eSports
What to expect from esport in 2019
Esports have grown to a massive industry in just the past few years, and 2019 is predicted to be even bigger. Many industry analysts predict global esport revenue to surpass $1.1 billion USD in 2019. Expected revenue breaks down as follows:
Obviously, this means huge tournament prizes and team earnings for competitors this year.
2019 Esport Games
We’re going to see game genres mixed up a bit more in 2019 esports. While RTS and MOBA games have traditionally been the most popular esport games, a handful of fighting and shooter titles are slated to be rising stars in 2019. Of particular interest are the rise of battle royale games, which we’ll touch on briefly.
The games anticipated to do most hotly in 2019 global esports are as follows:
Overwatch
Fortnite
Dota 2
League of Legends
CS: GO
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
PubG
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Clash Royale
Magic: The Gathering Arena
A dark horse also arose early in February, Apex Legends. Many of the 2019 esport predictions were made at the end of December 2018, or early January 2019. Apex Legends was released early February, with zero marketing behind it – Apex Legends literally came out of left field (American slang meaning “totally unexpected”, for you global readers).
The reason Apex Legends is worth mentioning is that the game hit 25 million players only a week after being released. It also became the #1 live-streamed game on Twitch, ending February with an average 217,997 viewers, or around 11% of Twitch’s total audience. This is no small feat for a game that was released completely unannounced into the wild west of the battle royale genre.
If Apex Legends continues the popularity trend, it could also become a hot item in 2019 esports.
Of course you see some old staples on the list of games. Dota 2 and League of Legends are certainly not going anywhere, being the most popular MOBAs on a global scale.
Also of growing interest are racing and sport games (oh, the irony of playing sports games in esports). There are a number of smaller esport leagues dedicated exclusively to racing games, such as the F1 eSports Series, and the GT Championships.
There is also potential for more indie and browser-based titles in smaller esport leagues. Mobile Esports, for example, partnered up with Blayze Games, the developers of the popular browser-based first-person shooter Bullet Force and offers tournament grand prizes of $500. Other popular browser games have good Twitch and Youtube stream followings – Slither.io for example has 17,307 followers on Twitch.
Indeed, this game could be a cool niche for the browser based esport racing scene. As for sports, games like NBA 2K and FIFA have serious dedicated leagues as well. Especially the latter, as many enjoy playing soccer games particularly in Europe.
2019 Esport Sponsors
A lot of global brands are getting into esport endorsement – in fact, just a few days ago Nike inked its first esport sponsorship deal, following the heels of Adidas and Puma (pun intended). This adds to the growing list of high-profile brands that are sponsoring esports. Esport sponsors fall into the categories ‘endemic’ and ‘non-endemic’. Endemic sponsors are companies that are related to esports in some way, such as selling PC hardware and other technology manufacturers. Non-endemic sponsors are companies that have pretty much nothing to do with esports, like Nike.
Many articles that list esport sponsors put food and drink companies in the “non-endemic” category, but I disagree. Brands like Chipotle, Mountain Dew, and Snickers are every bit as endemic to esports as Corsair, Intel, and MSI. Gamers gotta eat, and we’ve got a reputation for unhealthy diets, right? Other ‘non-endemic’ brands like Gillette, well… you know, some esports players really do badly need a shave. So it fits.
Here are the top non-endemic global sponsors for esports in 2018 / 2019:
- Adidas
- Gillette
- Geico
- Tinder
- Mercedes Benz
- Airbus
- Nike
The top endemic global sponsors for esports in 2018 / 2019:
- HyperX
- Intel
- Red Bull
- Monster Energy
- Mountain Dew
- Alienware
- Logitech
- Corsair
- Razer
- iBuyPower
- Twitch
Honestly I could continue, but it’s a pretty huge list and my editor will think I’m just filling word count. Check out Esports marketing blog, they cover this stuff more in-depth.
China Banhammers Like, Everybody
One thing of note is how China plays into the market – or doesn’t play in the market, to be more technical. While many analysts include China in their “global esport revenue” reports, China lately has been taking its ball and playing at home. The country has a massive esport scene that caters to native games, which are not seen on the international level.
China’s biggest esport game is Honor of Kings, also known as Arena of Valor on the international market. It’s pretty much been China’s biggest MOBA for awhile, and has expanded to the Asia-Pacific region. Honor of Kings was released internationally as Arena of Valor, but hasn’t seen the same success its enjoyed in China.
To add to this, mainland China also recently banned a number of highly popular esport games, while putting others on a “watch list”. It’s an effort from their Online Ethics Committee to crack down on ‘vulgarity’ and explicit violence in video games. The most popular esport games banned games in mainland China are:
- PubG
- Fortnite
- H1Z1
- Alliance of Valiant Arms
Here’s a full list of games that were either banned or put on a watch / review list in mainland China – you’ll notice a few Chinese games are also on the list, including Arena of Valor, the game I just said was China’s biggest esport draw. Tencent, the developers of Arena of Valor, actually skipped off to Hong Kong for laxer laws, tweeting “after everything we did for you 🙁 @XiJingpingreal”. Actually I’m making that up, they didn’t tweet anything. But they did skip off to Hong Kong.
