While no industry is immune to rapid changes during these years, esports seems to be evolving and thriving. Not only is the total number of esports games surging forward and competitive gaming gaining popularity, but also new esports trends are being forged.
The first esports event was held in 1972, and from that time the esports industry has undergone many changes. The market is growing rapidly now and it is estimated that it will grow constantly during the upcoming years due to many people joining both as players and as viewers. If you want to join this competitive market, you can do your own research of what the industry holds by exploring esports stats, visiting professional esports websites, taking a look at its charts and industry trends. We have covered some of them in this article.
Before we hop on to the latest industry trends here’s a short overview of what the esports betting industry looks like in 2021.
Industry Report: Expectations v Reality
Based on the Global Esports Market Report analysis by Newzoo, the future of the esports industry looks brighter than expected. Although the global gaming community took a significant hit back in 2020 after the cancellation of major sporting events, esports managed to step in and make up for the losses. It even managed to grow the audience, coming up with new games and features to beckon to a broader audience.
Making a huge spike last year, esports is still all the rage, with revenue growth of 14.5 percent. Although some in-person esports events were canceled, with whooping viewership numbers and advertising, it was quick to come back in the game.
Esports Sponsorship Opportunities
Being part of the fast-paced and evolving IT industry, esports is a real treasure trove for investments. It’s a fairly reliable and growing income source that attracts more and more esports sponsorship deals. If we talk numbers, a look ahead to the end of 2021 from Newzoo expects the live-streaming audience to reach around 728.8M. Although the numbers are already overwhelming, they are expected to increase even more.
New Esports Games are Up for Grabs
To keep and extend the player base the industry has amassed, new games are being launched, while the existing ones are being updated with new features.
The categorization of the top esports games mainly goes based on the mode of play (e.g., real-time) and the number of players involved. Thus, many fighting games offer major esports tournaments for players, first-person shooting games (played by a single person or a team), racing games, multiplayer online battle arenas (are generally played by teams), and the most popular category in esports—sports games.
Back in the 2020 gaming season, these games came to replace the canceled major sports events—becoming the only way to get back to all favorite sports betting.
New Esports Gaming Trends
Along with the launch of a whopping number of games, there are also several esports trends to keep an eye on this year. On the top of the list are the rise of mobile esports, league-based esports games, and expanding to non-gaming content.
The Spike of Mobile Esports
The industry is evolving using technological advancements to its favor. More and more people are shifting from Desktop to a more accessible and easy gaming—mobile gaming. This is why mobile esports is a major trend in 2021 and seems it has no intention of slowing the pace.
Games that are accessible on mobile such as PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Clash Royale, and King of Glory have indicated a better percentage of viewership than the traditional PC games. However, some old guys stay ahead of the competition, thus mobile esports still needs to work its way to the top.
The Revival of Esports Leagues and Events
Given the travel restrictions all around the globe, esports leagues and major events have switched to the online format. The ecosystem of the gaming events has been updated to meet the needs of the online generation and, thus has boosted attendance. This means more fun and exciting esports events for us. What’s more, the regional league-based competitions are all the rage, and some decent viewership data shows that they can even overshadow the international competitions.
This will also be a major milestone for online sportsbooks that offer esports betting as well, opening up new opportunities for bettors and bookies alike.
Boosting Popularity of Esports via other Channels
Esports is expanding over the gaming content putting emphasis on developing new channels and resources for expanding. The industry is switching from traditional to more interactive platforms such as Twitch and Youtube. More streams are being broadcasted, targeting younger audiences and expanding the user base.
Given the numbers, esports gaming is going to keep the pace and grow. If you’re already dabbled in you better stay tuned, and don’t miss a single development of this exciting industry.
