From their humble beginnings in the early 2000s, eSports has surged in popularity to become a global phenomenon. The past decade has seen an incredible range of moments that have defined this booming industry and shaped its future. From record-breaking prize pools and historic tournaments to the emergence of new gaming stars, this article will look back at some of the most significant eSports moments of the past thirteen years.
Defining eSports
eSports are competitive video game tournaments and leagues played on a professional level. This includes individual players and teams competing against each other in various games or titles. Professional gamers have to master the skills, strategies, and tactics of the game they are playing while also playing against opponents who have similar levels of skill and experience. eSports tournaments offer large prize pools for winners, which makes them highly competitive events that draw large audiences around the world. The most popular genres within eSports include first-person shooters, real-time strategy, fighting games, sports simulations, massively multiplayer online battle arenas (MMOBA), collectible card games (CCG), and more. With its rising popularity in recent years, many organizations such as Major League Gaming (MLG) have emerged to help regulate professional gaming competitions across all different platforms and regions.
2010: StarCraft II
StarCraft II, released in 2010, was one of the most iconic games of the decade. It is a real-time strategy game that allows players to build their own army and battle it against others. The competitive scene of StarCraft II swiftly grew throughout the years with tournaments being organized all around the world. This was further enhanced with Blizzard introducing two expansions: Heart Of The Swarm and Legacy Of The Void.
The first major tournament for StarCraft II was held at BlizzCon 2010, where hundreds of players gathered to compete for the grand prize pool worth $50,000 USD. Since then, numerous high-profile tournaments have been held annually where professionals fight it out for monetary prizes reaching up to several million dollars! Notable events such as Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), Dreamhack, and World Cyber Games (WCG) have included StarCraft II as part of their tournament lineup since its release in 2010.
To this day, StarCraft II remains one of the most popular real-time strategy games globally and its competitive scene continues to thrive even after 10 years after its release in 2010.
2011: Dota 2 Release
Dota 2, developed and published by Valve Corporation, was released in 2011 to the PC gaming market. The game quickly gained traction and established itself as one of the most popular games in the world; it is estimated that there are more than 11 million active monthly players. Dota 2 has become a major fixture in professional eSports tournaments around the world, with hundreds of millions of dollars being awarded to teams that compete in its annual championship tournament. The game’s success is largely due to its unique blend of strategic depth and fast-paced action; it requires players to think on their feet while also making long-term decisions about how best to coordinate their team’s resources.
The game’s massive popularity has led to several spinoff titles, such as Artifact and Auto Chess, which take elements from Dota 2 but present them in new ways. Additionally, multiple video streaming services have popped up devoted solely to Dota 2 tournaments. These services allow fans from all over the globe to watch their favorite teams compete for glory without having to fly across countries or continents. This accessibility has allowed for an even larger worldwide audience for these events than ever before – something that would not have been possible if it were not for Dota 2’s release back in 2011.
2013: League of Legends World Championship
The 2013 League of Legends World Championship was an intense five-day event that featured some of the best players in the world competing for the title of world champion. The tournament was held at the Los Angeles Staples Center, with a total prize pool of $2 million. SK Telecom T1 defeated Royal Club 3-0 in a thrilling best-of-five series to become the first back-to-back champions and cement their place as one of the greatest teams in League history.
The excitement around this tournament was bolstered by its huge audience; more than 32 million viewers watched it live, making it one of the most popular eSports events ever. The atmosphere inside and outside Staples Center was electric; thousands upon thousands of fans from all over the world cheered on their favorite teams, creating an unforgettable experience that left even non-gamers amazed at what eSports could be capable of achieving.
This championship marked a turning point for eSports as mainstream media outlets started to take notice and give coverage to these types of tournaments, leading to an increase in viewership and showing just how far competitive gaming had come. The success of this tournament set off a chain reaction that led to even bigger games being released and more dedicated audiences tuning in each year – making this one truly memorable moment within eSports history.
2015: CSGO Major Finals
The 2015 CSGO Major Finals was one of the most iconic events in eSports history. It marked the very first time that a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team won a major tournament and received the honor of becoming world champions. The tournament was held at DreamHack Cluj-Napoca in Romania and featured 16 teams from across the globe, including Fnatic from Sweden, Virtus.pro from Poland, Natus Vincere from Ukraine, and Team EnVyUs from France.
The finals saw Fnatic take on Natus Vincere in what would be one of the closest best-of-five series ever seen in CSGO. Both teams were neck and neck throughout each match as they battled it out for the championship title. In an epic finale to their rivalry, Fnatic took home the victory after winning an overtime match on Dust II with a scoreline of 16–14. This victory cemented their status as one of the greatest teams in esports history and solidified their place as world champions for the 2015 CSGO Major Finals.
2017: The Rise of Duelit – The Popular Skill Gaming Platform
Duelit is an online skill-gaming platform that has taken the eSports world by storm in 2017. It allows gamers to compete with each other in a series of daily tournaments, earning rewards based on their performance. The concept of Duelit is simple – players choose a game they wish to play and bet a certain amount of money. They then take part in the tournament and compete against other players for cash rewards. As Duelit has become more popular, it has attracted many professional gamers looking for an additional income stream as well as casual players who want to challenge themselves and earn some extra cash. With its extensive range of games; there is something for everyone on Duelit’s platform. This rise in popularity makes Duelit one of the most exciting additions to eSports this decade and one that will undoubtedly continue to grow into 2024 and beyond.
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