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A surge of eSports 2022 events? Here’s a lowdown of what you should watch for eSports this 2022. Read on.
People learned how to adjust and deal with the coronavirus pandemic to sustain the economy and survive. We found ways to continue our normal activities while trying to prevent the spread of the virus. Many industries were able to make the right adjustments to continue their work, studies, shopping, social life, and other leisure activities.
The eSports industry is among the thriving markets that use the internet to continue and expand their business, especially now that more and more people favour doing remote activities. This young industry offers many opportunities for people who are enthusiasts of video game competitions. The number of fans and players is growing steadily, even if there are strict restrictions on live events. Most tournaments are now in digital formats, and eSports fans are beginning to appreciate the advantages it brings to them.
Despite the many obstacles from the past two years since the pandemic, 2022 is another year for the world of professional gaming to bring more exciting activities. Here are some predictions for the biggest games for eSports in 2022.
Predictions for ESports 2022
Here’s what eSports 2022 will look like:
League of Legends
League of Legends is the world’s most popular game with an increasing number of fans and players. The game will continue to deliver great gaming activities that people will be waiting for to participate or spectate.
The League of Legends is very successful in the eastern and western markets as they successfully gained more than 73 million viewers in their League World Championship.
The big event was up 60% from their 2022 record, hoping to have a record-setting year for them. According to Riot Games, League of Legends will create remote broadcast centres to deliver greater quality and accessibility for people all over the world.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive still produces a high-quality gaming experience with thought-out mechanics, good internal development, and competitive graphics. The Valve Corporation organises amazing events for eSports and supports the community in many ways. Many people are playing CS: GO for entertainment and revenue reasons. The more time people play the game, the better their skills develop. Over time, the CS: GO community participates heavily during peak periods, trying to set records for the number of gamers of online Counter-Strike.
There were rumours that the operations for CS: GO would decrease because of their competitors. But the game has enough loyal players and fan base to help keep the game and its eSports 2022 goals going. CS: GO was the most-played title on Steam until 2021 and continues its operations to become stronger this 2022.
VALORANT
This year would be VALORANT’s second year for being an officially sanctioned competitive gameplay. A lot of people question the growth of the game’s professional scenes, but they are proving to be a great venue for great players and teams around the world. Many different cultures are enjoying the game, and they have a competitive viewership to help the game’s growth.
The 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour is its first international event for this year, and it will be held in Reykjavik in April. One of the biggest goals for the game is to have a successful live audience event while maintaining everyone’s safety. Iceland is a great host, and it provides the best possible guarantee that every team that will qualify will have the chance to participate.
DOTA 2
DOTA 2 fans will surely get excited about the news about the game’s The International event, which is their annual premier tournament. Organisers prepare large amounts of prizes for every season.
The International increased their $40 million sales, making it their all-time record for the whole eSports industry.
This year, there is no stopping DOTA 2 as they have a top prize pool for their multiplayer online battle arena event.
Overwatch
Overwatch 2 has been in the works for almost two years. The sequel may have lost momentum during the pandemic, which may have already reduced their audience’s interest. During the Grand Final, the Overwatch Playoffs peaked at only 134,000 viewers in 2021. That season has a 50,000 drop-off from the previous and almost 200,000 from 2019’s peak. The game franchise needs a little push for its sequel and prevents losing more fans because of the delay.
The 2022 Overwatch League season is the game’s fifth season in a professional eSports league. The first four years were played on the original Overwatch game, while this season will have the early build of Overwatch 2.
Super Smash Bros
The eSports scene for Super Smash Bros will continue to be threatened by the pandemic this year. The game doesn’t have many online gameplay options, and many disapproved of such a plan. Some Super Smash Bros top players even took time off in competing in any game events, which makes the game’s suffering from the pandemic more evident. Super Smash Bros depends on in-person events because online gameplays are usually sub-optimal for competitive tournaments.
Genesis 8 is another supermajor event that needed to be rescheduled because of the rising number of COVID cases, especially with the new Omicron variant. Fans and players will have to wait for 2022’s Smash circuit event.
Fortnite
2019 was a good year for Fortnite eSports as it peaked at 22 million hours since the inaugural of its World Cup. But since the pandemic began, the game cannot repeat its record-setting year. People are hopeful for its return on the eSports 2022 scene once vaccination rates steadily increase and the pandemic calms down. Fans and players are waiting for the return of eSports events in 2022. But with the emergence of the Omicron variant, live events may be pushed to the end of 2022. The eSports industry will be looking forward to the Fortnite World Cup with its $30 million prize pool.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty has a strong fans and players base, but Activision-Blizzard must formulate a good plan for its eSports scene this 2022 to keep up with its competitors. There are many tough competitors in the eSports industry, which gives more reason for CoD’s organisers to step up and be on top this 2022. Top figures of CoD even have internal issues about the game, and they are looking for signs of improvement from the developers and organisers.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege also has a reliable player and fan base, earning its rightful place with a mid-tier title in the industry. This year, they would seem to retain their title as they take on big challenges against CS: GO and Call of Duty. There are even more difficult challenges for Rainbow Six Siege as Halo: Infinite and VALORANT are also making efforts in their eSports 2022 events.
World of Warcraft
The World of Warcraft is almost 20 years in the gaming industry, and it still has maintained a good reputation in the eSports industry. The game became successful in the Player versus Environment game modes in 2021, and eSports organisations are preparing another spectacular event this year. The World of Warcraft expansion is also in the works, in which players and fans can expect a better game experience.
Rocket League
Rocket League has much room for growth even during this third year of the pandemic. The last two years were a successful climb for Rocket League, and it still maintains a respectable pace in providing great entertainment for its players. Rocket League had the biggest prize pools in the early months of the pandemic with the North American Championship.
Participants fought for the total prize pool of $400,000, which gained over 136,000 viewers for the event. The game's success created good reputations and is expected to move upwards this year and in the years to come.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is one of the most successful games in the eSports industry, and it maintained a great impact as it led the battle royale genre in 2022. The game became a Steam client in November 2020 and became one of the top five active players that played on the platform until 2021. Apex Legends are also expected to dominate the eSports tournaments in 2022 because of their success in the previous years.
Halo
Halo is one of the steady games that has created many accomplishments through the years. The release of Halo: Infinite and the Halo Championship Series created a new dimension for the franchise. ESports fans are expected to get excited for the era of Halo this year. The franchise gained great recognition to lift them to the top of the gaming industry. The 2022 Halo World Championship will begin on October 20, which will create many good experiences for the game’s followers.
Final Thoughts
The eSports industry brings out many talents that create great history in gaming. Many games continuously develop new features that will deliver new challenges and experiences for players and fans. The pandemic may have slowed down the gaming industry, but it is not enough to stop people from enjoying interactive gaming experiences. So if you’re looking to place your bets on eSports 2022 games, these titles are the ones that will bring in the money.
