Esports is a term used to describe competitive gaming that involves video games. It is a fast-growing, international phenomenon with millions of fans and billions of dollars up for grabs. Streaming services and live events have turned casual gamers into serious stars who can sometimes rake in seven-figure earnings and massive brand endorsements.
Whether you’re a fan or not, there are some things that everyone should know about esports before they start playing. This includes the definition of esports, how to pick a game, and what it’s like to compete as an esports player.
Definition of esports
A quick, simple definition is that esports is gaming that has dedicated competitive scenes and communities. This can include team-based or solo titles. It can be hyper-realistic or goofy cartoony, and it can be for kids or adults.
The most popular esports titles are League of Legends, Dota 2, and CounterStrike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). These games have dedicated communities that support professional players and tournaments with high prize pools.
It’s not easy to become a professional esports player, though. It takes time and a lot of practice to build your skills. You also need to be able to win in the competitive scene and gain a following.
Developing grit and perseverance is critical for success in esports. This requires the ability to adapt to changes quickly and try new tactics. In addition, players need to be willing to accept failure and learn from it.
Esports is a growing industry, with many of the biggest names in gaming already having a strong presence in the market. This includes teams such as Faze clan, which have a massive following and an estimated valuation of $35 million in 2019.
The number of people who play video games is expected to reach 3.4 billion worldwide by 2022. These numbers are based on the Pew Research Center’s estimates of how many teen boys and girls played video games in 2018.
In addition, esports can be beneficial to students as an extracurricular activity that builds social and emotional learning skills. These skills can help students connect to their peers, establish teams, develop mentorships, and collaborate on projects.
It’s also a great way to bring kids together who might otherwise be disengaged from their school community. As a result, esports can help teens get involved in the school environment and improve their chances of graduating.
To get started with esports, it’s important to choose a game that is established as an esport. This is because longstanding esports titles have dedicated players and tournaments with high prize pools. These players can provide valuable advice for beginners and can show you the ropes as a new player.
A good place to start is by watching pro players in action and studying the strategies they use. This can be done by searching online for videos and live streams of the top players in your game. This can help you learn how to play the game and how to apply those strategies in the real world.
