A current trend in the betting industry is eSports. More and more betting providers are adding this category to their range of offers, providing various betting opportunities accordingly. However, most sports bettors know so little about it that many are still hesitant to approach the topic. That is why we are pleased to cover this area and offer our readers information about upcoming tournaments, matches, and analyses in the future.
What is Esports? A Quick Overview
E-sport, also written as eSports or without a hyphen, refers to electronic sport. Unlike physical sports, e-sport focuses on mental exercise. Participants do not engage in physical activity but instead rely on their gaming skills. In e-sports, the goal is to excel at playing computer games, which may seem easy at first but requires significant dedication and skill. Much like traditional high-performance sports, e-sport demands a high level of focus and precision. A player who is even slightly below their peak performance on match day can quickly lose a game. For those seeking an added layer of excitement, platforms like Crusino Casino offer opportunities for gambling, further engaging fans in the world of competitive gaming.
Essential Skills for Success in Esports
Pro gamers need to be skilled in a variety of areas to win at the competitive level. On the one hand, many motor skills are required, especially hand-eye coordination. On the other hand, mental abilities are also crucial. Depending on the game, pro gamers work as a team, so the ability to collaborate with teammates is also very important. Most of these skills are trained using special programs rather than just by playing the game itself. But, individual games also need to be played or practiced for several hours a day to keep up with the competition.
And when it comes to physical fitness, you can’t let yourself go. That’s why many e-sports players also engage in physical sports as a counterbalance, some even very successfully and with high ambitions.
Potential Is Far From Exhausted
However, the number of pro gamers who can make a living from e-sports is relatively small compared to more traditional sports. For example, German football alone employs more professional athletes who can make a living from their “hobby” than there are well-paid pro gamers worldwide. But e-sports is growing, largely due to the rapid increase in video game quality. The budgets for games now rival those of Hollywood films or even exceed them in some cases, and the storytelling is improving and becoming more emotional. It’s no surprise that more and more gamers are emerging, along with parties eager to share in the success of the video game industry.
E-Sports Is Not Yet an Officially Recognized Sport
Politicians don’t always view e-sports as a real sport. In Europe, it’s not officially considered one yet. However, if chess is recognized as a sport, it’s only a matter of time before e-sports, with its professional structures and substantial prize money, also gets recognized as an official sport. So far, this recognition exists in a few countries, including China and North America. China, in particular, has some of the most successful e-athletes, and a large number of pro gamers come from South Korea – the birthplace of e-sports.
E-Sports in South Korea: Almost Like Football in Germany
In South Korea, pro gamers are celebrated like football stars in Germany. It’s normal for the 40,000-capacity Seoul World Cup Stadium to fill up easily, with fans cheering on their favorite teams in games like League of Legends. Matches are broadcast on television and streamed on many websites. Politics even has its own e-sports department, and South Korea’s search engine, Naver, has a dedicated e-sports tab where users can find all the important news and links to events.
It’s surprising that despite these aspects and major companies in South Korea sponsoring e-sports, it still makes up only a small part of the industry. This is largely due to the intense focus on education, with school days often running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and even holiday schools. This doesn’t leave much time to establish oneself in e-sports. Some players drop out of school to pursue their gaming careers, but this is risky due to the limited number of participants in championships.
However, if a player makes it that far or waits until after training, they can achieve incredible fame as a pro gamer, with significant media exposure and substantial earnings by South Korean standards. While the prospects for German pro gamers may not be as rosy, that doesn’t stop them from joining the e-sports scene.
Most Successful E-Athletes in History
In the early days of e-sports, it was primarily players from South Korea who won large prize money, particularly in StarCraft. Top stars like ‘Flash’ and ‘Jaedong’ earned significant sums, with Jaedong making over half a million US dollars by 2013. One of the most famous e-sports figures today is the South Korean superstar ‘Faker.’ He is the most successful player of all time in League of Legends and has won three world championship titles with his team, SKT T1. Despite the prize money for LoL not being as high as for other games, top players like ‘Faker’ still earn impressive salaries, with rumors suggesting he signed a contract worth over $2.5 million per year.
In terms of prize money, the German Dota 2 player ‘Kuroky’ is arguably the leader. As one of the best players in the scene, he won ‘The International 7′ tournament in 2017, which had a prize pool of over $24 million. This makes him the leader in prize money among all pro gamers.
The Top 5 Esports Games
Although FIFA is the quintessential sports game for e-sports, there are several other important games that have a larger audience and higher prize money. Below are brief descriptions of five games that stand out in the e-sports world. However, this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other interesting games and disciplines.
Esports Game – StarCraft 2
StarCraft 2, released in 2010 by Blizzard Entertainment, is a real-time strategy game set in a science fiction universe. Players must react in real-time, which requires quick decision-making. The game is often played in a 1 vs. 1 format or in teams. Each player chooses one of three races, each with its own unique features, and works to defeat the opponent’s base or combat units.
StarCraft 2 is a complex game, which is one of the reasons for its appeal. Blizzard has specifically designed it for e-sports and integrated various leagues. Major tournaments include the StarCraft II World Championship Series and Global StarCraft 2 League. StarCraft 2 continues to be played at major events like DreamHack and Intel Extreme Masters.
Esports Game – Dota 2
Dota 2, a successor to a popular Warcraft 3 modification, is a real-time strategy game but with distinct mechanics that led to the creation of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) subgenre. Unlike StarCraft, there’s no resource building. Instead, each player controls a single hero, and two teams compete to destroy the opposing team’s main building. Dota 2 is known for its deep teamwork and individual hero skills.
The main tournament for Dota 2 is ‘The International,’ where the prize money regularly exceeds millions of dollars.
Esports Game – League of Legends
League of Legends (LoL) is another popular MOBA and one of the most-played games worldwide. Released in 2009 by Riot Games, LoL enjoys a significant head start over Dota 2. It’s known for fast-paced gameplay, and unlike Dota 2, players don’t lose gold when killed. LoL tournaments, such as the World Championship, are some of the largest, with impressive prize pools and millions of viewers.
Esports Game – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most well-known esports titles, particularly in first-person shooter (FPS) competitions. Though the game is often viewed negatively in relation to tragic events, it remains a key title in competitive gaming, with top-tier tournaments and substantial prize money.