Esports -  A Guide to Competitive Video Gaming
                     ESPORTS: A GUIDE 
TO COMPETITIVE 
VIDEO GAMING
What is esports?
• Esports, short for “electronic sports,” transforms 
online gaming into a spectator sport. The experience 
is similar to watching a professional sporting event, 
except that instead of watching a physical event, 
spectators watch video gamers compete against each 
other in a virtual environment.
Source: www.toptal.com 2
Esport Industry
• This industry includes not only traditional sports-
related games like NBA2K and FIFA, but also—and 
more notably—games such as League of Legends, 
Counter-Strike, and Dota. 
Source: www.toptal.com 3
Which Esports 
Games Are Most 
Popular?
• Though the actual rankings of the most popular 
esports games change slightly month-to-month, the 
ten most watched games on dominant streaming site 
Twitch remain consistent.
• League of  Legends
• Dota 2
• Counter Strike
• Hearthstone
• Heroes of the Storm
• Overwatch
Source: www.toptal.com 4
Streaming
• Gamers who livestream themselves as they play 
video games are referred to as "streamers." This is 
typically done in casual play. While streaming can be 
incredibly profitable, many streamers have to decide 
whether they want to stream for a living or try and 
play professionally and run the risk of making less 
money.
Source: www.toptal.com 5
Playing 
Professionally
• The few who rise to the professional level compete in 
tournaments all around the world against the best 
teams. During the journey, they usually build up a fan 
base for themselves as well as for the teams and 
organizations they play for (analogous to Lebron 
James having a following whether he's at the Heat or 
the Cavaliers). 
Source: www.toptal.com 6
TEAMS
• Professional players join teams (in multi-player 
games) or play solo (in 1v1 games) to compete for 
cash prizes. Each team specializes and competes in 
one specific game, such as League of Legends, Dota, 
or Counter-Strike. 
• The teams that compete at these tournaments have 
millions of followers on Twitter, millions watching 
online, and tens of thousands of spectators following 
them to in-person tournaments.
Source: www.toptal.com 7
ORGANIZATIONS 
(ORGS)
• The best esports teams are recruited to be a part of 
organizations, have several teams that specialize in 
their respective video games but operate under the 
same name (e.g., Cloud9, NRG, TSM, Optic Gaming, 
or Fnatic)—just as an NCAA college or university 
competes in football, basketball, and hockey all under 
the same umbrella organization (the college or 
university).
Source: www.toptal.com 8
LEAGUES
• Esports teams, representing the organization they’re 
a part of, will compete in their video game’s 
respective league where there are regular seasons, 
playoffs, and world championships.
Source: www.toptal.com 9
PUBLISHERS
• In esports, each game is the intellectual property of 
the game creator, collectively referred to as 
“publishers.” These publishers include Riot Games, 
Valve, Activision, and others. 
Source: www.toptal.com 1
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ADVERTISING
• Advertising comprises the revenue generated from 
the advertisements targeting esports viewers, 
including ads shown during livestreams on online 
platforms, on video-on-demand content of esports 
matches, or on esports TV. 
Source: www.toptal.com 1
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