How eSports Were Changed by Lockdown

Step aside, Ronaldo. There are a new team of sports heroes to idolize – and these guys are going digital. eSports have received a big boost thanks to lockdown and coronavirus, but how will that change now restrictions are lifting?

Most of the world seems to be seeing some kind of return to normality now. Some places are further along than others, but the end result is the same. We’re not strapped to our televisions anymore, entertaining ourselves as a full-time job.

How will this change the eSports landscape in the coming months?

Changing Spaces

A couple of decades ago, the very idea of Twitch would have been laughable. Why would anybody want to watch other people play games? And how many of these weirdoes could possibly exist, to make it anybody’s full-time job?

The answer was obvious: people like watching others play football, golf or tennis, so why wouldn’t they also enjoy watching very talented people play Call of Duty or Rocket League?

Coronavirus hasn’t just increased the number of people watching video games online. Gambling has increased across the board as people looked for some new hobby or outlet while being locked down. The numbers have been helped by online betting  deals, such as using a Matchbook bonus code.

Two thirds of those under-35 played or watched video game content during the height of coronavirus. That’s not a block of people that’ll disappear just because we’re allowed outside again.

Gathering Crowds

Regular sports getting back to normal is sure to impact on the amount of people enjoying eSports. Even if it was possible to watch them in person – which for many of us it wouldn’t be – there are other, better established sporting events to enjoy.

One thing is for certain though: eSports aren’t going anywhere. Even if some of the numbers drop off, you can bet that a good chunk of those new viewers now consider themselves hooked. That can only be good for this popular but still burgeoning industry.

So the first change post-lockdown is there won’t be a change. The millions who enjoy watching the best of the best in these eSports are still going to be gathering to watch them – socially distanced or at home.

The impact on revenue could be huge as well. In 2019, eSports brought in about a billion in revenue. It was predicted to be double that by 2023, but now that number has been blown out of the water. It looks conservative at best and foolish at worst. The people in charge of these kinds of eSports have the kind of golden opportunity they never thought they’d had.

How they channel that potential could make or break it, but it’ll be very interesting to see how it all turns out.

Conclusion

We saw how lockdown impacted on eSports last year, but now it’s time to start looking to the future. As traditional forms of entertainment open up, some of the hype may begin to disappear.

The question is how will this drop-off in numbers be handled, and how big will it be? For those answers, only time will tell.