Online entertainment and gaming segment has been booming in recent times with high-speed internet access and responsive online platforms. Online gaming, eSports and multiplayer games have been generating strong revenue numbers as people enjoy playing online and optimized video streaming has made these games easily accessible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic sports and gaming companies have witnessed a strong surge in revenue. The majority of companies in this sector have registered an impressive rise in their market valuations as well. The revenue for multiplayer games has been remarkable and as per industry estimates, these companies will continue on the growth path in the future as well. In the year 2017, International Olympic Committee acknowledged the growing popularity of esports and there is a chance for the committee to review eSports and recognize it as a sports activity in the future.
Entertainment and esports company FaZe Clan recently announced its plan to go public and it went through SPAC merger. The company currently values $1.28 billion. FaZe Clan currently owns a popular games roster for Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Halo Infinite, Valorant, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite Battle Royale, and Rocket League.
California-based Team SoloMid (TSM) was founded in 2009 by Andy “Reginald” Dinh and it has some of the strongest divisions in League of Legends, Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Clash Royale, Dota 2 Fortnite: Battle Royale, Free Fire, Minecraft, PUBG Mobile and Super Smash Bros. As per Forbes, TSM was valued at $450 million in December 2020 and during the same month, TSM reported $45 million in revenue.
Among other impressive teams include 100 Thieves (valued at nearly $470 million), followed by Team Liquid ($440 million valuation), Cloud9 ($380 million), and G2 Esports (valued at $340 million).
With the rising popularity of eSports tournaments across the world, betting on eSports has been picking up as well. It isn’t easy to predict the esports odds and bettors need to review the strengths and weaknesses of competitors carefully. Bettors can watch live streams and place their bets on their favorite teams or players. eSports betting has been picking up pace in recent times and market experts predict strong growth in the future as well. Bettors can check unbiased reviews of betting sites that accept UPI as a payment method and choose the best suitable platform.
The majority of the popular teams have apparel and branding deals with big brands. Some of the companies have also raised funding in order to expand their reach and launch new products for fans. Except for FaZe, the majority of these teams (or companies) are currently privately owned.
eSports events pick up pace in India
Multiplayer games need fast internet and responsive devices. Serious players are always looking for the latest hardware in order to avoid any performance issues. Many multiplayer gaming titles have a strong fan following.
The Indian government recently banned some Chinese applications but there are many other multiplayer games and apps that have been witnessed a rise in popularity. The Indian government decided to ban some of the apps due to security risks attached as the Chinese government has easy access to data hosted in China.
eSports events have been gaining a foothold all over the world. As life returns back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, we can expect more people to join eSports bandwagon and competition will be fierce in the future.