The earliest known video game competition on record is the Spacewar tournament that was held at Stanford University in 1972. For those involved it was hoped, and in fact even believed, that this would be the first of many and that within a few years’ large-scale video games tournaments would be held on a regular basis in sold-out arenas.
As we know that wasn’t to be the case, largely down to two reasons; a smaller than necessary demographic of gamers and a lack of technology to take gaming into the mainstream. Over the past decade however we have seen both of those factors rise to the ideal levels and the results speak for themselves – competitive video gaming in 2024 is massive and the rate of growth is exponential.
Last year the global eSports industry was valued at £1.72 billion, a figure which is expected to rise to $9.29 billion by 2032. Last year there were tens of thousands of eSports tournaments held all over the globe, attracting an estimated 2 billion combined views.
So, it would be fair to say that just over 50 years after that first video game tournament in Stanford, that eSports has finally lived up to the hopes and dreams of those Spacewar loving students. But, what does the future hold? What are the new and emerging trends of 2024 that will impact the industry in the coming years? Read on to find out.
Gambling Incorporation
Tune into any Champions League, Premier League or La Liga game and you will notice within a few minutes advertising for betting companies. Whether that be on the front of shirts, during the adverts in the half-time break or on the advertising hoardings located around the edge of the pitch.
It’s the same with any other sport that attracts large numbers of fans; where there is interest and competition, there is betting and it’s fair to say that eSports has both of those in abundance. Is it any wonder then that a thriving online betting scene has emerged in eSports?
The majority of major bookmakers now offer odds on eSports tournaments and many of teams and events are now partnering up with gambling companies in lucrative sponsorship deals. Online betting’s recent growth has coincided perfectly with the rise of eSports and it would be no surprise to see the ties between the two continue to strengthen in the coming years.
Saudi State Sponsorship
We really didn’t want to use another footballing analogy here but regarding this point, it is so apt that we simply couldn’t ignore it. The Spanish Super Cup has recently moved from a one-off game between the cup winners and the league winners into a four team tournament.
That four-team tournament is now held not in Spain but in Saudi Arabia because of, well, money. The Saudi state is embarking on the most aggressive sports washing project in the history of the world and has bought brought major boxing, football and golf events to its shores in recent years – heck, it’s even bought won the right to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The Saudi regime’s approach to major sporting events is spilling over into eSports, with the country investing heavily in developing their own eSports teams and also trying to tempt over established stars with huge wads of cash.
In the coming years we thoroughly expect this trend to continue and would not be at all surprised to see the majority of major eSports tournaments being held in Saudi Arabia on a regular basis.
Streaming Platform Diversification
For many years now Twitch has been the industry leader when it comes to streaming video game action and eSports events. In recent years however there has been a rise in people looking to other platforms to host and view eSports.
Over the past 12 months TikTok is the platform that has seen the most growth, particularly in terms of mobile-based gaming tournaments. At the risk of sounding like an old man yelling at the clouds, over 60% of TikTok’s users are Generation Z and this younger generation will be the ones who guide the eSports trends of the next decade.
All evidence of Generation Z’s proclivities points towards TikTok becoming the platform of choice for streamers and gaming enthusiasts in the coming years. This won’t kill off Twitch and YouTube for example, but it will leave us with a much more diverse streaming landscape than we have now.
