The past couple of years have had an interesting impact on the eSport universe. On the one hand, when things were at their worst in 2020, people turned to eSport as practically the only type of sport that was still taking place while all else was suspended. As such, it attracted new audiences, many of whom remained after the rest of the world was back to normal.
But the events of 2020 impacted eSport in other ways too. The conventional season was thrown into disarray with live events cancelled, and it meant that attention shifted from the traditional eSports, if we can use such a phrase. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that League of Legends was released in 2009, and CS: GO has its 10th anniversary this year. Over recent months we’ve had a glimpse of the games that are likely to ultimately usurp them.
Valorant
Valorant’s growth has been carefully cultivated by Riot Games. This first-person shooter is winning over some of the major players. Arnav “Logistaa” Kalra of leading India-based eSport team God Particles says Valorant has “more gameplay depth” than CS: GO, while what many consider to be the best sports betting site in Canada has added Valorant to the select list of eSport games for which it provides betting odds.
Clearly, the game is achieving the global appeal that is so important. Furthermore, Riot Games announced last month that Valorant Collegiate ecosystems will be launching this year in SE Asia along similar lines to those already thriving in N America.
Clash Royale
There’s no question that mobile eSport’s significance and profile are growing, and people no longer see it as “eSport Lite.” Clash Royale is one of the fastest-growing mobile eSport games, and its pro-league is now starting to mature and get attention from fans that go beyond participants.
It has also both attracted and retained the attention of big-name teams like Team Liquid and TSM. That’s like having Manchester United or the Dallas Cowboys want to participate in your new league and keep turning up every season.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six has made quiet but steady progress in eSport circles. According to the decision-makers at the eSports Observer, it now ranks alongside CS: GO, Dota 2, and League of Legends as a Tier One eSport.
Developer Ubisoft focused from the outset on nurturing both a grassroots player base and a strong player community. The result has been a consistent month-on-month growth at about six percent.
Rocket League
Perhaps the most exciting game of all in terms of growth and future potential is Rocket League (RL). We all know how it works, and that is a major key to its success. RL is basically a game of soccer played by cars – with rockets.
There’s no great complexity, each game lasts five minutes and it is as exciting to watch as it is to play. It’s a game of our times and for our times, and its popularity is going through the roof.
