What Makes A Game An Esport
Esports is a growing industry, but too often all esports games are bundled together in discussion. A lot of media and analysis likes to refer to esports games as one big mass, an amalgamation of every top title out there. There are plenty of games being played competitively at the moment, each with their own nuances. You have competitive fighting games, shooters, strategy… even the top mobile esports titles manage to bring in impressive crowds. The top esports games are about as diverse as the wide variety of traditional sports.
There is a clue in one major component of eSports which sets itself apart from all other types of gaming: The audience. When you play a game of Call of Duty online, everyone looking at a screen is usually a player. However, in eSports, the majority of viewers are spectators, and they must be catered to. There are lots of games designed with high-level competitive play in mind such as CS:GO, but a game doesn't need to be designed as competitive to be an esports. The Smash series (specifically Melee and 4) was developed for the casual gamer but techniques were discovered, allowing for high-level play.
Among the main games that are played competitively, you can find shooters, strategy games, and even competitive fighting games. If you’re looking for a new sport to follow or you’re curious which games are the most popular competitive games, these the biggest ones out there at the moment. They each have large ongoing competitive scenes, with big player bases and even bigger numbers of fans out there. Each has their own appeal, but they’re unified in offering players a game that rewards deep skill and strategy.
The Top Esports Games
1. League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the biggest and most influential esports games, so big it actually even got a Simpsons parody episode. It is a Battle Arena game that pits teams of players against each other as different champions. The game began as a Mod for Warcraft III, one of many titles to come out of that game. It has only grown in popularity from there, spawning a wide universe of its own.
League of Legends is like a few others on this list in its appeal. The team structure of the game allows fans to root for their favourite side and makes following the entire sport a lot more enjoyable. The game itself is deep and layered, with complex strategy at work in every game. League Championship Series’ run around the world, with tiers commentating to rise up and enter the worldwide events.
League of Legends has been the most-watched esports game, so in terms of fans following it is definitely one of the top games. While other games like DOTA 2 are fast approaching those numbers, League of Legends looks set to hold onto its top spot for quite a while longer.
2. CS:GO
CS:GO is one of the top esports games and probably the top example of the competitive first-person shooter. These game titles have dominated online play for a couple of generations of games now. However, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has really captured the interest of competitive players in a way that other shooters haven’t managed yet. The game has been played competitive for some time.
The competitive side of CS:GO is different from playing a strategy game, but it rewards tactics and skill in just the same way. The competitive events are a group of third-party organized leagues, which typically culminate in bigger ticket events that are part-way organized by Valve, with bigger prize pools at stake to match. CS:GO’s large following hasn’t always made it smooth sailing though. The game holds the important title of being the first to invoke a large-scale match-fixing scandal. This is an unfortunate problem and one that esports organizers tend to come down on pretty hard.
CS:GO has a lot of competition from other shooters. However, the title’s deep gameplay and commitment to the core mechanics of the genre make it one of the best esports games to follow competitively.
What Esports Games Are There
© Valve Corporation
3. DOTA 2
DOTA 2 is another battle arena game in the same vein as League of legends. Just like League of Legends, it began life as a mod for the popular Warcraft III, and eventually snowballed out into its own juggernaut of a game.
DOTA 2 offers a complex strategy and different heroes to play. Two teams of five players compete against each other in matches, winning by destroying the other’s team ‘Ancient’ structure within their base. (DOTA stands for Defence of the Ancients)
Valve built up DOTA 2 as an esports game through hosting invitations of the original mod’s top players. This helped to ease the transition into the actual DOTA 2, which itself has a huge competitive scene now running. Since 2013, the prize pool for large events has even been crowdfunded from within the game itself, with 25% of sales of a Battle Pass going towards the prize pool.
That this approach yields such high amounts is a testament to how beloved DOTA 2 is among its followers and fans. The game has become one of the highest paying and most watched esports games.
4. Overwatch
Overwatch is one of the youngest titles on this list of top esports games, but no less accomplished. Overwatch is a hero shooter that has teams play as various characters in a first person shooter format. What it makes it different is the array of cast members. The heroes each have their own powers, movement styles, weapons, and even hitboxes can vary dramatically. This makes building a team of players with corresponding heroes an ever evolving puzzle.
