Australia is not lacking in the eSports action, with several teams and star players competing in the most popular games tournaments. ESports titles are held in Oceania with competitions in first-person shooter games, battle royales, MOBA, sports, and many more. From observations and reports, eSports is developing quite well in Australia.
What’s The State Of The Esports Industry?
The eSports industry has grown significantly over the years from what it used to be before the 2010s. Competitive gaming used to be what happened between amateurs before the advent of the eSports industry. Now, the industry caters to professional gamers in teams that generate millions of dollars from merchandise, fandom betting, and tournaments, among several others.
As of 2020, the industry was worth over a billion dollars, with China holding about 35% of the market value. During the COVID lockdown, the esports industry experienced an influx of more gamers making professional gaming their source of income. Fortunately, active gaming isn’t the only form of income for individuals seeking to earn in the eSports industry.
A percentage of gamers, pro or amateur, went into live-streaming their solo missions on social platforms, including Twitch, Youtube, and DLive, among others. However, it’s also gone past Livestreaming as gamers who are creators now import clips from their mission to video platforms like TikTok. With all of these, the eSports industry has gained more publicity and fans over the last two years.
The games ruling the eSport industry still stay with the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter games (FPS), battle royale, real-time strategy games, and sports franchises, especially FIFA. Aside from the eSports tournaments and leagues these games pull, eSports betting has created millionaires by calling the right shots with eSports teams.
How Did eSports Rise In Australia And What’s It State Now?
Australia is often treated as a minor country even though it’s its own continent when it comes to matters of the global scale. However, Australia is a highly developed country with a high-income economy. It’s ranked the world’s largest thirteenth economy, and as you’ll expect, there’s functioning internet and exposure to pop culture in the country.
The rise of eSports in Australia isn’t as different from other regions, with the country’s citizens unlimited access to the internet. As eSports increased in popularity in the United States and bordering regions, it also infiltrated the large country of Australia. However, the eSport industry in Australia is not as recognized as in other established countries.
Over the years, more gamers have emerged from Australia to the international scene, but there’s still work to do to get corporations partnering with teams and gamers in Australia. A major milestone recorded for the industry in Australia was in 2018 when the Qudos Bank in Sydney was sold-out for Intel Extreme Masters that focused on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The Arena recorded 18,000 sold-out seats, with fans of eSports from as far as Brazil coming to watch their favorite Australian and international teams compete. However, even with the milestones being achieved in Australia, gamers are moving to countries where their talents would be better appreciated and funded. This is the current state of the eSports industry in Australia, thriving but underfunded and globally low in recognition.
Australian eSports Pro Players
Despite the challenges facing the eSports industry in Australia, there are over 17 million gamers among the almost 30 million residents in the country. The industry has produced some of the biggest eSports stars from League Of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and a host of others.
Some of the pro-players well-recognized in Australia include Anathan “ana” Pham, a two-time champion in Dota 2 with over $6 million won in eSports tournaments. There’s Justin “Jks” Savage, a veteran in Counter-Strike and the first-ever and only Australian to win an S-Tier tournament in eSports. He’s also the only Australian to rank in the HLTV top 20 players of the year.
You also have Victor “FBI” Huang, the first Australian to win the domestic League of Legends tournament outside of Oceania, Australia. There’s also Amer “Pred” Zulbeari; a pro in the Call Of Duty League; Ethan “Crunchy” Laker; a Valorant veteran; and Sean “Probe” Kempen; a pro in StarCraft II. The list goes on, but these are some of the most prominent Aussie eSports players recognized internationally.
What’s eSports Betting Like In Australia?
With over 17 million gamers in Australia, it’s only ideal for there to be eSports betting in Australia. Esports gambling in Australia has been made easy with a myriad of sites that let you bet on your favorite teams and fantasy video games. Genuine sites will look out for their punters by providing odds, tips, and guides to esports betting in Australia. You should look out for sites like that before making wagers on teams to win.
You’ll be able to bet and win real money on your favorite games, including League Of Legends, StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Call Of Duty, and several others.
Conclusion
It’s evident from this analysis that eSports in Australia is thriving quite well but could do better to be recognized more on an international scale. Nevertheless, the eSports industry has potential, and now is the right time to tap into it.