The Evolution of Esports: From LAN Parties to Global Competitions

If you have reached this article, you are interested in the gambling industry. However, it is important to define the concept of electronic sports, known as esports. They are video game competitions organised on a professional level. To date, they have impressive growth because they are considered one of the most recommended options for online entertainment.

This type of game has evolved mainly because it went from being used in informal encounters between family or friends in LAN Parties to becoming international competitions now appearing in sports news channels, and new betting sites, with millions of spectators and million-dollar prizes.

Esports became a worldwide phenomenon due to its contribution to the multi-billion dollar global industry that now reaches out to clubs like any professional sports do.

The Beginnings of Esports

First, it is necessary to remember that esports are not a novelty, i.e. they are not new because their origin dates back to the 1990s. However, they are currently booming and are attracting millions of fans. Their beginnings were in the 1970s and 1980s when video games in general began to gain acceptance and popularity.

Meanwhile, esports began to be mentioned in the 1990s with the emergence of the first LAN parties and smaller-scale competitions. History shows that between 1970 and 1980 they were played on consoles and personal computers, with Pong, Space Invaders and Pac-Man being the games that established the gaming culture.

On the other hand, in the 1990s, the first LAN Parties were small events where players connected through a local network, which was decisive for the development of this worldwide phenomenon. The games played at that time were Doom, Quake and Starcraft. For this reason, these titles are considered to be fundamental in its development:

• Doom (1993): network multiplayer that laid the foundations for duels and tournaments.
• Quake (1996): focused on fast-paced combat and precise aiming skills, it included game modes such as Deathmatch and Capture The Flag.
• StarCraft (1998): popularised the real-time strategy (RTS) game genre. It also established the format of professional tournaments and organised leagues.

Later on, we could play games such as Counter-Strike, Age of Empires, Warcraft III, and more, which used to hold small tournaments in LAN connection venues.

Rise of the Big Tournaments

Since their beginnings, they have managed to evolve to the point where major competitions, which bring in millions of spectators and participants, are booming. In the beginning, tournaments were local or regional tournaments organised by players and enthusiasts, but now they have solid foundations worldwide and have become a global phenomenon.

The first esports tournaments were the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) (1997) with Quake and Counter-Strike games and the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) (1996) with Street Fighter, Tekken and Super Smash Bros games.

In terms of popularity and the emergence of online casinos, esports has led to the creation of dedicated esports platforms. Most of these bookmakers - specialised in esports - offer a variety of betting options, ranging from specific match results to the performance of individual players or teams.

It is imperative to mention that live broadcasts, internet connectivity and the influence of social media are key factors in the proliferation of esports bookmakers.

The globalisation of esports

Technological advances, easy access to the internet and improved connectivity have enabled the globalisation of esports, which has transcended geographical limitations to become an international boom. The International Dota 2 and the League of Legends World Championship are undoubtedly benchmarks of esports, with millions of online and in-person viewers.

These competitions not only offer multi-million dollar prizes but also allow players to prepare for and enter a more demanding, professional playing field. Moreover, esports are recognised as an authentic and legitimate form of entertainment and competition.

By 2015 several online games allowed players from all over the world to get together in professional teams, games like CSGO (Now CS2), Rainbow 6, and FIFA included.

Finally, the evolution of esports is plain to see, after delving from its modest beginnings of local competitions to positioning itself as a global phenomenon of international and professional competitions. As for the future, it is anticipated that these events will continue to spread their wings and demonstrate the potential to be worthy of sports spectacles of history in general.