Only a small fraction of the many video games available on computers and consoles make it to the professional level of esports. Usually, the winning games have certain characteristics. A severe learning curve designed to taste what it’s like to perform at the top level. Also, anything that is always changing, is something that is very dynamic and hence changes as you see it.
In addition to a large and active player community, games need fair play, financial support, and defined competitive features to thrive as esports.
1. A Large and Robust Fan Base
The original players are among the first to participate in most esports scenes. There must be a sufficient number of dedicated players and spectators for a game for it to develop into a viable esport. In addition, there must be a sufficient number of players in the pool for athletes to develop at a competitive level.
2. Identifying Key Competitors
Despite the large player bases in many games, only a select few make it to the professional level of esports. Their lack of competitiveness is the key reason behind this. Business of Apps reports that Minecraft is among the most downloaded games globally, with 131 million active monthly users. Despite its popularity, it lacks the level of competition necessary to join the esports arena. In any game, there must be an obvious victor and victim.
One of the several reasons why esports seem to be devoid of female representation is this. The games that are now dominating the esports scene are often the most competitive, whereas those with a greater female player base tend to be less so.
3. User-Friendly Betting Sites
Convenient betting platforms’ availability is another crucial component in turning a game into a profitable esport. Modern betting systems not only improve the spectator experience by providing an additional degree of excitement but also assist esports as competitive events to be more credible. GGBET Philippines, for instance, has a user-friendly interface with real-time statistics and a variety of betting choices meant for both newbies and experienced gamblers. This sort of creative platform facilitates fans’ interaction with the games, therefore enhancing their competitiveness and popularity required for a game to flourish as an esport.
4. A Steep Learning Decline
Esports games perfectly illustrate the adage “easy to learn, hard to master”. One game that exemplifies this is CS:GO. When it comes to maps, objectives, and weaponry, the game is very straightforward to pick up and play. However, mastering it requires significant effort. S1mple, a NAVI trainee, is one of the world’s best mechanical CS:GO players. Over sixteen thousand hours have passed in the game. You can see the degree of expertise at the very top of the ladder from this. Because a novice can never win regularly on luck or chance alone, it also provides professional players a reason to put in the time and effort.
5. Evolving and Ever-Changing
A sense of newness must permeate the game. Ideally, there would be some variable that changes on a monthly or seasonal basis. If not, the game risks becoming boring and losing its appeal as an esport. For instance, Overwatch 1 and Overwatch League had a meteoric rise in popularity in the early years, but they’ve since seen a precipitous fall in both players and spectators. The player base has become bored as Blizzard Entertainment hasn’t added many new features to the game.
Contrarily, the playing ground in Dota 2 is constantly evolving. Additionally, the meta is ever-changing since Valve is always adding new heroes, equipment, and map adjustments. As new hero choices and techniques arise, the action becomes more captivating to see as players adjust to the changes. Such adjustments are made in Overwatch, although they’re not made very often. A lot of people who play Overwatch may recall the GOATS-frenzy that lasted for a while. The game hasn’t changed much in recent years, despite the fact that it was once more dynamic with several viable compositions and tactics.
6. It Must Have an Air of Fairness
Competing in esports is all about teams demonstrating how well they know the game and all it has to offer. This includes the terrain, weaponry, precision, tactics, and counterplay. But this has been a problem for some games, especially those in the Battle Royale genre (like Fortnite and PUBG). Players in Battle Royale games typically start the game at various spots throughout a massive area. The objective is to eliminate all but one team from the map by acquiring more powerful weaponry. A closing circle further reduces the playing area. Standing outside of it causes players to receive damage and perish. Almost everything in the game is completely random, including the circle, spawn spots, and weapon positions. Because of this, a lot of tactical adjustments and moves are possible, and the game could be entertaining to play. On the other hand, it increases the reliance on chance in the game. If one esports team receives pistols at their beginning position while the other gets snipers, the first team may be eliminated in an instant only by chance. Because of the lack of talent required to win, this feature may limit the viability of some games as esports.
However, there is still a large audience that enjoys Battle Royale games, and they have been successful in the esports arena.
7. Sufficient Funding Is Necessary
Money is the final (and maybe most crucial) factor in whether a game can be considered an esport. In esports, professional players get to show off their skills and understanding of the game. The game itself benefits greatly from the exposure and audience, making it an excellent promotional tool. Having said that, this is not cheap. Running a tournament-type event requires deep finances due to the fees associated with paying casters, recruiting teams, transporting equipment to locations, and promotion. Despite having all the aforementioned features, smaller game creators sometimes struggle to find a place for their games in the esports industry.
The audience for these tournaments and electronic sports is continually shifting. Many esports games have fluctuating audiences, while others remain popular year after year. Which new games will become popular esports and which will die out like Quake is something only time will tell.
