By Luis Gabriel R. Santiago | January 27, 2025
By Luis Gabriel R. Santiago | January 27, 2025
HAVING evolved into such a titan of an industry the competitive scene of online video gaming shows no signs of slowing down as viewership, prize pools, and mainstream interest continue to rise.
Much-awaited titles such as Marvel Rivals, Deadlock, and the like are making waves in the competitive gaming community. They are capturing the attention of both up-and-coming talents aiming to break into the esports scene and casual gamers looking to relax and enjoy their favorite games with friends.
An Electronic Kind of Competition
What began as an underground community of “sweaty” gaming enthusiasts, “esports” has since become a familiar term to both young and old alike. For the past two decades, esports and online gaming have redefined what it means to be in the competitive side of sports, shattering what people consider the norm and creeping up into the mainstream.
The growing popularity of esports today comes as no surprise. Younger, tech-savvy generations naturally resonate with them, creating inclusive communities without in-person interaction. With the recent announcement of the first “Olympic Esports Games,” which will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025, the social stigma surrounding esports is beginning to blur.
The Same Old Faces: The Old Guard
Legacy titles like Dota 2’s “The International,” League of Legends’ “Worlds,” and the CS: GO Majors remain the frontrunners of competitive gaming. They have long-standing communities, enticing prize pools, and the prestige of becoming the “best.”
Although e-sports holds boundless potential, the competitive landscape often feels stagnant, with the same games dominating year after year, hosting their much-awaited tournaments. While these “leagues” are a testament to a game’s longevity or an engaged community, this may also indirectly hinder newer games from becoming the next gaming phenomenon.
There has been a notable drought in the consistency of new faces in the esports scene. Games fail to retain even 50% of their initial players during launch. Now, more than ever, players are waiting for that “next big thing” — something they can boot up without having a sense of déjà vu that they’ve played something similar.
On the Come-Up
However, newer titles are gaining traction, and a select few of the games are well-positioned to succeed in the world of esports.
One such case is Marvel Rivals, a 6v6 team-based hero shooter set in the Marvel universe that was released just a month ago. After having a blockbuster release and an all-time player peak of 642,333, Steam data shows that Marvel Rivals has impressively retained approximately 93% of its player base during its debut season—an impressive showing not just in the hero shooter genre but in online gaming as a whole.
Another is Pokémon TCG Pocket, a breath of fresh air in the mobile gaming market filled with repetitive slop. Inherently, trading card games have high barriers to entry due to complex game rules and a high initial cost before you can play, requiring you to buy cards and build decks that can unintentionally drain your wallet. Pokémon TCG Pocket avoids this by simplifying its systems, allowing even novices to have a feel of the game without having to dedicate hours to learning the game and making the TCG genre more accessible to the casual player, readily available in the palm of their hand.
Deadlock and 2XKO are recently announced prospects under development by Valve and Riot Games, respectively, well-established names in the e-sports industry. 2XKO is set to be released in 2025.
Whether it's the enduring legacy of games such as League of Legends or the emergence of the next generation, such as Marvel Rivals, competitive gaming is poised to cement itself further on the global stage.
Volume 30 | Issue 3