Like sport, competitive gaming has its reigning disciplines.
Crowded rooms, special effects and technical gestures, some video games attract massive audiences, comparable to the most popular sports, while others remain more confidential.
With twelve qualifying leagues for world championships and well-known national championships, such as the LFL in France, “League of Legends” is one of the most popular games on the global esports scene.
Created in 2009 by Riot Games, this free online battle arena strategy game has become a benchmark.
"It's an accessible game, which allows a lot of people to discover it, and the competitions are very spectacular, with a lot of twists and turns," analyzes Bertrand Amar, e-sport manager at Webedia and director of the ES1 channel.
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Older but still popular, “Counter-Strike”, a multiplayer first-person shooter, remains a sure bet.
Launched in the early 2000s, its violence limits its accessibility, but the competitions continue to attract a loyal following.
"Apart from Team Vitality, which is one of the best teams in the world, very few teams are involved in
Counter-Strike
in France", qualifies Bertrand Amar, however.
“Valorant”, another shooting game published by Riot Games and launched in 2020, does not have the history of “Counter-Strike”, but is gradually finding its audience.
On the French side, “Rainbow Six”, an infiltration and strategy game developed by Ubisoft, brings together a large community of fans of the world of American novelist Tom Clancy.
Sports simulations on the rise
Among the sports games, “Rocket League”, an arcade game combining football and motor sports, seduces players and the public with its addictive and quirky side.
Simulations like “Fifa” or “NBA 2K”, which have millions of players around the world, also have their competitions, but generate fewer audiences than strategy games or FPS (First Person Shooter, like “ Counter-Strike ”or“ Call of Duty ”).
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“Franchises are less structured on the e-sport scene.
However, they have real potential for broadcasting on television channels, ”observes Bertrand Amar.
Indeed, channels such as Canal + or the L'Équipe channel have broadcast or still broadcast programs devoted to sports simulations.
