There are games and there are great games. In a world where gaming has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, there is something for everyone, including those with a competitive streak. In fact, this demand for competitive gaming options has created an entire subsection of the industry. This subsection is what we now call eSports.
If you read this article, you’ll see that competitive gaming, i.e. eSports, is where individuals and teams battle for dominance in various games. Such is the popularity of eSports that people are now betting on players and teams. Indeed, as that guide to competitive gaming explains, you can find odds for the “top tournaments” within gaming because it’s now classed as a competitive endeavor. To put it another way, gaming is now viewed in the same way as soccer, basketball, baseball, and all other traditional sports.
This shift in perception has helped turn eSports into a $2 billion industry. People are now willing to see gaming as a competitive pursuit, so a whole new audience has tuned in. In turn, this has made top-ranked gamers such as Lee Sang-hyeok, aka Faker, into global superstars. Sang-hyeok has become such a star that he’s known as the Ronaldo of eSports and has been profiled by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
What all of this means is that gaming is no longer an isolated activity that happens in private. eSports has turned certain games into opportunities. Opportunities for players to prove they’re the best and opportunities for fans to be entertained.
Popular Competitive Games You Should Try
The question, therefore, is: what are the most popular competitive games? We know eSports is huge and we know there are players who dominate, but what are people playing? The following list contains a brief overview of the most popular competitive games in eSports:
League of Legends
Developed by Riot Games and released in 2009, League of Legends remains the default game for major eSports tournaments around the world. At its core, this game is a 5v5 battle in which teams are fighting to protect their half of the map while simultaneously trying to capture their opponent’s half. It’s been free since 2009 and, thanks to various mods and tactical nuances, it’s enjoyed by millions of gamers every year.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
This battle royale game was a result of ideas developed by Brendan Greene aka PlayerUnknown. Greene is a battle royale expert and created a number of mods for other games within the genre. It was these mods that inspired PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Up to 100 players parachute into a battleground and, from there, carnage ensues as everyone fights to become the sole survivor.
Overwatch
This game was released in 2016 and remains a firm favorite among competitive gamers due to its intense ferocity. The setting is a future version of earth, and the aim is simple: kill your opponents. The thing that makes Overwatch so intense is that this is a 6v6 battle. Therefore, you not only need great reactions and timing but tactics and cooperation to survive.
Those are three of the best competitive games in the world but there are many more. eSports is growing all the time, as is our love of competitive gaming. That means more games will become battlegrounds for those who enjoy the challenge of games.
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