Everything to know about: Esports Game Genres

About a decade ago, no one would imagine that competitive sports would rise beyond traditional sports events. With esports gaming taking the gaming industry by storm, there is no doubt that these games can compete favorably with conventional sports. But what exactly is an esports game? What esports genres exist? Why is it important to know them for betting?

Esports games are video games played on the computer and are broadcasted to an audience of thousands or millions, depending on the game and the competition. Examples include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft Arena Combat. These games are played online with a few players competing against each other in a virtual setting that resembles a real-life arena or stadium.

First-Person Shooter (FPS) gamesStrategy gamesBattle RoyaleMOBAFighting esports gamesRacing and sports simulatorsWhat type of esports game is the best to bet on?
Kwabena Ofori
Written byKwabena OforiWriter
Researched byHaruki NakamuraResearcher

Punters can bet on several eSports genres, and each genre has its set of unique characteristics. In this article, we will be discussing what the different esports genres are and how they differ from one another. Bettors need to gain this understanding to know where to place their money. Of course, you want to bet on eSports games that you understand how they work. The following is a list of the most popular game genres in eSports.

First-Person Shooter (FPS) games

FPS games are one of the most popular eSports genres and consist of eSports games that utilize the first-person perspective to provide an immersive experience to players. Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch is one such game that uses a first-person perspective in its gameplay and provides competitive gaming and entertainment for the audience. Overwatch is one of the most played games and one of the top-most streamed games on Twitch as of 2022. Other FPS eSports titles include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Call of Duty: Warzone, Battlefield, and Rainbow Six Siege, among others.

FPS games are popular among bettors because they offer outstanding player engagement and retention. The sheer number of players present in FPS games also increases the supply for esports betting. The increasing popularity of FPS games makes them a top-rated category on many esports betting sites. You will be hard pressed to find an eSports betting site without FPS games. Additionally, because FPS games are played in stadiums at huge events and are broadcasted live, they attract large audiences.

Strategy games

Strategy games are esports games that involve strategy and tactics. The player needs to combine strategy with the proper execution of tactics to win. One of the best-known strategy games is Civilization, but it is not an esport game today. The player needs to develop their civilization and build up infrastructure, which can be used for the whole turn or a certain duration.

The popularity of strategy games has increased over time because it requires critical thinking and an active mind to think ahead and identify essential moves of every turn for a greater advantage over the opponent. These two factors make strategy games enjoyable to watch and great for betting.

Esport strategy games

Besides Civilization, other strategy-based esports titles include Starcraft, Warcraft, Hearthstone (it's a card game) and Age of Empires. In Starcraft, for instance, the map could be huge, and the players need to think of a strategy before sending their army across the map to block off the enemy units.

Many unique strategies can be used, like attacking, building a base, etc. The players or teams have to use their multitasking skills here, since strategy games require a lot of attention. They have to remember data of their resources, units, where their enemies are located and have to plan forward while they have to control their civilization or units at the same time.

Battle Royale

Battle Royale games are a unique genre covering fast-paced, action-oriented games where players must fight to the death. This is basically what battle royale games are; they are short, and players must kill as many of their opponents as they can during the time frame. Usually the map space is getting shorter and shorter by the time, while the player or the team (max 4 players) has to survive and kill their opponents during the way. The number of people who play these games has increased rapidly, making Battle Royale a popular esports genre.

The popularity of Battle Royale games stems from the fact that they provide an easy entry point into video gaming. They also have high player engagement because the objective is to kill others using every opportunity available and at relatively low risk of being killed by other players or NPCs. Thanks to their exciting gameplay, people tend to watch these games for entertainment.

Battle Royale games include PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Warzone, and Paladins. Keep in mind that some Battle Royale games may require a high-end PC to play, while others may not. So, if you're on a low budget, you may want to trade carefully when choosing your game.

MOBA

MOBA, in full Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA). It is a multiplayer mode of strategy game. One player takes on the role of a character, and other players assume the roles of enemies. MOBA players are called "heroes", “champions” or "agents" (i.e., the character who controls the MOBA game), who have their own specific skills and abilities. They try to destroy the enemies' base by gaining enough resources and experience and defeating their opponents to win the game. Each teams have 5 players who usually have their own roles: mid-laner, jungler, bot laneres (adc and support) and a top-laner. All of them have to work together, communicate and know when to get into a fight. The goal is to destroy the main objective, the "Nexus", but the teams have to destroy towers along the way to get to the final stage.

