When you look at eSports competitions, there is generally a definitive split of game genres including RTS games like StarCraft II, MOBA games like League of Legends, and shooters like Counterstrike and Valorant. Throughout the history of eSports, RTS and shooter games have always been a staple, with MOBA games being more recent, but also remaining consistently popular.
In this article, we want to look at why arena shooters are still incredibly popular in the competitive eSports sphere. As iGamingNuts reports, the eSports industry is booming, and this boom includes plenty of new shooter tournaments and game support. So why is this so? What is it about games like CS and Valorant that draw millions of views and make for entertaining eSports competitions?
Popular eSports Shooter Games
Before we look at what makes shooters so popular, it’s important to understand which games are trending and have regular eSports competitions. The following are some of the most popular eSports shooter games:
- Counter Strike
- Valorant
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Call of Duty
- Overwatch
- Paladins
- Quake
These are what we would class as arena shooters – games where you use the first or third-person perspective and fight against other teams/players in a set arena map and confined space. The maps are relatively smaller in size, and the game rounds are usually short, with the winner being the team with the most kills, or the one to reach a set number of kills first.
There are other shooter games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG Mobile, but we would class these as battle-royale style games with a different format, large maps, and more competitors involved in the games.
What Makes These Games Appealing for eSports?
So, we know the types of games, but what makes them so appealing and why do they draw in millions of views and huge prize pools at eSports competitions? We’ve given a range of important factors below:
Fast-Paced Action
The action of arena shooters is incredible. Anyone who has watched competitive matches will know how intense they can be. You have teams of players running around a relatively confined area, guns blazing, frags flying everywhere – it’s just glorious!
Suitable Format for Competitive Games
The underlying format of arena shooters are perfect for competitive games. You typically have two teams of 5-6 players, a series of set maps to play, and clearly defined winning parameters like the most team kills or points in a set period. This format is easy to follow, and it fits perfectly into the structure of eSports competitions.
Potential for Incredible Shows of Skill
MOBA and RTS games certainly have room for shows of skill when someone pulls of a cool micro move or uses a unit in a particularly impressive way, but there is a heap of strategy too. We think there is more scope for shows of skill and individual talent in shooter games. For example, someone could pull off an epic no-scope snipe or manage to land an amazing grenade kill.
Unexpected Twists
eSports shooter matches can be packed full of twists and unexpected events. One minute a team could have a commanding kill lead, but their opponents pull off a cool flanking move or manage an epic killstreak that completely changes the outcome. Shooter games are intense, full of surprises, and aren’t simply predetermined due to something like the units chosen or the race a player uses as can be the case with MOBA and RTS games.
Simplicity of Game Balance
With RTS and MOBA games, there is way more potential for abusing imbalanced units or strategies if the games themselves are poorly balanced. This, in turn, can lead to predictable matches where the result is all-but predetermined because one player happens to be using the “meta” strategy or unit, for example.
This is avoided with stringent game balance and tighter rules on eSports gameplay, but it isn’t as much of a problem with shooter games. This is because generally everyone has access to the same weapons, classes, and loadouts, and thus there isn’t much chance for someone abusing an overpowered strategy or game mechanic.
More Appeal to a Casual Audience
We also think that arena shooters are far easier to understand and follow for casual viewers. Anyone can tune into a shooter competition and see that killing the enemy is good. In contrast, MOBA and RTS games are often incredibly complex, and unless you play the game yourself and know the units, you won’t really have a clue what’s going off, or the significance of any of the actions occurring.
Our Love of Violence
Let’s face it, beneath all of this, there is just something inherently cool about shooter games and their overtly violent nature. It appeals to many people on a base level and stirs up something primal inside of us. We can relate easier to a character running around with a gun than we can controlling a huge army or leading a squad of aliens into battle. Sure, this can have negative connotations too when it leads to real-world violence, but this is undeniably a factor.
Despite Stiff Competition, Shooters Have a Bright eSports Future
We can’t deny that other game types like RTS, MOBA, and even mobile games are incredibly popular in the eSports sphere and that oftentimes they are more popular than shooters. However, we don’t think that the popularity of arena shooters will dwindle anytime soon.
Old games like Counter Strike and Overwatch continue to evolve and be a staple of the eSports industry, while new shooters like Valorant have taken eSports shooter competitive gameplay to new levels. Not only that, but there is something exciting about the fast-paced action, the incredible primal violence, and the suitability that shooters offer for the eSports format.
Lastly, unlike RTS and MOBA games, it’s incredibly easy to showcase your skill and pull off some amazing wins on shooter games, and this is something that more casual gamers can easily understand.
