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To outsiders, the name might be a little confusing: Esports. When you hear the word “sport”, you might think of teams battling over a ball or individuals pushing themselves to physical excellence. Whether one does it professionally or for fun: sport burns calories, tones muscles and improves general health. Esport on the other hand, is of course not about physical movement. Additionally, esport gets called a sport by some but not by others. It can refer to professional gamers who’ve turned their hobbies into a profession and now battle against each other in online competitions.
But is it really a sport?
This debate has been exhausted over the years, and to those in esports, it’s not really one that’s asked anymore. But for those wondering, one might ask now how the little word “sport” fits into this kind of video game competition. First of all, however, this is exactly the answer: it’s about a competition, just like in sports. Depending on the game, either teams or individuals can compete against each other. However, the physical side of things should not be underestimated. Professional esports players train hard for years for their careers, with many getting involved in fitness regimes, with good diet and sleep, and the tournaments demand physical as well as mental performance from the participants.
Like classic sporting events, the competitions are accompanied by commentators (aka casters) who comment on the course of the game and provide background information, as well as entertaining the viewers. A live audience (either online and/or in-person) follow the matches, which are usually broadcast on platforms such as YouTube, Twitch or Facebook.
Esport-tournaments get more popular and bigger with every year
Esports has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years. Initially, online competition was a niche phenomenon, known mainly among the players themselves. Nowadays, however, the biggest esports competitions are held in front of an audience of millions via livestream or in sold-out halls. The competition of the digital generation is now also broadcast more and more often on television, though nowhere as near as much as it is on online streaming platforms. In international championships, the prize money sometimes reaches dizzying heights in the seven or eight-digit range.
Some of the biggest competitions in the world are played with sports games like FIFA, Formula 1, or Rocket League. But battle games and shooters are also extremely popular in the esports world. Here, the games Counter Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2 dominate. Divided into two main categories – first-person shooter and battle arena titles – these are mainly played by teams but can be played by individuals in certain modes like 1v1 community tournaments.
Nowadays you can even place bets on esports competitions
As with classic sports, bets are now also placed on esports at both the larger tournaments, but also at the smaller ones. Comparison portals such as betkingcompare can be helpful in finding reputable and favourable bookmakers for placing bets. For the most part, the same betting rules apply to esports as to conventional sports tournaments, but the maximum payout limits can vary. The bet types are also surprisingly similar. The only big difference is the different bets during a match. However, the bets themselves can only be placed online. To increase your chances of winning, it is advisable to bet only on tournaments that interest you or in games that are played by you. In addition, it makes sense to take the time in advance to acquire as much knowledge as possible about the players and the tournaments.
