The competitive gaming world is one of the fastest growing and most exciting forms of entertainment in the world, but knowing which games to join in the fun with can be a tricky decision to make. Here are some of the easiest to follow and most entertaining Esports titles to get involved in the scene with.
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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Call of Duty might be the most famous first person shooter in the world, but Valve’s Counter-Strike series is where the most fun is found online. Hyper-competitive and kitted up with one of the most well respected and established competitive scenes, CS:GO is a game that sees two teams of five players join up with either the Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist teams in a best of 30 (aka. First to 16) rounds.
The Terrorist (Ts) forces can win a round by either killing the entire enemy team or planting the bomb and seeing it explode, whilst the Counter-Terrorist (CTs) can win rounds by either killing their opponents before they plant the bomb, defusing the bomb once it is planted or simply waiting out the round timer.
CS:GO is arguably the biggest Esport title in the world right now, with over a million active concurrent users playing at any time, and it’s a title that has become renowned for its intense moments of patience and strategy, as well as its sudden bursts of explosive action. There are events on almost every single month, with tens of thousands of fans setting viewership records either in person or online thanks to streaming platforms such as Twitch.
Mario Kart Wii
Yep, we are saying Mario Kart Wii is a viable competitive game to play online in 2020. The game might have been released during the heyday of the Nintendo Wii back in April 2008 when things such as motion controls through a Wii Wheel was considered revolutionary, but it’s still the biggest selling title in the Mario Kart franchise with over 37 million units sold, putting it second place in the all time Nintendo Wii game sales.
Not only is Mario Kart Wii still one of the best ever party games with a group of people, introducing bikes and tricks to the series, but it is also one that has benefitted the most from an online modding community.
The Mario Kart Wii CTGP Revolution is a collection of modders who have implemented everything from their very own custom tracks, new game modes, item alterations, 200 and 400cc to over 200 courses from every other game in the Mario Kart series. There’s so much going on with CTGP that a seasoned pro of the Mario Kart series can get on board with, and the skill ceiling really does get raised to the point where you really can play games for real money through wagers and moneymatches.
Overwatch
Blizzard Entertainment launched Overwatch back in October 2015 with every intention of shaking up what both the mainstream casual and hyper-competitive first person shooter Esports subgenres. The game was released to critical acclaim and has gone onto revamp the way in which the Esports industry has begun to handle its events and competitions.
Overwatch is unique in the fact that its Esports scene is almost exclusively managed and financed by Blizzard Entertainment, the parent company and creators of the game. Blizzard launched the global Overwatch League back in 2018 as the official strand of the game’s competitive series. The Overwatch League has teams from all over the world competing against each other, and rotates around the globe with every passing matchday, allowing fans to pack out stadiums and arenas to create that home/away feeling so synonymous with real world sports.
This format might sound fairly basic, especially for real sports fans familiar with competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, but it is absolutely revolutionary for the Esports industry. The format does away with the sometimes confusing manner of various outside companies competing against each other and stacking the calendar to the point of confusion.
Other titles that as League of Legends and Call of Duty have even begun to copy this way of doing things, potentially showcasing the potential this way of doing things has as on industry going forward and how it pulls in newer fans.
