the top eight of the competition was aired live on US TV Channel ESPN2.
Competitive gaming is expanding. Shooting and fighting are the main two examples of the most popular games but as more people get interested in the scene and more games are released, it can expand into other areas. Poker has always been a different sport that has gained mainstream attention and now it can go further through online gaming. Betway’s online casino offers casino games including poker, allowing people to compete against players all over the world. Football/racer hybrid Rocket League has joined ESL and MLG and become a hot new entry in eSports. Speed running, which has been a part of video games for as long as they have existed, is also becoming more popular and competitive. With major events such as Games Done Quick showcasing top speed-runner, it can create new challenges and challengers who try to take the top time in thousands of games.
As competitive gaming expands and evolves, it will reach a larger player base, viewership and prize pools, with the competition only getting more diverse, skilled and fierce.
