Esports has enjoyed a boom period that has seen it become a huge part of the entertainment business that moves billions of dollars each year. As the market matures, it’s worth taking a moment to look at the recent changes and how the future might look.
New Games Being Launched
One thing that seems certain is that new games are going to be added to the pro gaming circuit. Many of the most popular games like League of Legends and Dota 2 have been around for a few years, while the long-running Counter-Strike franchise was refreshed in 2003 with CS2. The Tekken franchise brought out Tekken 8 in 2024 while rumors persist of a new Halo game to be launched in 2026 or later.
In terms of completely new games, they need to quickly gain a large base of active players to gain a foothold in the Esports world. Hopes are high for Stormgate in this respect. It’s currently being developed by Frost Giant Studios and should be released later in 2024 or early in 2025.
Stormgate will provide a new real-time strategy game with a post-apocalyptic setting. As with most Esports games, it’s free-to-play and has been designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. This early Stormgate review classes it as being somewhere between StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3.
Bigger Tournaments and Larger Prize Pools?
One of the key factors in the growth of this industry has been the emergence of huge tournaments with ever-increasing prize pools. This has helped engage a wide audience of viewers who are intrigued by the idea of watching the best pro teams battle against each other for impressive prizes. However, there have been signs that some organizers are looking to take more of a grassroots approach with smaller prizes up for grabs.
This leads us to believe that it is not just the amount of prize money that causes fans to watch Esports tournaments. Some people also like to predict the outcome and the idea of placing bets on Dota 2 and other games has proved to be popular, with events like The International attracting a lot of attention. Wagers can be placed on the outcome of individual matches or the overall winner of the tournament. Other games like League of Legends and Mobile Legends are also available in the betting markets, with their respective tournaments
While The International has seen its prize pool fall in the last couple of years, other new events have appeared on the scene. The Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia began in July this year with a prize pool of over $60 million. This suggests that we may see a diversification of tournaments, with some having bigger prize pools and others taking the grassroots approach for a different audience. With a growing number of tournaments of different sizes, it’s becoming easier for everyone to find an event that suits their interests.
A Wider Audience
With some intriguing new games being launched and the tournament scene diversifying, it seems likely that the Esports world will continue to attract new fans. The excitement of watching pro teams fight for the top prize will continue to be a powerful reason that sees this market grow, while the chance to start a new career will encourage the top players to look for ways to enter the Esports world.
