Esports tournament news brings you the latest information from the world of competitive video gaming. The global competitions are hosted by some of the most recognizable video game companies and feature top players competing to win prize money and brand sponsorships. They are televised in packed arenas and streamed online to millions of fans and followers.
The eSports industry has seen rapid growth year after year and is often considered a modern day gold rush. Major media networks broadcast eSports events 3, NBA and NFL owners have bought stakes in esports teams 4, and more than 600 colleges now offer varsity eSports programs 5.
A wide variety of video games are played in eSports. The most popular include multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter (FPS), fighting, card, and royale games. Tournaments are held for all of these genres and many more, including the global League of Legends World Championship, Dota 2’s International, Valorant, the fighting game-specific Evolution Championship Series, and Intel Extreme Masters.
The earliest cited instance of eSports was in 1972 at Stanford University when video gamers convened for the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics sponsored by Rolling Stone magazine, in which players vied to score the highest scores on home console systems like the Magnavox Odyssey and the Atari VCS. The eSports landscape expanded in 1980 with the inaugural nationwide Space Invaders competition, and grew further in the early 1990’s with the rise of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and GoldenEye.