The impact of e-sports is gradually catching up with that of traditional sports. Not only are they already followed by millions of people worldwide, but the press is also giving them more and more importance, and they are even present in more than one bookmaker.

We leave behind an important year for e-sports events. We all experienced one of the League of Legends World Championship finals, which DRX finally won. And Lucas Blakeley won the F1 Pro Championship.

Now, we’re already thinking about what 2023 will bring.

1. Increased presence

Not only every journalist or essay writers, but also people in the subway, and Discord groups discuss that e-sports is a growing industry. It is easy to predict that, in the midst of a boom, the industry will continue to make its way and achieve a greater international presence. This means, for example, marketing video games in more countries, which also means translating and localizing titles into more languages.

2. Mobile: the main platform

By 2023, mobile e-sports will grow exponentially. The use of mobile devices will be on the rise, and the Gamer Generations 2022 report predicts that next year there will be 7 billion gamers whose primary device will be their smartphone. This will be achieved, in large part, by the improvement of 5G technology, which will give greater stability and greater visibility to e-sports.

3. Other platforms for online gaming

But mobile will not be the only platform on the rise. The dominance of some digital distribution platforms will also grow. Currently, Steam has the hegemony of streaming games, but this will be compromised with the growth of others, such as Roblox, which will no longer be exclusive to children’s games. Another name to remember is GOG and its commitment to vintage games.

4. Online gaming, even more in the cloud

Along the same lines, cloud gaming will become even more popular. In the world of immediacy, gamers no longer want to wait until they can go to the physical store to buy the latest title in their favorite game series. Services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation Now, or Amazon Luna will have a great moment in 2023 and will bring gamers the best games through downloads and a wide catalog in the cloud.

5. Virtual reality and the metaverse

We have been talking about virtual reality for years. And this technology, in 2023, will be a bit more important than in previous years. Don’t expect all games to be VR-compatible, but the e-sports catalog for the headsets already on the market should grow. E-sports events will boost the use of the metaverse, and we will be able to follow the clashes as if we were physically there.

6. More games focused on women

Although there is still a long way to go, the world of video games is also freeing itself from the sexism that has dominated the sector since the beginning of time. This can be seen not only in the greater presence of women in e-sports tournaments but, above all, in the video game offerings, which are gradually gaining female protagonists.

7. More independent games

In 2023, innovation in e-sports will also see growth in independent games. Some of the most anticipated titles by gamers are Valheim, Planet of Lana, Manor Lords, and Pixelshire. This opens up many possibilities for smaller developer studios and alternative distributors.

8. More sponsorships

When a market sector grows, so does the interest of brands. At a time when the gaming industry is gaining more and more reputation, it is not surprising that it is gaining more important sponsorships. We are talking about companies such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull, BMW, and Intel, which have already shown an interest in e-sports tournaments. In the not-too-distant future, they will increase these investments and bring more and better events.

9. Blockchain technology

Concerns about privacy and security in online gaming have grown in recent years. To address this concern, video game developers have had to use technologies to curb hackers, and one of them is the famous blockchain technology. Next year, the use of blockchain will increase, and that should guarantee the private and secure practice that gamers demand so much.

10. More presence among bookmakers

For e-sports tournaments to be on par with traditional sports tournaments, they need to be surrounded by a similar context. This includes, for example, the broadcasting of competitions and the possibility of placing bets online. In 2023, it will be less and less atypical to be able to bet on one outcome or another in these virtual events.

The magnitude of events such as the League of Legends World Championship highlights the importance and relevance that e-sports tournaments have taken on in recent years. This will continue to grow in the next 12 months, and more brands, platforms, and bookmakers will be interested in e-sports.