Esports is a rapidly growing industry that has recently reached new heights in popularity. More enthusiastic fans are tuning in to their favorite games championships and supporting their favorite pro players. But did you know that esports has been around for over 50 years? This article has more fun facts about Esports that you might not have heard!
1. Fortnite And DOTA Championships Cash Prize Pools Topped The Prizes For Wimbledon
Millions of people watch Fortnite and Dota, two well-known, popular games that serve as inspiration and host famous tournaments. The International (TI) DOTA 2 tournament has the biggest prize pools in esports. In 2021, The International offered a $40 million prize pool to DOTA 2 players. The players and supporters of DOTA 2 raised the money for this cash prize pool. The winner, Team Spirit, received $18.2 million among the five teammates. Each player received $3.6 Million, more than the $3 million Wimbledon winner. In 2019, Fortnites’ total cash prize pool was $30 million. The winners received $3 million and runners up $50,000.
2. The League Of Legends World Championship 2019 Beat The Super Bowl 2020 In The Number Of Views
In 2019, the quarantine time, over 100 million viewers watched The League Of Legends World Championships. It was an annual international tournament organized by the game developers Riot Games. In the tournament, twenty-four teams from thirteen regions were qualified. In the event, FunPlus Phoenix beat G2 ESports and won the “first worlds” title. However, 98.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2020 NFL Super Bowl.
3. Daigo, The Beast, Owns Two Guinness World Records, Has Published Five Books, And Has Written A Manga In Which He Is The Star
Daigo Umehara, The Beast, is well known among the gaming community as the G.O.A.T of fighting games. One of the Guinness world records was for the ‘Most Viewed Fighting Video Game’ shared with Justin Wong. The other was for ‘Most Consecutive Tournament Wins’ for 15 consecutive wins in the tournament. He has also written five books about Esports and the will it takes to keep winning. The manga titled Umehara FIGHTING GAMERS! is a dramatized manga depicting Daigo’s life as a young street fighter arcade player.
4. You Can Go To University And Study Esports!
Some universities offer curriculums to students who want to learn the ins and outs of the industry. From event management to Business in esports, there are many aspects to esports. Many more universities around the world have competitive esports teams. You can learn strategies, analyze your favorite gamer’s tactics, and more in the field. Many prominent and well-known mangas and TV series like The King’s Avatar look at professional esports in depth.
5. Esports Has Been Around For Over Fifty Years
On October 19, 1972, Stanford University held the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics for the game Spacewar. Players competed against each other in arena style. The event included a two-member team event and an individual event. Bruce Baumgart won the individual participants’ event, while Slim Tovar and Robert E. Mass won the team competition. The Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab’s lone PDP-1 computer was the venue for the competition. The tournament is arguably the first esports tournament, which means that esports has been around for over fifty years!
6. The Longest Losing Streak In Esports Is 42 Games
The Shanghai Dragons in Overwatch League lost 40 straight games in the 2018 regular season and two games in the 2019 season. On February 23, 2019, Shanghai broke their 42-game losing streak by defeating the Boston Uprising, marking their first-ever win. The Dragons, who went 0–40 in their inaugural season in the Overwatch League, own the worst single-season record in professional sports history. The team did not win a single game. But they overturned their roster and claimed at least one midseason tournament title in the next three seasons. They also won the 2021 Overwatch League Grand Finals against Atlanta Reign.
7. Ginx TV Was The First Official eSports TV Channel
GINX TV was launched in 2008 and is the first Esports Channel to set up a 24-hour Esports channel on satellite broadcasting. As of June 24, 2023, The UK version ceased broadcasting on satellite but continues on Sky Glass and Sky Stream. It is watched by millions of people today. Ginx.TV brings you the latest Esports news, guides, and videos on games. It tracks all the ongoing competitions and airs many of them straight on the channel. It is a great way to bring new people to the events and showcase what eSports competitions are about.
8. eSports Pros Are Legally Recognized As Professional Athletes By The US
Esports players are similar to traditional players in more ways than you realize. Like professional athletes, they spend hours training and practicing their craft, individually and as a team. Esports players often watch other teams’ strategies, analyze them, and plan their plays to compete with them. They practice improving their reflexes and making snap judgments essential to the game. For all these reasons and because Esports competitions are huge events held worldwide and often require traveling, the US legally recognizes top Esports players as professional athletes.
9. There Is An eSports Hall Of Fame
Every year, the Esports Hall of Fame is inducted in several nations, one of which being Busan, South Korea—famously known as the Mecca of Esports. Many people worldwide have had a significant influence on the esports sector. The Hall of Fame is to honor them. In 2016, the first Hall of Fame honored its first inductees.
10. Comcast Is Constructing A $50 Million Fusion Arena In Philadelphia For Fans
Fusion Arena is the first of its kind in the US that aims to be a game-changer. The Fusion Arena is the first of its kind that promises to create space for 3,500 spectators and is dedicated to competitive gaming and other events. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the first construction came to a halt. In a recent statement, Comcast clarified that they were reconsidering their original architectural plans, and the fusion arena plans are still going forward. One of the largest venues for esports competitions will be Comcast Arena.
