When will there be a major mobile esports title?

William Davis Published 18/08/2022

It’s no surprise that mobile gaming has grown in popularity worldwide. Smartphones in 2022 are stronger than many PCs were back in 2000 and things like flashlights, shooter cameras, and dedicated GPSs are all things of the past because everyone owns one.

The world of gaming has been similarly impacted by smartphones. In 2020, gaming businesses grew by 35% in revenue thanks to many people turning to mobile devices due to their relative cheapness and ease of access compared to PC and console gaming. At the time of this writing, mobile gamers occupy the bulk of the gaming numbers, with over 80% of the 3.24 billion gamers globally playing on mobile.

What is the draw of mobile gaming?

The primary reason behind the success of mobile gaming is accessibility. It’s the same blueprint that heralded the success of online poker during the early periods of the internet era. The fact that players could suddenly access casino games without having to be physically present at a casino was a huge shift. As the technology extended to smartphones, allowing for phone casino login through web browsers and mobile apps, this trend continued.

In the same vein, not every gamer can afford to spend hundreds on a console or thousands on a rig. Meanwhile, a huge percentage of the population owns smartphones. In more developed regions, complementary technologies such as cloud computing, Wi-Fi, and VPNs is even higher, further enhance the mobile experience.

Before now, gaming was considered an activity reserved for PC and consoles and it wasn’t the cheapest indulgence. The regular releases of new consoles and rising price tags of games and shortages of PC hardware hasn’t made things chaper in recent years.

Mobile gaming has resisted this and grown at a higher rate. Download sizes are friendlier, games can be obtained for free, with in-app purchases catering to developers, and new releases are available to everyone instantly.

Is mobile gaming the future of esports?

Mobile games are currently pulling PC and console-type numbers in recent years, with titles such as Garena Free Fire, Knives Out, Clash Royale, Raid: Shadow Legends, and others gathering huge fan bases and generating millions, despite being free to download from mobile app stores.

Add to that the fact that industry mammoths like Riot Games are beginning to lean towards mobile games while ignoring consoles and mobile esports is looking to be moving in a positive direction. Major esports organizations are also buying in, with top organizations sponsoring teams in mobile games.

Will mobile have an esports title soon?

Mobile esports already exist in parts of the world, and it’s only a matter of time before they go global. Thailand, China, and India have huge mobile esports markets, with titles like PUBG Mobile already established and the likes of League of Legends: Wild Rift on the rise.

As of 2020, the number of mobile esports events surpassed traditional PC esports, boasting prize pools similar if not greater than those featured in other esports.

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