Guest post
The Scottish esports scene is finally beginning to grow and take off, and 2016 may go down as the year it caught on.
While it’s still tiny, and as compared to England is virtually non-existent, Scotland is slowly starting to make inroads and has even produced an esports champion.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular esports games in Scotland. After that, we’ll turn our attention to some upcoming tournaments and the prizes on offer.
Which esports games do Scottish players like?
1. Counter Strike: Global Offensive
It goes without saying Counter-Strike is one of the biggest competitive game franchises.
This first-person shooter has become hot property on the esports scene.
With a classic counter-terrorism theme, one team are the terrorists and the other are out to strike them down.
2. DOTA 2
Following on from the Warcraft series, this battle arena multiplayer game is the biggest out there right now.
The aim of the game is simple – take out the opposing team and destroy the structure (known as an Ancient) in their territory.
This game took a while to develop, having been announced back in 2010. When it launched, it rose to become hugely popular with esports players and fans.
3. League of Legends
League of Legends, also known as LoL, is one of the biggest things to ever hit online gaming, period.
This is another multiplayer online battle arena game, the object of which is to beat the other team back and destroy their ‘nexus’, which will lie slap bang in the middle of their territory.
League of Legends is huge. Characters in this game have special powers to overcome the enemy, so it will likely appeal if you have a thing for fantasy, spells, strategy and action.
4. Street Fighter V
It’s a classic, and you might have predicted it would make the list. Of course, we aren’t talking about the old original Street Fighter games, but the new version released Street Fighter V for PS4.
The aim of the game is the same as ever – beat the living heck out of your opponent. Tournaments can get pretty fierce, and some big esports competitions have happened around this game.
If you fancy trying out your digital Muay Thai or kickboxing skills, a Street Fighter esports tournament could be just what the doctor ordered. Fans of the original games will be happy to know skills are basically transferable and you’ll pick up the new game in no time.
There is a huge Street Fighter V tournament set to take place in September 2017 at MCM Scotland.
The prize has yet to be announced, but keep in mind you will need to be at least 16 to enter.
MCM Scotland is on Exhibition Way in Glasgow. If you fancy your chances, then get tickets now as places are filling up fast!
Esports and gambling
Gambling related to esports in Scotland is on the rise as well. Traditional online bookmakers (i.e. Bet365, Betway and Pinnacle) as well as dedicated startups (like Unikrn) are clamoring to reach new target groups who haven’t been interested in regular sports betting, according to online gambling expert David Stephens of eSports Bets24.
The esports gambling industry is already a multi-million dollar industry as of 2017 and it’s expected to grow aggressively in the coming years.
Image credit: FreeImages.com/Alistair Williamson
Further reading: Interview: Former Scottish LoL pro Snoopeh
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