Esport is big right now and stands for electronic sports. It is undoubtedly one of the hottest pop cultures at the moment and right up there with mobile games. Professional video gamers battle it out on a virtual platform, either individually or as part of a team, in front of the spectacular eyes of an audience. Organized online sports are similar to live sporting events, with the difference that it all takes place online.
The difference between esports and gaming is that esports refers to professional and competitive video games, while gaming refers to gamers playing online for fun and often against a bot.
Esports are turning into real careers for many. The most popular esports in the world right now is League of Legends, Free 2 Play, Overwatch and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Esports are fun and extremely popular. Similar to live games, fans around the world love to watch their favorite players compete against each other. The best part about esports is the fact that players often play for money and other prizes.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Also known as CS:GO, Counter Strike: Global Offensive is currently one of the best first-person shooter games in the world. It has been reported that as of the end of 2020, there were well over 20 million players worldwide. The game site has been hosting an international tournament since 2013, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships. This international tournament is sponsored by the American game developer Valve.
2. Fortnite
Coming in at the number two spot is Fortnite. This game was developed by Epic Games back in 2017. It is a battle royale third-person shooter game and is currently one of the most popular games worldwide in its category.
The game consists of three types of games:
- Battle Royale
- Creative
- Save the World
Players are able to fortify themselves in this game by building walls, stairs, and other methods of fortification. Players are also able to play with guns and other forms of weaponry. The gaming site has held an international esport event since 2019 known as Fornite World Cup. This event is sponsored by Epic Games to the value of $100 million dollars each year.
Splatoon 2
Our third spot goes to Splatoon 2. Developed by the Japanese company Nintendo, and released in 2017, Spatoon 2 is another world-famous third-person shooter game.
Players fight other players by shooting ink. Players control the character known as Inkling. Players team up in groups of four, battling it out against other teams of four in five battle modes. There are over 40 battlefields to choose from and the game offers over 100 weapons to play with.
League of Legends
Riot games developed League of Legends back in 2009. It is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) esports game. Players play in a team of five players against other teams of five. The aim of the game is to win by attacking the opponents base.
Every year, League of Legends offer a $2 million grand prize to the winner of its League of Legends World Championship tournament. It has to be mentioned that League of Legends has taken the Chinese market by storm being one of the most played online games in China at the moment.
Dota 2
The fifth position in this poll is reserved for Dota 2. According to its official website, more than 7.7 million esports players engage in Dota 2. It was developed in 2013 by the gaming developer Valve and is a MOBA game.
There are ten players who are divided into two teams: Radiant and Dire. These teams compete to destroy the opposite team, Ancient. There are over 100 characters to choose from. Dota 2 has held an annual international tournament known as The International, since 2011.
Conclusion
While there are many other online and mobile games that could easily make it onto this list, the games listed above are at the top of the list for obvious reasons. The gaming industry is booming and the growth is predicted to continue in the future. If you are thinking about becoming a gaming professional, then you can be sure that you can definitely make a career in this industry as some professional gamers earn well into five figures.