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What to expect from esport in 2019

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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:

esports revenue 18

 

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.

twitch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

p and p

 

 

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.

game-reason-action

 

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

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World Esports Summit 2024: A Fitting End to a Remarkable Year in International Esports

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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.

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Indonesia Wins the IESF National Federation of the Year Award

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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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The Pokémon Company Announces Open-For-All Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament India 2025 With $10,000 Prize Pool, Skyesports To Serve As Esports Partner

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The Pokémon Company, with Skyesports as the esports partner, has announced an exciting new grassroots esports tournament, the Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament India 2025. Open for all players across the country, this competition offers an opportunity for aspiring pro players to represent India on the global stage.

Registrations for the tournament are now live and will remain open until Jan. 29, 2025. Players from across the country can sign up on the official website to secure their spot and compete for national pride and international glory.

The Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament boasts a massive prize pool of $10,000. The stakes are even higher, though, as the tournament winner will join the champion of the Pokémon UNITE ACL India League as India’s representatives in an international tournament. This international competition is the Pokémon UNITE Asia Champions League 2025 Finals which will bring the best-of-the-best from across Asia to Shinjuku, Japan on March 29 and 30 to fight for the ultimate title!

  • The Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament India 2025 will begin with the Qualifier Stage, which will follow a single-elimination bracket.
  • The top 16 teams from the qualifiers will advance to the Group Stage. Here, they will be evenly split into 4 groups where a single round-robin format will be followed.
  • Finally, the top two teams from each group will progress to the Playoffs. These top 8 teams will compete in this penultimate stage across a double-elimination bracket for glory and the chance to represent India on the international stage.

The Pokémon Company executive said, “While the ACL India League supports the top-tier organizations of the country, the Winter Tournament highlights our commitment to grassroots development. By supporting players at every level—from grassroots to the pro scene—we aim to ensure the sustainable growth of Pokémon UNITE esports in India.”

Commenting on the tournament, Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “With the ongoing Pokémon UNITE ACL India League bringing esports action to thousands of players, we are now thrilled to introduce the open-for-all Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament. This competition gives every aspiring pro player a chance to shine and represent the country in Japan. As long-term partners of The Pokémon Company, the tournament underscores Skyesports’ vision of giving Indian players and teams a chance to compete on the global stage. I wish the best of luck to all participants.”

With its intense 10-minute matches, Pokémon UNITE has seen remarkable growth in India, attracting a vibrant community of players and fans. The Winter Tournament is the latest effort to nurture and expand this ecosystem.

Today’s announcement follows the Pokémon UNITE ACL India League, where The Pokémon Company has directly invited India’s top eight esports organizations to compete, which includes the likes of S8UL, GodLike, Revenant XSpark, and Global Esports. The tournament, currently ongoing, is set to wrap up on Jan. 26, 2025. Immediately after, Skyesports will kick off the Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament to continue the momentum of Pokémon UNITE esports in the country.

The complete schedule for the Pokémon UNITE Winter Tournament India 2025 is as follows:

  • Registrations: Until Jan. 29
  • Qualifier Stage: Feb. 1 and 2
  • Group Stage: Feb. 8
  • Playoffs: Feb. 9
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