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Is Esports Dying in 2024?

The esports industry has suffered from various challenges and tribulations over the last few years, and the path it has followed to become as big as it is has been a weary one. It’s not over yet, though. Sadly, many issues still plague the industry that leave people asking the question: ‘Is esports dying?’

In this walkthrough, we’re identifying the biggest blockers that are preventing the esports industry from being considered profitable and sustainable. If you’ve been wondering whether esports is a good career path to follow, you’ll want to check out this guide first.


What’s Wrong With Esports?

The esports industry has suffered under the weight of many long-standing problems for more than a decade. It ebbs and flows like any other market, but it’s especially volatile, leading to organisations dipping in and out of the industry with an alarming regularity.

Unfortunately, it almost always comes down to dollars and cents. In the last few years, we’ve seen funding, investments, and cash on hand dwindle across the wider market, but at the same time, player and staff salaries have remained almost too high.

In terms of companies, the market is fast becoming saturated. More esports teams are surfacing every day, but the structure of major esports tournaments doesn’t tend to change, which means there isn’t ‘enough room’ to accommodate these aspiring organisations.

That being said, viewership is increasing, the number of fans supporting the industry is growing, and other revenue streams, such as betting, merchandising, and brand sponsorship deals, remain quite consistent.

So, Is Esports Dying Now?

Esports isn’t dying, but it is still recovering from a monumental boom that ballooned the industry to epic proportions in a relatively short time. We saw hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the esports industry, and some tournaments exploded, pulling in staggering prize pools that ultimately proved unsustainable.

It’s now a matter of adjusting on a global scale.

It can be argued that sports and esports are nothing without the fans and the viewers, and that’s where the esports industry shines. Most esports games are seeing a growth in viewership that’s nothing short of promising.

Here are some key examples:

  • The Six Invitational 2024 set a peak viewership record at 521,374 users and kickstarted a popularity boom for the game.
  • The League of Legends World Championship 2023 set a peak viewership record at 6,402,760 users, setting a new world record for the esports industry.
  • The FNCS 2024 Global Championship became the most-watched Fortnite tournament in five years, securing a peak viewer count of 809,854.
  • The PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 proved to be a huge boost for Counter-Strike 2, landing a peak viewer count of 1,853,954 users.

The global fanbase is growing, and that means more ticket and merchandise sales. It also means better stability for investors and sponsors who are slowly but surely coming back into the fold. It means more ad revenue from boosted streams, co-streaming opportunities, and more esports bettors going out and placing wagers.

It’s tough for new esports games to surface, but that doesn’t mean developers have stopped trying. In recent months, we’ve seen the likes of The Finals, Spectre Divide, Tarkov Arena, Deadlock, Stormgate, and XDefiant all surface with the desire to become an esports game.

Ultimately, the appetite is there to make something special out of the esports industry. With almost half a billion enthusiasts worldwide, there’s a solid fanbase pooling, and with the likes of the Esports World Cup and the Olympic Esports Games trying hard to add further legitimacy to the industry, we’re likely only a few years away from a much more sustainable position.


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Avatar of Kane
Kane

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15 messages 17 likes

I Think in certain games esports will die, my next thing on esports Sort of related but i miss being able to play S&D Competitive on Gamebattles, there is ranked play on COD but i suck at the other game modes.

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Avatar of Hythlodaeus
Hythlodaeus

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45 messages 54 likes

I feel like esports as an overarching genre kinda took a massive hit after more casual viewers saw Overwatch League rise into almost mainstream and then crash and burn hardly three years later. But I definitely don't think it's dying in the communities it's intended to appeal to.

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Avatar of YeezyDude
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YeezyDude

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301 messages 322 likes

The FGC is still doing decent numbers and some other non-FG games too... So no I don't think it's dead so far and I want it to stay as it's a very good thing IMO!

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Avatar of GiGAHEART
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GiGAHEART

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245 messages 313 likes

Personally I haven't followed eSports that much since peak Fortnite circa 2018-2020ish.

I think formula-wise that's what should everyone in eSports should take notes from; spectacle & players who games care / root for.

IMO they should also involved single player centric games in these events such as Elden Ring, etc

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Avatar of SleepyAgent
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SleepyAgent

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83 messages 82 likes

Idk if I'd say it is dying. Certain areas of e-sports like fighting games are doing great, year on year attendence for spectators and players is increasing.

Maybe just certain areas of E-Sports are struggling

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Avatar of YeezyDude
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YeezyDude

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301 messages 322 likes

Idk if I'd say it is dying. Certain areas of e-sports like fighting games are doing great, year on year attendence for spectators and players is increasing.

Maybe just certain areas of E-Sports are struggling

Exactly... And I'm glad that this part of it is doing great at least!

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D
Dangerman1337

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86 messages 71 likes

Idk if I'd say it is dying. Certain areas of e-sports like fighting games are doing great, year on year attendence for spectators and players is increasing.

Maybe just certain areas of E-Sports are struggling

Fighting games have been in a great state over the last few years which helps a lot. Understated but SF6, MK1, TK8 etc show the genre has had great reception + satisfied playerbases which helps a lot.

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Avatar of YeezyDude
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YeezyDude

Moderator

301 messages 322 likes

Fighting games have been in a great state over the last few years which helps a lot. Understated but SF6, MK1, TK8 etc show the genre has had great reception + satisfied playerbases which helps a lot.

Exactly and I hope it keeps been this way and stuff gets even better in the next 5-10 years!

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GamerGirl23

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9 messages 6 likes

Idk if I'd say it is dying. Certain areas of e-sports like fighting games are doing great, year on year attendence for spectators and players is increasing.

Maybe just certain areas of E-Sports are struggling

Probably just a lull is my guess

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