It is often said WHAT is and not WHAT electronic sport is

E-sport is a very controversial thing, although in Poland it has already gained its permanent place in the calendar of Katowice events. There is a constant polemic about whether electronic sport should be referred to as sport at all. However, stereotypes are the biggest enemy of e-sport. There are so many of them. Where do they come from Why are some becoming absurd? As you can guess, opinions about e-sport are simply a result of ignorance.

Electronic sport for forty-year-olds still remains a mystery, thirty-year-olds seem to know what it is about, while the real recipient and generation that creates e-sport are people under 20 years of age. They spend hours playing LOL, often hiding this fact from their parents.

E-sport is a relatively new phenomenon, and opinions expressed about it come mainly from people who do not have contact with it. How much their perception would change if they tried to play LOL at least once. Meanwhile, stereotypes about electronic sport are at their best. Below are the most popular of them.

The e-sport teams are a bunch of disgruntled kids who have nothing to do

Identifying kids playing LOL with the way they perceive spending hours in front of a computer is no longer meaningful. Playing e-sport requires not only considerable strategic skills, but also high IQ. It's not that ordinary PC games are for the less-smart. E-sport requires much more commitment and energy, flexibility and planning.

These games are not only for persistent, but also those who learn quickly and do not like to lose. If you think I'm wrong, create a Steam account. You will soon find out that e-sport is not for everyone.

Many e-sport players train in their free time. She learns or studies every day. It is also not true that the players are complex overweight kids. Games like Counter Strike: Go, League of Legends allow players to chat with each other. Players not only know the environment with which they play, but later live, playing tournaments, make friends. Being a player in one of the e-sport teams is not synonymous with being overweight.

E-sport is not suitable for the Olympic Games

With the conviction that e-sport is fun for kids, it is difficult to fight. Electronic sport aspires to the Olympic Games, but stereotypes about it still prevent this dream from being fulfilled. In addition, there is the very nature of electronic sport - although we are dealing with competition, it is not about physical activity. Players sit in front of the monitors and use gray cells intensively.

This does not mean that the game does not require long-term preparation from participants. They must constantly improve their skills, which, contrary to appearances, not everyone has - reflexes, teamwork, analytical thinking - these are skills that the winners of e-sport tournaments have mastered to perfection!

Esports tournaments are low-budget events

Nothing more wrong! Prizes in tournaments are admirable and definitely worth fighting for. What order are the sums? To give you any idea about what prize pool we are talking about, we will list some of the most famous events in the world of e-sport. For example, during the Supernova championships organized in Malta in 2018, the prize pool was 150,000. dollars. It was the first ever Counter Strike: GO championship in Malta, the island where igaming flourishes (sports bets and online casinos). The main sponsor and organizer of the event is Quickspin , a video slot machine developer known in the industry. You can find this manufacturer's games at many online casinos (check out the Eagle Casino website). There are many indications that the event will return to Malta also in 2019.

However, the amount of 150 thousand dol is nothing compared to the IEM Katowice championships that took place in February this year in Poland. The prize pool in the Friday tournament was 100,000. dollars, and on the weekend 500 thousand dollars.! Does anyone still think that eSports is a small format event?

Playing e-sport is a waste of time

When writing about e-sport, we must not forget about the common perception of most Poles that playing a computer is a waste of time. Given that the main recipients are kids, it seems to us that nothing good will grow out of such a branch. Meanwhile, looking at the amount of rewards that players get, it is clear that you can earn, and even live on e-sport.

Many of them also gain international fame. Every Polish e-sport fan knows the composition of the Virtus.pro team and its achievements. Players become idols for many of those who are just at the beginning of their path to qualify for any of the tournaments. The best e-sport players can be compared to the biggest sport stars - they give interviews, their trips to the championship are sponsored, and they are offered photo sessions.

Money wins the victory in tournaments. The aforementioned Virtus.pro was the second highest-earning team during Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments in 2016 (source of information esporter.pl ). They won a total of 801 thousand. dollars.! It's impressive ...

E-sport is growing in strength. Experts of the topic have no doubt - it is a phenomenon on a global scale, which will soon become even more popular. We are sure that e-sport will also evolve as awareness increases and players age. In about ten or fifteen years it may not be a discipline that only teenagers play.

E-sport has one great advantage over traditional forms of sport - professional activity can exceed here the typical years of activity that we observe in football, basketball or any other discipline. Electronic sport does not require excellent physical condition and is available to people with various types of restrictions. They can be people with a certain degree of disability or minors (playing LOL has been allowed for 12 years). What matters is what you do, your skills such as the ability to plan and choose the right strategy. E-sport will surprise many more!

Author: Luiza Brzezińska

It is often said WHAT is and not WHAT electronic sport is