Overwatch has shot to popularity and now has events with considerably greater attendance than most major sports. The game is even due a sequel soon, though how that will manage to not split the competitive community remains to be seen.
Overwatch might be a little younger than the evolved-mod games that occupy the top spots, but it is rapidly growing its following and doesn’t look set to lose its status as one of the top esports games anytime soon.
© Blizzard Entertainment
5. StarCraft
StarCraft is one of the oldest games to remain quite this popular as an esports title. It released in 1998. However, it is the adaptable PC version of the game that is played competitively, not the bizarre Nintendo 64 incarnation.
StarCraft is a real-time strategy game. This places the emphasise on split second decisions, well thought out strategy, and keeping a cool head under pressure. Its competitive scene has become enormous and the barrier of entry to playing on a serious level very high and even the smallest mechanics have been mastered.
Remaining interesting for 22 years is quite impressive for a game. StarCraft’s deep mechanics have played a big role in this. The game has been remade as StarCraft: Remastered in recent years, a package that kept everything about the game, its mechanics, and anything affecting gameplay, identical to the original while updating the visuals. This was even followed up by a cartoonish version; StarCraft: Cartooned.
Players are still finding new and unique ways to get ahead in StarCraft, and it will likely remain one of the top esports games for a while longer.
One of the biggest misconceptions and mistakes that brands are making is using the terms “esports” and “gaming” interchangeably. While it is often assumed that all esports fans and gamers have the same habits and influencers, a close analysis highlights notable nuances across the two. Understanding these nuances is essential when developing a strategy for entry into this burgeoning space. And, while the allure of reaching a global audience is strong, it’s important that marketers don’t paint them with a broad brush.
When it comes to the growing worlds of esports and gaming, there is an array of angles that brands can approach when activating to connect to their target audiences. At Taylor, we believe understanding these angles is so important that we have put together a three-part series. In this series, we outline the key differences between esports and gaming, the guiding principles to activate within this space and finally tools you can use to drive brand affinity.
Here, we will highlight the key differences between esports and gaming.
What is Gaming?
Gaming is the action or practice of playing video games. Gamers or Gaming enthusiasts are individuals who enjoy an array of titles, which can range from single player to multiplayer, and which may or may not have a competitive element to them. Examples of titles include Super Smash Bros, Spider-Man, Clash Royale, and the Sims. Additionally, it is important to note that gaming can involve competitive games, but this does not automatically qualify gaming as esports.
Top Esports Games
What is Esports?
Esports is shortened from the term “Electronic Sports” and is also known as “competitive video gaming, professional gaming.” These are in the form of competitions held on specific multiplayer online video game platforms that have team-based elements, such as: Overwatch, Call of Duty, League Of Legends, or single player-based strategy elements, such as: Hearthstone and Starcraft 2. These competitions dish out prize pools from $1 million – $100 million and have inevitably hit mainstream media, resulting in some confusion as to the difference between games generally and esports specifically.
Esports Players vs. Casual Gamers
A way I like to distinguish between the two is to compare esports to traditional professional sports. For example, when considering basketball, anyone can shoot around for a couple of hours every Saturday, or engage in a pickup basketball game at the local YMCA on the weekends. This would be comparable to a casual gamer, who spends two to three hours a week gaming. For many people, 10-15 hours a month may seem like a lot of time spent video gaming or playing basketball. However, from the perspective of a professional NBA player or professional gamer/esports player, this pales in comparison to the 10-15 hours a day they spend perfecting their craft.
In conclusion, knowing the difference between ‘gaming’ and ‘esports’ is a slight, but pertinent distinction important to understand when crafting brand marketing campaigns for respective audiences. Also of note is the wide spread of the audience demographics (i.e.: age and gender), as well as the influencers and marketing tactics that resonate within each group.
Make Esports Team
Stay tuned for Part II of our Esports vs. Gaming series where we will highlight: “Esports vs. Gaming: Guiding Principles for Brands to Activate in the Space.”