Paramount Plus with new series about esport

If you would have told me over a decade ago that people would opt to watch eSports – video games as sports – instead of real sports like Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, etc. – I would have laughed you out of the room.

Although video games have been wildly popular over the past 30 years, I would have never anticipated the growth of the hobby, to a point where big money tournaments were the norm. Whether folks are playing League of Legends, DOTA2, Halo, or any other title, there is a huge following for these competitions, and big money on the table as well.

It’s not shocking then, that the world of gambling has also overtaken the hobby with various esports betting options like GG Bet just to point one example. But the hobby has overtaken yet another space – the TV and movies space!

Video Game movies have been coming to the big screen more often in the past decade, and for the most part the movies have been pretty good. Think about the Uncharted Movie, staring Tom Holland and Mark Walhberg. Or what about not one, but two Sonic movies. And next year, Chris Pratt and a host of famous actors will be staring in a brand new Super Mario movie.

The hype is real, and it’s not just in movies. Paramount Plus is brining a brand new series to your home televisions that follows the life of a group of eSports players. This fictional documentary looks at the ins and outs of the eSports industry, and according to critics, they do a pretty good job!

Here is a synopsis of the show from Paramount Plus:

“From the Peabody Award-winning creators of “American Vandal,” Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, PLAYERS is a comedic documentary-style series that follows a fictional pro League of Legends esports team, as they pursue their first championship after years of close calls and heartache. To win it all, they will need their prodigy, a 17-year-old rookie, and their 27-year-old veteran to put their egos aside and work together.”

By all accounts, Players does a great job of highlighting the highs and lows of eSport gaming. The show focuses on the captain of the eSports team, Creamcheese, who is one of the best players in the game. But like so many other sports, you can be the best without having one the best prize, and that is what Creamcheese is chasing.

However, because of potential ad revenue and increasing the profile of the team, the president is bringing in a famed Twitch streamer and up-and-coming 17 year old star to add to the teams roster of teammates. However, things quickly go south as the two characters – separated by a decade in age – attempt to maneuver the eSports world together, while competing internally.

It is a logical story arc that would mirror most regular sports. Competing egos on teams has always been an issue, and seeing it play out in the video game space is going to be very interesting. Seeing how these players, along with their teammates are plaing, this world is thrilling and humorous all at the same time.

It’s not every day all of your favourite worlds collide in one space, but Players is promising to take everything I love – video games, sports, and television – and mashing them together to create an experience like no other.

While I won’t be able to comment on the shows quality until I can see it for myself, the reviews that have already come out are promising a fairly decent television experience that could be fun for a wide audience. Getting the masses on board, however, could be a bit tougher.