The popularity of MOBA games has increased over time because they provide an easy entry point into real-time strategy games. Thanks to their simple rules and quick gameplay, they also have high player engagement. There are many MOBA eSports games online, but the most popular ones include Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, and League of Legends.

Dota 2 is the world's largest digital tournament involving human players, with more than 100 million registered players globally. The finals of this event bring in a prize pool worth tens of millions of dollars, and it has been dubbed as The International.

Heroes of the Storm is also very popular among gamers around the globe. It is a computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 2015 after an enormous success upon its beta testing. It features characters from various Blizzard franchises such as Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft: Brood War.

League of Legends is a MOBA game that has become extremely popular in eSports. It originated in 2009 and has since become one of the most played games. As of 2022, at least 100 million people play LoL every month.

Fighting esports games

Fighting eSports genre is probably the oldest eSports genre on the market. As early as the 1990s, fighting eSports was already being played with players duking it out on a PC, Xbox, or Playstation console. Two examples of popular fighting games include Capcom's Street Fighter series, the Mortal Combat series and SNK's Fatal Fury series. The games are similar to traditional sports; many punters can relate these games to other sports. Other games in this genre include Tekken, Soul Caliber, and King of Fighters.

There are four types of eSports fighting games. They include 2-D fighters, 3-D fighters, 5-D fighters, and Platform brawlers. 2-D fighting games are so straightforward; they are 2-D sprites that scroll upward on the screen. Each 2-D fighter game has its unique moves, but players can use the same techniques to defeat their opponent.

3-D fighting games look almost like traditional football while playing; there are no barriers or limitations to how far an athlete can jump over a field or how much weight they can lift. 5-D fighters are the closest to traditional sports. They are played on a 2D playing field, but virtual athletes are given a complete 3D body. The fighting player can move their character up, down, forward and backward from where they need to be.

Racing and sports simulators

In the racing and sports simulators genre, the players need to be at their best in different vehicles or sport teams. Players compete against each other in a difficult environment. Popular racing and sport games include FIFA, NBA2K, Project Gotham Racing, Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series. The fights are not as competitive among drivers in these games as in fighting games, but the competition style resembles traditional sports in some ways.

Simulators feature realistic graphics that closely resemble real-life races and stadiums. Players can choose from a selection of racecars to drive or compete in different sports events using a virtual soccer field.

There are two types of simulation eSports games: SimSport and TrackMania. SimSport involves professional racing series such as the FIA World Touring Car Series. SimSport also features a series of real-world sports like F1, Nascar, MotoGP, and more.

In TrackMania racing, players can select from an array of vehicles to drive on various tracks around the virtual world. Players can take turns driving while trying to beat their opponent's time on one track or competing in multiple races simultaneously on different tracks that include obstacles like jumps and tunnels.

What type of esports game is the best to bet on?

There are many eSports games to bet on. And while the best esports game to bet on may depend on the bettor, there are eSports games that many punters love. To choose the best eSports games for betting, bettors should consider such factors as the overall popularity of the game, the minimum and maximum stake, the level of skill required to win, and its structure.

That said, some of the best eSports games to bet on include:

Overwatch

This game has been described as "a mix between Pong and "Call of Duty." The objective is to destroy the opponents' base while defending your own." With its simple rules, easy gameplay, and fast-paced action, Overwatch is quickly becoming one of the most popular eSports games around.

Dota 2

This is an online battle arena (or MOBA) played between two teams with five players on each side (as opposed to three in League of Legends). Bettors can choose to bet on the best Dota 2 teams or the best Dota 2 players, among other betting markets.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

This is a first-person shooter game played in teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists. The game is great for betting because of its massive community, easy-to-understand nature, and the variety of betting options available.

About the author
Kwabena Ofori
Kwabena Ofori
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Kwabena is a dynamic digital aficionado, adept at fine-tuning and localizing online casino guides tailored for Ghana's vibrant gaming community. With a perfect blend of cultural understanding and tech-savviness, he is reshaping how Ghanaians navigate the online casino landscape.

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