Esports Is Taking the World by Storm and Shows No Signs of Stopping

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As an avid esports enthusiast with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that the tales of triumph and resilience within this digital battleground never fail to leave me in awe. The stories of Cloud9’s valiant effort against Team iBUYPOWER, led by the legendary Shroud, and OG’s Cinderella run during The International 2018 are etched in my memory as some of the most memorable moments in esports history.

Back in the day, gaming was a far cry from the thrilling experiences it offers now, with Spacewar! being just the beginning in the ’60s. Nowadays, we’ve got everything from laid-back multiplayer sessions to intense esports competitions that would have seemed unimaginable back then. The growth of competitive gaming has set new records for the biggest prize pools ever seen, and it’s become a league all its own, constantly challenging what humans can achieve in video games.

Over time, esports has steadily set new milestones and carved out its unique niche in history. In 2023, it made headlines when an astounding 6.4 million viewers tuned in to Twitch for the League of Legends 2023 World Championships, setting a new record.

Kyle Giersdorf, also known as Bugha, pocketed a massive $3 million as the biggest single prize for an esports player when he emerged victorious at the inaugural Fortnite World Cup in 2019. The Esports World Cup held in Riyadh this year distributed a staggering $60 million in prize money across various esports competitions, making it the largest global tournament to date.

Exploring the origins and potential future growth of esports, given its massive audience and lucrative prize funds: How did this phenomenon emerge, and could it expand even more significantly? To uncover these secrets, let’s delve into its early days.

A Brief History Of Esports

In 1972, Rolling Stone magazine was the first to organize a video game competition centered around Spacewar! This marked the beginning of arcade games. Four years later, Atari, a significant player in video game development and home computers, hosted the first officially registered esports event featuring Space Invaders, making it a milestone in gaming history.

In the early 90s, companies such as Nintendo hosted events like the Nintendo World Championships. Later in 1996, QuakeCon entered the scene with its inaugural tournament featuring Quake 1 and Doom games. Additionally, during this decade, fighting games gained significant popularity, with the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) being the first tournament to showcase titles like Street Fighter.

2011 saw Valve organizing the inaugural international competition for Dota 2, offering a whopping prize of $1 million. Fast-forward to 2024, and we have the Esports World Cup consolidating the top esports games into a single event, earning it the title of the biggest esports tournament ever held.

Most Notable Moments in Esports

EVO Moment #37 – Daigo’s Perfect Parry

2004’s EVO tournament is remembered as one of the greatest fighting games events ever held, not just due to its electric atmosphere but also because of the outstanding performances by two exceptional players. Justin Wong and Daigo Umehara showcased an unforgettable battle during the semi-finals of Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike. In a nail-biting moment, Daigo, controlling Ken, found himself in a precarious position with barely any health left against Justin’s Chun Li. At that time, many fighting game enthusiasts believed that Chun Li’s Houyoku-sen was unblockable, given it delivers 17 consecutive hits.

Prepared to seal Diago’s fate, I unleashed Houyoku-sen, leaving spectators anticipating his defeat. Yet, defying all expectations, Diago flawlessly dodged each of the 17 blows without a single scratch. A single hit would’ve ended it all, but Diago pulled off the impossible: he parried every strike and retaliated with Ken’s iconic Shippu Jinraikyaku special move. The crowd erupted in awe, knowing they were witnessing history unfolding right before their eyes.

At EVO 2004, Diago didn’t secure the victory, but his flawless counter move remains one of the most memorable highlights in the history of esports.

Shroud’s Cloud9 Overtime During CEVO Season 5

Prior to achieving renown as one of CSGO’s top professional players, Shroud initially kicked off his career with Cloud9 all the way back in 2014. A significant event that contributed to his pro status was the CEVO Season 5 Professional tournament, which later got taken over by Gfinity in 2017.

In their final showdown against iBUYPOWER, Cloud9 found themselves trailing 14-15. They were aiming to extend the game for a chance to win a match in the series. Skilfully and cautiously, Shroud maneuvered to draw most of iBUYPOWER into a narrow area, eventually tying the game at 15-15.

In the tournament, Cloud9 unfortunately didn’t emerge victorious, instead losing to Team iBUYPOWER. However, Shroud’s exceptional gaming skills and strategic moves have left a lasting impression on the CS:GO community.

11 Million Dollar Call – The International 2018

As a passionate gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but reminisce about the unforgettable moment when Dota 2 made history by boasting the largest esports prize pool ever – an astonishing $40 million during The International 2021. Yet, amidst its many legendary moments, OG’s Cinderella story at The International 2018 stands out as one of the most remarkable comebacks and victories in Dota 2 history.

In Game 4 of the championship finals, OG finds themselves trailing 1-2 against PSG.LGD. If PSG wins this match, they’ll secure the prestigious Aegis of Champions and a $11 million grand prize. However, Ceb from OG had an alternate strategy; he rallied his team to orchestrate a stunning comeback, flipping the game around in their favor and extending the series into Game 5.

When it seemed like OG’s game was lost, with nearly all of its team members already defeated from a previous skirmish, Ceb unexpectedly intervened using Axe, making a decisive move that would immortalize their names in esports lore. The very same OG lineup went on to claim another Aegis the following year.

T1 and Faker’s Five-Time Worlds Championship Titles

Having two Dota 2 Aegis wins may be something, but having five League of Legends World Championship titles is in a whole other category (intended pun). Faker and T1 have just astounded us with an incredible accomplishment: winning five titles in the most elite esports tournaments for League of Legends.

The road to their fifth championship wasn’t smooth for this team and Faker. Between 2013 and 2016, they were unstoppable, but from 2017 to 2022, things took a turn. The team experienced multiple roster changes and missed out on several victories. However, Faker managed to regain his form, leading T1 to another Worlds championship in 2023. In the last month, they clinched their fifth Worlds title against Bilibili Gaming in a tense series that ended 3-2.

From their impressive run during the early years of the organization to falling out and having a huge comeback with two consecutive Worlds wins, T1 is set to create more League of Legends history as esports grows bigger with the Esports World Cup.

Esports Today and Tomorrow

Esports is expected to expand significantly in the coming years, with increasing interest, viewership, and lucrative prize funds. Statista predicts that by the year 2029, the global esports market could reach a staggering revenue of $5.9 billion. Moreover, numerous competitive games from diverse gaming platforms are making their way into the esports arena, broadening its appeal to a multitude of gamers, including mobile gamers and other demographic groups.

2024’s Esports World Cup boasted the highest collective prize fund ever recorded, totaling $62.4 million. Whether this sum will increase for next year’s event remains to be seen, but the substantial prize money distributed across various esports tournaments and the participation of top-tier esports teams worldwide suggests a promising and prosperous future for the esports industry.

As more sponsors show enthusiasm for esports and the Esports World Cup’s goal of uplifting and honoring esports globally, tournaments and contests across the globe will keep growing. Fresh faces in esports will emerge, and the creation of new milestones will persist.

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2024-11-07 19:50