In any case, when you take into considering mainland China’s clamping down on mobile games for their “corruption of youth” potential, then it’s not hard to believe North America will once again be the largest esports market in 2019. America boasted esport revenues of $409.1 million in 2018, and I’m pretty sure we won the most esport trophies. What’s that? South Korea, you say? They don’t count. Their public education was replaced with MOBA training campuses years ago.
I’m 99% positive these photos are from South Korean elementary schools. Prove me wrong.
Author: Katie Green
Asia
Vasista Esports Crowned Champions of Red Bull M.E.O. 2024 at Chennai Trade Centre
The Red Bull M.E.O. 2024 BGMI Grand Finals concluded in spectacular fashion at the Chennai Trade Centre, with Vasista Esports emerging as the champions. The team, which flew under the radar leading up to the finals, delivered a phenomenal performance to claim the coveted title.
Coming into the Grand Finals, Vasista Esports had placed 13th in the semifinals, raising doubts about their chances. However, the roster maintained consistency throughout the 18 matches in the grand finals, propelling them to the top of the standings table with 153 points.
The journey to victory wasn’t without challenges. While Vasista Esports took an early lead, they faced stiff resistance from formidable teams like Orangutan, Gods Reign, and Soul Esports during the intense L.AN finale.
In fact, Orangutan almost clinched the title in the penultimate game where they picked up 10 finishes and placed second. But, with Vasista Esports playing it safe to place second in that match, they maintained their position at the top. Orangutan ended as the runners-up with a mere 6 point difference to Vasista Esports.
With this victory, Vasista Esports not only earns the prestigious title but also an exclusive Red Bull F1 experience, where the team will travel to witness a live Formula 1 race in 2025.
In a post match interview, Vasista Esports Pukar said, “We are feeling really good. Honestly, we have been trying to win for the past two seasons and even finished second once. This time, we have won it all and can’t wait to watch the FI race live.”
On their consistency, the player added, “We approached each game with a fresh mindset, taking it one game at a time and leaving behind the results of the previous matches.”
The Red Bull M.E.O. 2024 featured open qualifiers with thousands of players from across India competing for a chance to shine on the big stage. Ultimately, 16 teams battled it out in the Grand Finals at the Chennai Trade Centre. The tournament achieved remarkable success, drawing ove 20fe concurrent viewers. Skyesports had executed the event.
eSports
World Esports Summit 2024: A Fitting End to a Remarkable Year in International Esports
The International Esports Federation (IESF) concluded the 9th World Esports Summit (WES24) in Busan, South Korea, marking the end of a highly productive year for international Esports. Held over two days, WES24 featured 10 panels led by some of the world’s top Esports professionals. These discussions addressed critical industry topics and explored the latest trends shaping the future of Esports.
WES24 has grown into one of the largest and most impactful international Esports gatherings. Each year the summit grows, it attracts thought leaders, stakeholders, and professionals from all corners of the Esports ecosystem, creating an essential platform for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration.
The summit also featured the IESF Referee Academy, where aspiring referees gained hands-on training and expert mentorship from leading industry professionals. This program aims to raise the standards of officiating in Esports by equipping referees with the knowledge and skills needed to oversee competitions with precision and integrity.
Another key program that took part in WES24 was the IESF Training Camp, an initiative designed to support athlete development. Athletes received expert guidance on game tactics, scrimmage preparation, and strategic insights, enabling them to enhance their performance and readiness for elite competition.
The World Esports Idea Quest 2024, also one of IESF’s initiatives this year, revealed its winners, recognizing outstanding project ideas for Esports events that demonstrated creativity and vision.
On the final day of the summit, the prestigious National Federation of the Year Award was presented to Indonesia. This annual award celebrates the federation that has demonstrated excellence throughout the whole year across all areas of Esports, from competition success to organizational achievements.
As WES24 concludes, we reflect on another year marked by success, growth, unity, and collaboration within the international Esports community. With increased engagement from the national federations, athletes, and fans, IESF looks forward to even greater success in the coming years.
eSports
Indonesia Wins the IESF National Federation of the Year Award
Indonesia has been named the winner of the National Federation of the Year Award – the most prestigious accolade presented annually by the International Esports Federation (IESF). The announcement and award ceremony took place during the IESF World Esports Summit in Busan, South Korea.
This award recognises the National Federation that demonstrates Esports excellence across all areas, including operational professionalism, success in competitions, marketing initiatives and efforts to grow the Esports ecosystem both nationally and globally.
What a year for Indonesia! While they earned the Overall Champion Award at the 16th World Esports Championship (WEC24), it was their commitment to promoting esports, supporting their national teams and demonstrating professionalism throughout the year that secured this honour. They have set an example of what it takes to build an Esports ecosystem that inspires athletes, fans and communities alike.
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