The Rise and Continuous Dominance of eSports

Rarely does an industry continue to rise for years and years with everything about it and around it growing and improving. It is an unprecedented development in business and the way markets work, but gaming somehow manages to only grow larger and more profitable despite anything that happens to throw it off. Of course, things are not much different in other examples of modern technology, but video games have taken over the entertainment industry as a whole a long time ago and it is now a market worth more than movies, music, and other types of entertainment combined. Naturally, as everyone gravitates closer to the big thing at hand, new ways to enjoy it show up and manage to take things even further. 

This is how eSports came to be and how what was once but a hobby turned into a profession for thousands of players. Nowadays, being a gamer does not only mean playing video games as a pastime activity and for fun. It can also mean a professional who earns more than comfortable living in some way, shape, or form. In this article, we talk about eSports, the popular teams, the most prestigious tournaments, and of course the games that are played there. We also dive a bit into the betting side of things and platforms like Stake.com where it is now possible to place bets on your favorite teams. 

The Definition of eSports

So what constitutes an eSport and when does an activity or a game become one? There is no official definition as it is still a new concept that changes every once in a while. Still, we can conclude what may be considered one by examining the current situation in the industry. Short for electronic sport, it is (usually) a multiplayer video game that is played very competitively for spectators either online, or locally in tournament halls, by professional gamers. This is the closest we can get to a definition but it covers most aspects of what an electronic sport is. If a video game is highly competitive and if it requires a lot of strategizing and experience to become good at, it automatically qualifies for being an eSport. 

So do all of them become big enough for the whole industry to accept it as a new title where there is a professional level of play? Not really, and the reason why is again not very clear. Sometimes, games that are made to be played by pros and for tourneys to be organized for them never manage to do so. In other cases, games that were passion projects or those that have gone through extensive patches and changes eventually hit it off and become the next big thing in gaming, with an eSport community quickly forming and competitions slowly starting to be held. An eSport can even be a type of horse racing betting with virtual horses, a brand new, digital take on the traditional sport. 

Most Popular eSports Titles

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this whole industry and market are not the teams nor the players, but the game titles that made eSports what it is nowadays. A few genres specifically have a monopoly over the whole ordeal. The first and definitely the most beloved is the MOBA genre, short for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. In these titles, The fascinating thing about it all is that only two games dominate the whole genre, not only in terms of competition and popularity but overall. Nobody really plays other titles of this type, at least not anymore. Many have tried, but nobody can come close to League of Legends and DOTA (Defence of the Ancients) 2. 

These two games have dominated the scene for over a decade, and both are actually the first two examples of major tournaments in gaming. Major League Gaming (MLG) and Electronic Sports League (ESL) legitimized the importance and fame of many titles, but it was always LoL and Dota leading the charge. With millions of dollars in prize money per tournament and millions of players still playing these games every day across the world, it is easy to see why these two are so dominant.

The other type of game is shooters, but this one has a few subgenres that are quite different in terms of tactics, speed, mechanics, and objectives. The most popular first-person shooter game, for the longest time, used to be the tactical shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Riding on the glory of the former iterations like 1.6 and Source, it managed to dominate internet cafes and game rooms for decades. Global Offensive moved everything further as it became a true eSports giant. 

Then came Counter-Strike 2 and things quieted down a bit. Still very popular, it was actually overtaken by VALORANT, a modern take on the formula which is also a hero shooter, except being a tactical one. It is very similar in terms of weapon gameplay, movement, and tactics, but it introduces numerous heroes each with their own special powers. Overwatch used to be a big title in electronic sports, but it died down quite a bit when Overwatch 2 came out. Fortnite is among the most popular games on the planet, but it too is not as popular as it used to be in the competitive scene. 

A game that is still very exciting for the players and viewers, and therefore a popular tournament title, is Apex Legends. Similar to Fortnite, PUBG, and Call of Duty: Warzone, it is a Battle Royale game, an interesting take on tactical shooters where things are quicker, players drop from the sky onto a map and have to look for weapons and equipment. They battle against each other in teams of 2, 3, or 4 players, and the one that survives until the end wins. 

Other interesting titles to watch and bet on involve World of Warcraft (WoW) arena PvPs where teams battle against each other in deadly combat. It is only one side of WoW, but the most competitive one that involves players fighting each other and not the environment. Speaking of Warcraft, the most popular digital card collecting game, Hearthstone has a monopoly on the genre in the eSport community. The cards and characters are taken from the Warcraft universe in what is a very wacky, fun, graphically beautiful game with a ton of cards and numerous expansions. 

