Hands up, who has heard of eSports? If your hand isn’t in the air, then don’t worry, you’re not alone. The world of electronic sports, or eSports as they’re more popularly known, has only just started breaking into the mainstream. It is competitive video gaming, where skilful gamers battle it out against each other over multiplayer video games. Although there have been many gaming tournaments organized since the technology’s inception in the 1970’s, these were mostly between amateur players. It took until the 2010’s for brands to notice that there was money to be made, and so they started sponsoring the biggest events and players. This allowed the most talented gamers to turn professional, and they can now make stratospheric sums being the top winners in eSports tournaments.
So, you might be wondering what kind of video games do these professional eSports competitors use to do battle? Interestingly, there are competitions for many different genre of video games. Here then, we’ll look at some of the most popular genres in the burgeoning world of eSports.
Step Onto the Battlefield
Multiplayer online battle arena games, known as MOBA, are considered to be the most watched genre of eSports games. These are games where there are two teams that compete against each other on a predefined battlefield, with each player taking control of a single character that has a set of distinguishing capabilities, and they have to then use their skills together to try and destroy the arranged target of the opponent’s team. Think of it as a smaller scale Lord of the Rings battle, as most of well-known games have a magical and fantastical element to them.
The MOBA game that eSports fans can’t get enough of, is League of Legends, which was developed by Riot Games. The good news is that the game is actually free-to-play, so if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into the MOBA world, this is a great place to start. Plus, it is available for both MacOS and Windows running programs.
Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting
Combat sports, such as boxing and MMA, are some of the most watched sports around the world, with the largest fights drawing in millions of viewers. Fans love watching two athletes squaring off against each other and trading blows until one is crowned the winner. Well, that’s also true in the arena of eSports gaming, as fighting games are a huge draw. Even though the athletes are replaced by gamers with controllers, viewers find the virtual brutal beatdowns equally as enthralling.
The most favoured fighting games are the classic Street Fighter Alpha 2, which even though it came out way back in 1996, still manages to be in huge demand today, the more graphically advanced Tekken 7, and the hilariously cartoonish Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which pits legendary Nintendo characters to beatdown against each other.
Just like real-life combat sports are bet on by eager punters, the biggest battles in eSports are now also available for bettors to try their luck on. One of the easiest ways to find the best eSports betting sites, is to head to SBO.net. They have an easy to follow guide that informs you of everything you need to know to enjoy betting on all the eSports showdowns. Plus, their recommended sites also have the most bet credits on offer compared to their competitors, so you can get off to a winning start.
The Thrill of the Kill
First-person shooters are high-octane thrill rides, as players try to mow down all their enemies around them, until they become the last one standing. So, it’s no surprise that they are among the most favoured genre of games in eSports. The fascinating aspect of FPS is that they’re relatively simple for most people to just pick up and play, yet they’re incredibly difficult to truly master. This makes them perfect for eSports, as it’s fun to watch on as the experts seamlessly show off their virtual killing skills, pulling off kill-streaks that will have fans looking on in awe.
One of the FPS titles that has become a classic for eSports battles is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The game is regularly updated by its developer Valve, which means even though it’s now ten-years-old, it stays heavily in-demand. Another is the shooter Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, which is in big demand because it allows players to tactically plan out their attack on their opponents, and so it makes for a super interesting watch for viewers, as the best players try to critically outthink their enemy, which can make it feel like a deadly game of chess.
