The rise of eSport as a mainstream form of entertainment has been swift, dramatic and unstoppable over the past couple of years. Events in recent months, where traditional sporting events have been cancelled, postponed or otherwise disrupted have only served to swell the number of casual sports fans who are starting to take an interest in eSport.
But increased support and media attention is not the biggest change the eSport community is facing. There are shifting patterns afoot in the very games that they are playing, and they could send eSport in whole new directions.
Time for a changing of the guard?
By definition, eSport means playing video games competitively and does not limit itself to specific titles. Realistically, however, you are not going to see Twitch streams of people slugging it out to achieve global success at Rayman or even Grand Theft Auto. When it comes to the big money games that attract the media coverage, sponsorship and the bookmakers publishing eSport odds, you are looking at half a dozen established games, the biggest of which is League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO.
However, if you know anything about gaming, you will be aware that these titles are not exactly at the cutting edge. In fact, Dota 2 is the most recent of the three, and even that has been around for eight years now, while League of Legends was released way back in 2009. The times, however, are changing and while eSport tournaments for new games spring up all the time, there is a feeling that 2021 could be the year that some of them start to achieve some real momentum. Here are three that are already making waves.
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Released in 2018, this is an old-school fighting game that has an air of Street Fighter about it, but with physics that are right up to date. It’s been a cult favourite as an eSport for the past couple of years, and the spectacular effects make it popular with spectators, too. That showed signs of escalating to the next level with last year’s Dragonball FighterZ World Tournament in Paris getting plenty of attention. Unsurprisingly, the timing and venue for the 2021 event are still to be confirmed, but this is a game that more and more people are talking about.
Overwatch
Speaking of spectator appeal, that’s a quality that Overwatch possesses in bucketloads. It caters to those who prefer to keep the eSport action on the lighter side with cartoon-style action as opposed to gritty realism, and it has already superseded Team Fortress 2 as the eSport game of choice for that sub-genre. The game gets great support from the people at Blizzard, and the Overwatch World Cup is gradually becoming one of the most anticipated events on the eSport calendar.
Fortnite
The popularity of Fortnite among casual players is simply off the charts, so it should come as no real surprise that it is now becoming a force to be reckoned with on the eSport scene. The game has a particularly impressive following among female players and could play the most important role of all in reshaping eSport for the 2020s and beyond.