A cool breath of fresh air comes in the form of sports games, mainly FIFA, now called EA Sports FC, as well as NBA2K. Similar to the real sport, it is a very competitive activity with players entering online tournaments and playing each other with their own teams, or teams from the game. Rocket League is by far the most played racing game, albeit with a fun sports side since the objective of the game is to score goals with a huge ball using super fast and modified cars. It looks and feels exactly like it sounds!

Most Successful and Popular Teams

In the year 2024, professional video gaming teams are hardly a new thing. Some organizations have been at the forefront winning titles and remaining relevant for over a decade. There are also new teams that shot up the ranks quickly, as well as many organizations that no longer compete. The biggest names in the game are spread over different titles and genres and are almost synonymous with gaming and eSports. Everyone expects them to perform well and they usually do. They also have lucrative sponsorship deals with gaming brands as well as certain energy drinks and snack labels. Moreover, some of the best players of numerous games are signed by these teams.

Right now, the team with the highest overall team earnings is Team Liquid with over $53 million and 2863 tournaments under their belt, both absolute all-time records. Their main game is Dota 2 but they also compete in dozens of others, mainly Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Starcraft II, Ranbox SAix Siege, League of Legends, Fortnite, PUBG, VALORANT, Hearthstone, and Rocket League. 

The second on the list of earnings is OG with $38.5 million, but they only participated in 196 tourneys so far. They mostly play Dota 2 with 99% of their prize money coming from that game. They also won in Counter-Strike: GO, Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, and VALORANT. 

Next up on the list is Team Spirit with $31 million and 264 tournaments. They too are Dota 2 experts with most of their money being won in that game. Still, they also play both Counter-Strike titles as well as the digital card game Hearthstone. 

To round up the top 5 we have Evil Geniuses (1019) tournaments and Naus Vincere (804) with $28 and $21 million, respectively. They both play mainly Dota 2, Counter-Strike, VALORANT, and League of Legends. 

Numerous other teams have had a lot of success but have earned less money in total. Some of the most popular teams regardless of their earnings or titles include Cloud9, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, Team SoloMid, and NRG. Their fan bases are massive and many of their players are active Twitch streamers who share their gameplay with hundreds of thousands of viewers and draw in a lot of money for themselves, their teams, and their sponsors. 

eSports and Betting

Of course, it was only a matter of time before electronic sports got their own version of online sports betting. They are now almost as popular as real sports among the younger generations since they have been following the gamers and the teams, and playing the games themselves for years. In a similar manner to true sports, gamers are referred to as athletes and you can bet on their performance as well as that of the whole team. Will they win? By how much or in what manner? Depending on the game there are different types of bets to place, as well as odds to evaluate. 

First, you choose the game you want to play. It makes sense to pick the one you are familiar with as a gamer, meaning a title you have yourself played. This gives you an advantage as it helps you make a more informed decision. If you know shooters, then Counter-Strike or Valorant are the titles for you. In case you prefer MOBAs, the choice is obvious, either League or Dota 2. But what do the bets and odds look like? 

There are the outrights of course where you simply choose the winner of one game or match. Easy, and very versatile. Depending on the game, it can be a bet on the team or an individual player. There are also tournament winner bets and competition long wagers that allow you to pick the champion before a single game has started. It is riskier but much more rewarding.  MVP and top player bets are also popular, especially if you think you know the scene inside and out and can concur with who is the best player in the tournament before it starts. 

More nuanced bets involve scores and stats, as well as player performances. Here, you can try to predict the end result of specific players or teams, like the number of kills, deaths, and/or assists, or the kill/death (K/D) ratio. Metrics depend on the game because not all of them work the same. You can bet on the player who you think will have the most kills, or use a certain weapon for their first or last kill.

In some titles, you can place bets on the first map that is going to be played, like in Counter-Strike for example. This works like a coin flip where a team gets to pick the map they play the best. In Apex Legends, they reveal the map rotation in advance so it is not possible. In many Battle Royals, there is only a single map. So pay attention to it. 

Finally, some games have the usual over/under bets on certain total stats and scores. It works just like in sports where the final score is combined and the odds are given for betting over it or under it. As you can see, it is a much more nuanced betting experience than many real sports, which is what further makes it so popular and fascinating even for those who do not know a lot about gaming.