An Introduction To Esports – Popular Esports Games And Teams

One of the most amazing things about sports is that there is something for each and every one. The sheer number and diversity of games mean that those who like varying things can sign it and pick a sport they love. 

However, in the past few decades, a new type of sport has been introduced like basketball, baseball, and football, i.e Esports. 

What is esports?

Esports, e-Sports, or games are actually competitive video gaming. It involves different teams playing against one another in tournaments to win a cash prize. The games are played by professionals and viewed by the audience. 

Actually, it’s the same as conventional sports. The only difference is that these are played virtually. High-level athletes are vying to get the top spot in their game or sport of choice. 

History of esports 

The trend of Esports began in the 1990s when it turned from a casual hobby to a professional sport. Today the industry is worth 1 billion dollars as championships get viewed by millions of people.

With prominent growth each year, eSports is today’s gold rush. Major channels like TBS, ESPN, Telemundo, and SyFy all broadcast these gaming events along with traditional sports like NBA and NHL. 

Some universities are also adding varsity esports teams and giving players scholarships. 

How are esports organized?

Big esports competitions like FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championship and Fortnite World Cup annually. These are organized through tournaments and leagues. All these tournaments are streamed live in real-world stadia where thousands of people watch both physically and online. 

The winners get huge cash prizes of millions of dollars. Plus, there are also significant commercial and sponsorship opportunities on the table. Depending on the type of the underlying game, players have the chance to compete as singles or as part of a team. 

The esports team is usually made like the traditional ‘sports club’ with single sectors dedicated to video games with coaches, managers, physiotherapists, and mental coaches. They help the team players in their daily activities. 

A few successful teams are also part of huge franchises. Such as Geng, Cloud9 and Immortals raise investments, are investor-backed, and play in region-specific leagues to compete in national and global finals. 

Consequently, people have also turned esports into a betting opportunity. Esports fanatics bid huge amounts on their favorite teams. 

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Which are the biggest esports?

As we mentioned at the beginning, eSports is mainly dominated by games that have teams. There are some single-player tournaments as well, such as Starcraft and FIFA. But these are on a totally different scale compared to the famous tournaments. 

This question might have popped into your mind. Fortnite is also a single-player game, isn’t it?

Fortnite is a single-player game, but you can play it with 99 others, so we add it to our list.

Here is the list of the popular eSports games based on prize money, viewers, and competitors:

Game

Viewers Teams Prize Money 

DOTA 2

15 million59 teams$35

Fortnite 

2 million 40 team$30

League of Legends

44 million24 team 

$7

CS:GO1.2 million40+ team

$1

Overwatch300K20 teams

$5

PUBG 800K 20 teams

$2 

Who are the best esports teams?

It’s hard to find out which is the best esports team globally. Some are part of enormous corporations that take part in a number of competitions. 

For instance, Team Liquid takes part in almost 24 games from DOTA to Auto Chess. Collectively they earn around $2250 and $22 million in both sports.

Our list contains the top teams on the basis of their earnings in different games and the total competitions they have taken part in.

GameMoney Tournaments Team
DOTA$33.8 million1622 tournamentsTeam Liquid
DOTA 2$33.4 million70 tournamentsOG
DOTA 2$24 million798 tournamentsEvil Geniuses
CS:GO$14.3 million856 tournamentsFnatic
DOTA 2$14 million180 tournamentsNewbee
DOTA 2$13.7 million470 tournamentsVirtus.pro
DOTA 2$12.2 million268 tournamentsVici Gaming
DOTA 2$11 million199 tournamentsTeam Secret
DOTA 2$10.7 million131 tournamentsLGD Gaming
DOTA 2$10.7 million432 tournamentsInvictus Gaming
DOTA 2$10 million432 tournamentsNatus Vincere
DOTA 2$9.7 million27 tournamentsWings Gaming
League of Legends$9.2 million257 tournamentsSK Telecom T1
CS:GO $9.2 million 674 tournamentsCloud 9
DOTA 2$9 million56 tournamentsPSG
Call of Duty $7.8 million292 tournamentsOpTic Gaming
CS:GO$7.7 million285 tournamentsFaZe Clan
CS:GO$7.3 million75 tournamentsAstralis
CS:GO/Call of Duty $6.5 million324 tournamentsTeam Envy
CS:GO

 

$6.3 million649 tournamentsSK Gaming

As you can see, the list doesn’t have the overall value of every sports team. All these teams earn more than competitors in the esports tournament. With millions of followers all over social media platforms, they have created a cult-like following and gained many rewards. 

For instance, Faze clan was not even on the list till 2018. They came up to this rank by earning $35 million in 2019. All this is because they developed into content-creation machines. All thanks to their massive fan following. 

Many teams on our list have increased their earnings by 50%, which is a simple example of how fruitful the esports field is. 

Final Word 

We hope our esports guide has helped you understand the whole concept of esports. The esports industry is expected to progress even more in the coming years. All this is because more and more people know that this is a lucrative industry, whether it’s sponsoring or betting on the games. 

Hoping to see esports add more to the economy of Thailand. 

Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

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