One of the most intriguing questions surrounding eSport is the potential directions in which it might develop. While DOTA, CS:GO and Fortnite have laid the foundations for eSport, nobody is under any illusions that these games will still be played in 50 years’ time – unless it’s in some retro league, which sounds all too plausible!
Clearly, technology will evolve. The shift towards mobile eSports and their escalating importance is something that has and will continue to be discussed at length. But what about the games themselves? Sport-themed eSport, for want of a more elegant description, continues to lurk on the periphery, with games like FIFA and NBA2K achieving popularity but falling just short of the mainstream.
The possible linkages between eSport and iGaming have often been mooted. Both are enjoying rapid growth and both have some influential brands and corporations backing them up. The exact nature of their potential symbiosis has so far proved elusive, but the recent craze for slot tournaments could provide the ideal solution.
Accessibility
Let’s be honest, the typical MMO and FPS games that dominate today’s eSport scene take some time to get into, and even longer to play at a competitive level. Online slots, on the other hand, can be played by anyone and are easy to access from dozens of different online casino platforms from almost anywhere in the world. Check this website for some online casino examples specific to Canada. Similar resources are available for players all around the world.
Slots are easy to pick up, and although there are nuances to some in terms of special symbols and bonus games, these can be mastered in a matter of minutes with a few spins in demo mode.
Tournament play
You might think that playing slots is a solitary pastime, but that is no longer the case. Most casinos hold regular slot tournaments as special events and they have proved to be hugely popular with punters.
Typically, players pay an entry fee to take part in a slot tournament. They are then given a set number of spins and must use them within a set time. Scores are then posted on a leaderboard, with prizes for the top performers paid from the entry fees.
It doesn’t take too much of a leap to see how this could be expanded to the esport stage. There is little doubt that many of the online casino brands would fall over one another to sponsor an event if it was likely to attract a wide eSports audience, and such funding could contribute to both marketing and the prize fund.
Beyond that, the overall structure would need very little change. It would just be a case of organizing an order of play, and perhaps introducing some sort of multi-round elimination, a little like the cut in a golf tournament, for extra drama.
Will it happen? Slots tournaments are already popular, and their growth seems inevitable. esport is the obvious platform.
