THE DRIVE TO get eSports into the Olympics threatens to divide professional gaming, pitting those thirsty for global recognition against the traditionalists who fear the sport will lose its soul.
Once associated with teenagers stuck in their bedrooms, eSports is growing fast, the top players making millions of dollars and tournaments playing out to thousands of spectators in stadiums and many more online.
Last month, more than 40,000 fans flocked to Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium to watch the final of the world championships for League of Legends — one of the most-played video games on the planet.
eSports is set to be included as a medal sport for the first time at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, a significant step towards Olympic status for 2024.
Austin “Capitalist” Walsh — everyone in eSports has a nickname — is sceptical.
“I do understand people — and I’ve heard this complaint quite a lot — who say, ‘We are losing what eSports is, it is supposed to be guys in jeans and T-shirts talking to their mates about video games’,” said Walsh, an eSports commentator and veteran of the scene.
“There are people who feel like we are trying to be too professional.”
The American, who has been involved in eSports for nearly a decade, said that for some, Olympic inclusion would help justify to those from the outside what they do.
But speaking in Shanghai at a tournament for the battle game Dota 2, Walsh added: “I am happy that people are interested in eSports and want to include it, but I don’t care if it is in the Olympics and most people in eSports don’t.
“All the Olympics does is get people involved in a scene that they don’t really understand and they will put up certain rules and regulations that just don’t fit.”
“TobiWan” Dawson, another renowned broadcaster, admitted there was a split within eSports over the push to put it on a par with 100 metre sprinting and other traditional Olympic disciplines.
“Personally, I think the Olympics will put too many restrictions on us,” the Australian said, speaking at the same Shanghai tournament.
“There are country-based eSports teams, but that’s not what makes eSports strong,” he added, saying forcing teams into nationalities would break many current top teams apart.
“What makes eSports really strong is the fact that you take a blend of multiple regions and you put them into one team.”
China’s LGD Gaming are a major force in professional eSports with about 100 players, most of them Chinese.
Next month they will open their “home stadium” in Hangzhou, near Shanghai, and until then are living and training together in villas or apartments.
Yao Yi, a former player and now an LGD coach, gave the Olympic push only a guarded welcome because in China, national teams are forced under the umbrella of sports authorities.
It is just that I think this industry, from the game developers, the gamers, the clubs, to the operations, they are all a bit unique,” he said at a villa in Shanghai.
Pan Fei, the manager of LGD’s 18 teams, said they competed in one tournament where teams took part by nationality and suffered because they had to drop one coach and three players, all non-Chinese.
But he said some relished representing their country and of five LGD players quizzed by AFP, four were in favour of Olympic recognition.
One of those, Yao Zhengzheng, a relative eSports veteran at 27, said the Olympics would be “not just the realisation of self-worth, but also the realisation of industry value”.
Ivon Wong is eSports general manager for Alisports, the sports arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Alisports, launched in 2015, aims to cash in on the rapidly growing world of electronic sports and Wong says that the Olympics “urgently needs rejuvenation”.
The answer is eSports, he says.
“The Olympics needs to attract young audiences through such a project to inject energy into it, while eSport needs such a platform to further regulate the industry so it can draw broader public attention.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Dropping of points is a major concern already. The performance was good yesterday I thought. Hitting the post twice and the crossbar and add in Pickford had the game of his life, these kinda days happen every once and a while but we have to start putting teams away. City dropping points aswell against struggling villa shows they’re not invincible but Liverpool have to start putting teams away before city are out of sight. Can’t be depending on a comeback like last season when we were 14 points behind them at 1 stage only to finish a point behind them on the final day.
@James horgan: not good enough last season and def not good enough this yr. They need to concentrate on qualifying for europe next yr and prioritise the FA or CARABOO as to keep the fans happy.
@Sean Bourke: “concentrate on qualifying for Europe”. Are you for real. They’ll finish in top 3 and more than likely top 2 with city winning the league. Arsenal will die off, Chelsea and spurs aren’t exactly setting the world on fire and united are united. No fears of any of the rest, just trying to keep pace with city. Which they aren’t at the moment but a long way to go.
@James horgan: “and united are united” ….. What’s that supposed to mean? They stick together?
@Stephen Foster: it means they won’t be anywhere near challenging for a title so Liverpool or City or spurs or whoever has eyes on winning it won’t even be taking uniteds results into consideration
@James horgan: recent form, results, and a look at the Premiership table would suggest otherwise.
@Stephen Foster: Man united are currently 8th. What are you on about
@James horgan: James don’t be taking that bait…
@Darren Fitzpatrick: he did tho lol
@Sean Bourke: he did :(
@James horgan: United are United! That’s a ridiculous statement. The most successful team in premiership history. If United are United they’ll finish above Liverpool as they have done more often than not over the last 30 years
@James horgan: omg get the thermometer out
@James horgan: and now they are 4th?
Bigger concern is that some players, Trent most of all, are too casual and look like they don’t care. Liverpool decided to rely on injury prone players so can’t use that excuse. The group they have should be doing better.
This result wouldn’t have been a disaster if the previous games were won . Mane is a big loss and a mistake letting him go , it makes it all so worse when ox was on more money than him .Too many players are off the pace at once , and if this run gets worse the fans will be on the Glazers miserly uncles , John Henry and co .
@Tricksy: he didn’t want to be there. His time ran it’s course. This mane missing is growing legs for now reason. Apart from the last 6 months of last year there previous 18 where poor from
Mane. Albeit he always gave you 100 percent, had had been lacking world class quality for a bit. I’m not haven him gone as the one sole reason we haven clicked yet
@Tricksy: Mane wanted to go they didn’t let him go if a player wants to leave good luck to him it can’t be as simple as Mane leaving ,form from at least 5/6 players has been poor and at that level if your not on it you get found out