Players compete in tournaments around the world, join clubs and train daily.īut nowhere is taking esports more seriously than China, the largest market in the world for video games. Global revenue reached USD493 million in 2016 and is expected to reach a staggering USD1.5 billion by 2020, according to a market report by gaming researcher Newzoo. But today, the esports industry is booming. The idea of ‘professional video gaming’ may have seemed laughable a decade ago. Esports has transformed a onetime slacker pursuit into an industry worth millions of dollars.
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Welcome to the world of esports, where professional gamers compete in multiplayer videogames in front of a live audience. Not bad for a weekend of gaming.Īn esports tournament held in Shenzhen (photo by Jocelyn Richards)Ī fan girl wears the name of her favorite player on her headband at Shanghai's Overwatch World Cup qualifier (photo by Jimmy Mi)
Do the math, and that’s over RMB10,000 per player. But every team that places in Shanghai this weekend receives USD9,000. Team China and Team France top the day’s competitions and qualify for the next stage of the World Cup. But the biggest screens hang above them, showing the players as their virtual selves – Overwatch game characters battling each another in fantastical settings. The players look like typical teenagers – except they wear serious facial expressions, which we see close up on a secondary set of screens projecting as they play. Both American and Chinese commentators narrate the action. Aside from the players and teams, there are coaches, presenters, broadcasters, sponsors and viewers (millions of whom are watching online via live-streaming platforms like Amazon’s Twitch). The tournament draws a cast of characters from around the world – both onscreen and off. Developed and released by American video game company Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch is a team-based shooter game that boasts 30 million players worldwide, a base it has grown in barely a year. It’s the second day of Shanghai’s Overwatch World Cup qualifier. Team merchandise for sale at an esports tournament (photo by Jimmy Mi) Throngs of teens line up to buy official Team China jerseys others are already wearing them. Fangirls wear electronic headbands flashing the names of their favorite players, giggling and covering their faces whenever the cameras zoom in on them. State-of-the-art cameras record the action, then blast it onto massive screens throughout the stadium. We might even have a new-gen console or two! Sign up to our newsletter to be notified of our console drops, deals and more.Spectators holler as China battles Norway, erupting into applause whenever a player makes a killer move. What do you think of this new Overwatch map? Let us know over on our social channels! Shop With GameByte!ĭon’t forget you can find great games and more on the GameByte Shop! Our store is stocked up with the latest games, merch and accessories. Hopefully we will see more content delivered for the original Overwatch game before its sequel arrives. The Malevento map is out in the wild now, and Overwatch fans eager for new content will likely lap it up. The rename will require multiplayer voice actors to rerecord interactions lines, which address the character as McCree.
In recent months it was discovered that McCree was named after Jesse McCree who is wrapped up in Blizzard’s ongoing misconduct allegations. Blizzard also have its work cut out for it after the company announced that it would change the name of hero McCree. The long-awaited sequel is rumoured to launch in Spring of 2022.
Delays may come as a result of the approaching Overwatch 2.
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