Why Are eSports a Sport in 2022?

Esports is gradually growing from entertainment into a full-fledged industry with its inner world and specialization. This is hinted at by the growing academic interest in electronic competitions. Let’s take a look at how the scientific study of eSports manifests itself in different parts of the world. In this article, we will answer the question: Why are eSports a sport?

What is Cybersport?

Cybersport is a competition in a virtual space, where the game is the interaction of control objects, providing equal conditions for the competition of a person with a person or a team with a team. In simple words, these are real competitions in video or computer games, only in a serious way. Among the most popular eSports disciplines are three-dimensional shooters (3D shooter), simulating a battle between teams of players on modern or fantastic weapons, simulators of sports games (a series of FIFA games); real-time strategies (StarCraft), and team role-playing games with elements of a tactical-strategic game (League of Legends, Dota 2). But how is everything arranged?

The professional scene is controlled by two parties: game publishers and tournament operators. Publishers develop and promote the game, if necessary, start servers and interact with operators. Meanwhile, operators are responsible for running the competition. They find a platform online or in real life, invite teams, form rules, sell broadcast rights and pay prize money. However, the industry won’t survive without esports. Teams influence both sides: they advise improving the balance in the game and suggest changes to the tournament rules. In special cases, a boycott may also be declared. Here are Shocking and Weird eSports Facts You Didn’t Know About. Online sportsbooks in the USA offer various bets on the biggest eSports events. Making money out of your hobby is getting easier!

Why are eSports a Sport: Competitive Seasons and Tournaments

The calendar of virtual competitions has several seasons. As a rule, one season lasts a year. This division is followed in Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, and many other games.

At the end of each season, they determine the world champion. Most often this happens at a LAN tournament, which takes place with the support of the game publisher. Moreover, tournaments take place online or offline. The network hosts qualifying stages, long-term leagues, or small regular competitions. There might be some risks, so much depends on the organizers. However, sometimes online tournaments face cheating (using programs to circumvent the rules), teams leaving (at any time, participants can merge), and technical problems.

Indeed, LAN tournaments are the main events in the game calendar. They are held over a local area network, from which they get their name. All participants get together in one room, which immediately removes the risk of a possible flight of the team.

Technical problems will be eliminated by specialists, dishonest players will be caught by judges, and the risk that the connection will lag is minimal. Many sources bring money for the tournament:

• sale of tickets and broadcasting rights;
• merch;
• advertising platforms;
• contributions from sponsors;
• publisher support.
• However, these are the main sponsors who help the tournament operator in exchange for advertising.

Most often, large electronics companies have interest in sponsorship. For example, LG Electronics sponsored iBUYPOWER Masters IV in CS: GO with a prize pool of $200,000, and Intel is hosting its series of tournaments, the Intel Extreme Masters. Before visiting the 22BET Sportsbook find out more about What Are the Best Esports to Bet on.

Sponsorship

Indeed, becoming a title sponsor or just one of the main ones is not a bad idea. The company logo will appear dozens of times on the broadcast due to the duration. LAN tournaments last several days and take place from morning to evening, during which dozens of matches take place.

Thus, there will be a lot of players among the spectators. The perfect fit with the target audience is an example of a situation in which each side remains profitable. Companies receive advertising, teams, and organizers receive funding, and the audience sees with their own eyes the coolness of the technology that the company promotes. However, it doesn’t have to be a big event though. Very often, companies become sponsors of tournaments for young players, and the range of interested corporations is very wide. For example, CS:GO tournaments have the Kalashnikov concern as a sponsor.

Why are eSports a Sport: How the Industry is Understood in America

The obvious leaders in terms of educational potential in the field of eSports are Asia and the USA. In the United States alone, there are about 20 universities that train professional players, analysts, commentators, psychologists, and managers. The USA is not limited to just one release of specialists. Indeed, scientists study the behavior of cyber sportsmen and compare it with the actions and reactions of players from traditional competitions. Dozens of scientific articles and magazines that reflect on eSports appear in the States every year. Such activity exists largely due to the action of academia and major developers. The three largest companies – Activision, Blizzard, and Riot Games officially promote educational programs and competitions within colleges and universities.

We can name at least the following institutions where you can learn the theory of eSports:

•  Allbright College;
•  University of Colorado;
•  ECPI;
•  Liz Macrae College.

Every year, the list has new educational institutions that teach eSports to a new generation. Besides, scholarships also support the education – the United States is the first to provide its citizens with monetary incentives for electronic games. However, it is worth noting that the United States is primarily cultivating cyber sportsmen, and not scientists and researchers. Things have not yet reached the stage of large-scale theoretical preparation and understanding of the industry. 

Scientific Understanding of eSports in The Rest of The World

The Asian region stands apart, followed by the rest of the world. Indeed, China has officially recognized esportsmen as full-fledged specialists. The game has ceased to be just entertainment – now it is a profession that one can master. The State of the Celestial Empire regularly sponsors local tournaments and provides players with a variety of benefits.

Pay attention that the official list of professions includes not only performers but also tournament operators. In this way, China seeks to support the local organization of competitions. Meanwhile, China is followed by South Korea, which is known for the cult of League of Legends and Starcraft 2. Since 2014, Chunan University of Korea has been organizing the admission of eSports players to a special department of Sports Science. So why are eSports a sport?

In the West, in addition to the United States, institutional reflection is also taking place in Europe. Many universities are considering introducing special educational programs, but the region itself is famous for its “conservativeness”. Indeed, it is precise because of some authoritative experts from Germany and France that esports has difficulty gaining recognition as an Olympic game. Despite some opposition, Europe, like the rest of the world, is preparing for a massive rethinking of esports. Current developments in the field of teaching methods and theoretical analysis are already getting into scientific articles and journals. Soon, not only psychologists and sociologists but also historians, culturologists, and even philosophers will become interested in the eSports industry. Meanwhile, you can visit online sportsbooks in the USA to bet on eSports.

Why Are eSports a Sport: Can You Become a Cyber Sportsman?

Yes, and in theory, it’s even easier than in regular sports. For a successful career in traditional sports, you need to attend a specialized section from childhood, or rather a school with a team, or catch the eye of a scout and hope for good luck. In the career of a cyber sportsman, this is easier. Most games have a built-in rating system that filters out players based on skill. It is enough to climb to the top, or as close to it as possible, to get into the games with the pros. And even if the scouts don’t notice, you can gather your team and try your luck at the open qualifier for the next major tournament.

In other words, this is easy to do, but in reality, for this, you need to enter 0.1% of the game base. It’s not a trivial task, but it’s worth remembering that almost all the new stars of recent years, like Miracle- from Dota 2, got into eSports in this way. Learn How to Become an Esports Player before visiting the 22BET Sportsbook.

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