In the past five years, esports has grown tremendously as an industry, pushed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, people were encouraged to spend time at home, and many of them chose to do so by playing games or watching game streams and esports tournaments.
While the pandemic created challenges for players in the esports industry, it also provided an opportunity for the market to expand.
Even after the pandemic ended, the esports market continued to grow. According to a Newzoo report, in 2022, the global esports audience reached 532 million, marking an 8.7 percent increase from the previous year. Among all esports fans, 261 million were esports enthusiasts, while 271 million were occasional viewers.
Newzoo defines esports enthusiasts as people who watch esports content more than once a month, while occasional viewers watch esports content less frequently, typically less than once a month.
Esports’ Popularity
There are several reasons behind the tremendous growth of the esports audience. One reason is the emergence of popular new esports franchises, such as VALORANT. This FPS game was developed by Riot Games, which has already succeeded in creating an esports ecosystem for League of Legends.
Another key driver of the esports audience is the expansion of mobile esports. Initially, competitive games with esports ecosystems were limited to PCs and consoles.
However, as smartphones became more capable, mobile esports began to grow. Games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and League of Legends: Wild Rift managed to create regional leagues. Another example is PUBG Mobile, which has become very popular in India and was released there under the name Battleground Mobile India (BGMI).
Lastly, a factor pushing the growth of the esports audience is the rise of esports in emerging economies, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.
Data from Newzoo shows that in the future, the esports audience will continue to grow, with an annual growth rate of 8.1 percent between 2020 and 2025. By 2025, the esports audience is projected to reach 640 million, with 318 million esports enthusiasts and 322 million occasional viewers.
Inclusive Community in Esports
There are several reasons why esports is popular. One of them is that the esports community is more inclusive than traditional sports, such as football or basketball.
Physical sports demand good physiques, limiting participation for those with physical weaknesses or disabilities. On the other hand, esports allows anyone to participate, as long as they have passion and skills for the game, regardless of their physique and gender.
Another reason why esports is popular is because it has a loyal community. Similar to sports fans, esports fans are also passionate about the game, the teams, and the players they admire.
Esports community can also help esports enthusiasts improve their skills in the game they love, as these communities usually consist of people who share the same passion and are willing to discuss tips and tricks.
Esports games are also more accessible than traditional sports. Many esports games are available for PCs, consoles, and even mobile devices. As a result, people can play these games whenever and wherever is convenient for them.
Aside from accessibility to the game itself, esports content is also accessible because esports tournaments are usually streamed online for free, allowing esports fans to watch them as long as they have access to the internet.
Benefits of Esports
Gamers used to be stigmatized as individuals lacking social skills, spending excessive amounts of time alone, and disconnected from real-life social interactions. However, as the number of gamers increases and esports becomes more popular, people start to see the benefits of esports.
Esports is all about community. Therefore, being involved in the esports scene is an ideal opportunity for students who might not be interested in traditional sports but enjoy playing games and still want to be part of a team. Many esports games are multiplayer games, so being part of an esports team can help students find a community to belong to.
Joining an esports team, whether it’s amateur, semi-pro, or even professional, can also help individuals learn social and emotional skills. Winning a match in an esports tournament is not solely about skill; teamwork plays a crucial role.
Therefore, being part of an esports team encourages players to learn how to interact with each other, build relationships, and resolve problems that might arise among teammates.
Since the strategies used in esports games tend to change quickly, it encourages players to adapt to new tactics.
As the esports industry grows, so do the salaries for professional gamers. While becoming a professional gamer is the dream of many, not everyone can achieve it. That being said, there are tips for those interested in pursuing a career as an esports athlete, as mentioned by Red Bull.
With numerous esports games available, some more popular than others, aspiring professionals should choose a game they love. Mastery of a game requires extensive play, so selecting one that brings enjoyment is essential.
Another tip for gamers aspiring to go pro is to participate in esports tournaments and events to test their skills and gain experience and exposure.
Additionally, to expand their online presence, they can start streaming. Streaming platforms like Twitch or TikTok allow gamers to build a fanbase and audience.
Many esports athletes have their setups. Indeed, to some extent, using the most up-to-date technology can help improve gameplay. Aside from hardware, though, VPNs can also be helpful. While VPNs are mostly known as tools to encrypt internet traffic and hide someone’s IP, they have other uses.
VPN can help players access game content they cannot otherwise reach. For example, when game content is geo-blocked and limited to certain countries, gamers can use a VPN to access that content. Additionally, gamers can use VPN to play games that are banned in their home country.
Another benefit of using VPNs for gamers is that they can provide a more stable gaming experience. VPNs can help players deal with bandwidth throttling, avoiding high ping and lag.
However, gamers should be careful in choosing a VPN provider. Surfshark, for example, promises to utilize the best encryption algorithms available to protect users’ privacy. The VPN also offers other features, which you can check here.
