HISTORY OF ESPORTS

Nowadays, esports has become such a routine thing and is so deeply embedded in our lives that many people don’t even think about how it came to be. That’s why we want to tell you more about what esports is and how it has become an integral part of our culture. So, cyber sport is a competition on computer video games that takes place between individual players or teams. It is also commonly known as E-sport.

Just like classical sports, esports has its own sub-species or esports disciplines. These, in turn, are grouped by genre. There are many genres, such as MOBA, shooter, sports simulator, real-time strategy, etc. The following games are considered to be the most popular esports disciplines today:

• League Of Legends
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• Dota 2
• Valorant
• Hearthstone
• Overwatch

All of the mentioned disciplines are at the top of the esports game charts. Competitions for these games gather stadiums full of spectators, and millions of fans follow the matches live on air. But, it wasn’t always like this.

The history of esports goes back to 1972, when a competition was held between students of an American university on the then popular game “Spacewar!”. Obviously, those tournaments were nothing like the modern ones. It is unlikely that any of the participants of that very first tournament could have imagined what the prospects of esports could be. As the years passed, competitive disciplines such as DOOM, Quake and others appeared in the late 1990s.

In 2011, a new esports story begins. That’s when Valve hosts The International tournament for Dota 2. In this event, top esports players battle it out for a $1.6 million prize, unheard of at the time. The tournament was warmly welcomed by fans and even the skeptical realized that esports had the right to exist. These days there are many competitions of varying formats and statuses. Top competitions are widely covered in the media and the best teams from all over the world compete for tens of millions of US dollars in prize money. A new profession has emerged: esports player. For some young people, it is a dream to build a career in esports. Online esports has gained the widest recognition and has become as common as football or hockey.

MODERN ESPORTS

Now that you know a brief history of esports, it’s time to assess what esports is all about. Modern esports consists of several dozen competitive disciplines, each of which is unique in its own way and of interest to a certain circle of fans. Like classic sports, in esports fans cheer on their favourite teams, support their idols, watch the competitions and check out the esports news. In essence, these people live esports. For them, esports is not just a hobby or a pastime, but a lifestyle. It is easy to understand them, because at the time when the famous esports tournaments start, life stops. Fans start to follow their idols as they compete. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun!

Top esports teams demonstrate unparalleled skill, strategic thinking, tactical thinking and more. Every esports athlete is a top player and is good at what they do, with rock-solid nerves, cool mind and lightning-quick reflexes. The history of esports is full of names that belong to professional players who have become legends. Typically, esports stars are wealthy individuals who have been able to build a career on video games and gain worldwide recognition.

Every video game lover has probably at least once in his or her life dreamt or imagined themselves as a player on a top esports team. Today, aspiring players have every opportunity to build a career in esports. The development of esports has led to a lot of tournaments being held these days for newcomers. Very often at such tournaments you can find headhunters, who closely follow the competitions and try to find young talents in order to invite them to professional clubs. Moreover, educational institutions are opening up around the world to train esports athletes as well as other professionals whose work is directly related to esports. Online esports are taking on the features of professional sports. The popularity of the phenomenon, as well as the salaries of players and the income of tournament organisers, prove this. The proportion of sponsorship in this environment is also growing. Modern esports is developing rapidly and there is no reason for it to stop.

TOP ESPORTS DISCIPLINES

What makes up the top esports games? It consists of the best online games, each of which is a separate competitive discipline. In essence, individual games are types of esports. Like in classical sports football, hockey, basketball and tennis are separate types of sports disciplines. Let’s take a closer look at each of the disciplines that make up the top online games.

• Dota 2 – a MOBA game that has made a huge contribution to the development of esports. Tournaments for this game gather a huge number of views. It is also one of the most lucrative disciplines in terms of earnings, as the prize pools of top tournaments amount to tens of millions of dollars. Top gamers who play Dota can quickly make a fortune out of it;
• League of Legends – Another MOBA that is also considered to be the world’s most massive and popular competitive discipline. The total number of League of Legends fans is approximately one-fifth of all esports fans in the world;
• CS:GO – a classic team shooter based on a confrontation between a group of terrorists and a special forces unit;
• Valorant – A relatively fresh game from the creators of League of Legends, which claims to be the most massive team-based shooter in the history of esports;
• PUBG – one of the most famous battle royals created in recent years. In the first months after its release, it broke all sales records;
• Hearthstone – did you know that the esports top online game includes a collectible card video game? Not to mention that it’ based on the World Of Warcraft universe;
• Overwatch – A unique mix of the best of both team shooter and MOBA.

Each of the above esports disciplines is incredibly popular with players and fans.

THE MOST POPULAR ESPORTS TOURNAMENTS

Esports competitions are exactly the reason why we love Esports. Every major esports tournament is a great chance to support your favourite team and enjoy watching some great matches. Top esports tournaments such as The International for Dota 2 or the League of Legends World Championship are always a major attraction for the masses.

As a rule, competitions of this level are held in stadiums or giant esports arenas. For those unable to attend a tournament in person, there are webcasts which can be viewed online on dedicated video platforms. Top esports events bring together popular esports teams from all over the world competing for the championships and the massive prize pools. The prize pools can be as high as several million dollars. Yes, esports competitions are a great way to make money, so the best esports player in his discipline is usually a dollar millionaire.

But players are not the only ones who can make money from competitions. Many esports fans prefer to bet on their favourite teams’ matches at bookmakers. Such people are called bettors. If a prediction on an event turns out to be correct and the bet wins, the bettor will receive a cash reward. Betting always involves a serious risk, but provides an opportunity to experience a thrill. And if a bettor knows how to analyse information and make correct predictions he can make good money from it.

On our website, you can find detailed information on all the competitive events that take place in the popular disciplines. You’ll be able to check the statistics and the results of the matches. You’ll also find a timetable so you won’t miss any upcoming esports events.