Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)
728x90 banner available here

Latest News

What to expect from esport in 2019

Published

on

Reading Time: 5 minutes

 

Esports have grown to a massive industry in just the past few years, and 2019 is predicted to be even bigger. Many industry analysts predict global esport revenue to surpass $1.1 billion USD in 2019. Expected revenue breaks down as follows:

esports revenue 18

 

Obviously, this means huge tournament prizes and team earnings for competitors this year.

2019 Esport Games

We’re going to see game genres mixed up a bit more in 2019 esports. While RTS and MOBA games have traditionally been the most popular esport games, a handful of fighting and shooter titles are slated to be rising stars in 2019. Of particular interest are the rise of battle royale games, which we’ll touch on briefly.

The games anticipated to do most hotly in 2019 global esports are as follows:

Overwatch
Fortnite
Dota 2
League of Legends
CS: GO
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
PubG
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Clash Royale
Magic: The Gathering Arena

A dark horse also arose early in February, Apex Legends. Many of the 2019 esport predictions were made at the end of December 2018, or early January 2019. Apex Legends was released early February, with zero marketing behind it – Apex Legends literally came out of left field (American slang meaning “totally unexpected”, for you global readers).

The reason Apex Legends is worth mentioning is that the game hit 25 million players only a week after being released. It also became the #1 live-streamed game on Twitch, ending February with an average 217,997 viewers, or around 11% of Twitch’s total audience. This is no small feat for a game that was released completely unannounced into the wild west of the battle royale genre.

twitch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Apex Legends continues the popularity trend, it could also become a hot item in 2019 esports.

Of course you see some old staples on the list of games. Dota 2 and League of Legends are certainly not going anywhere, being the most popular MOBAs on a global scale.

Also of growing interest are racing and sport games (oh, the irony of playing sports games in esports). There are a number of smaller esport leagues dedicated exclusively to racing games, such as the F1 eSports Series, and the GT Championships.

There is also potential for more indie and browser-based titles in smaller esport leagues. Mobile Esports, for example, partnered up with Blayze Games, the developers of the popular browser-based first-person shooter Bullet Force and offers tournament grand prizes of $500. Other popular browser games have good Twitch and Youtube stream followings – Slither.io for example has 17,307 followers on Twitch.

Indeed, this game could be a cool niche for the browser based esport racing scene. As for sports, games like NBA 2K and FIFA have serious dedicated leagues as well. Especially the latter, as many enjoy playing soccer games particularly in Europe.

2019 Esport Sponsors

A lot of global brands are getting into esport endorsement – in fact, just a few days ago Nike inked its first esport sponsorship deal, following the heels of Adidas and Puma (pun intended). This adds to the growing list of high-profile brands that are sponsoring esports. Esport sponsors fall into the categories ‘endemic’ and ‘non-endemic’. Endemic sponsors are companies that are related to esports in some way, such as selling PC hardware and other technology manufacturers. Non-endemic sponsors are companies that have pretty much nothing to do with esports, like Nike.

Many articles that list esport sponsors put food and drink companies in the “non-endemic” category, but I disagree. Brands like Chipotle, Mountain Dew, and Snickers are every bit as endemic to esports as Corsair, Intel, and MSI. Gamers gotta eat, and we’ve got a reputation for unhealthy diets, right? Other ‘non-endemic’ brands like Gillette, well… you know, some esports players really do badly need a shave. So it fits.

Here are the top non-endemic global sponsors for esports in 2018 / 2019:

  • Adidas
  • Gillette
  • Geico
  • Tinder
  • Mercedes Benz
  • Airbus
  • Nike

The top endemic global sponsors for esports in 2018 / 2019:

  • HyperX
  • Intel
  • Red Bull
  • Monster Energy
  • Mountain Dew
  • Alienware
  • Logitech
  • Corsair
  • Razer
  • iBuyPower
  • Twitch

Honestly I could continue, but it’s a pretty huge list and my editor will think I’m just filling word count. Check out Esports marketing blog, they cover this stuff more in-depth.

p and p

 

 

China Banhammers Like, Everybody
One thing of note is how China plays into the market – or doesn’t play in the market, to be more technical. While many analysts include China in their “global esport revenue” reports, China lately has been taking its ball and playing at home. The country has a massive esport scene that caters to native games, which are not seen on the international level.

China’s biggest esport game is Honor of Kings, also known as Arena of Valor on the international market. It’s pretty much been China’s biggest MOBA for awhile, and has expanded to the Asia-Pacific region. Honor of Kings was released internationally as Arena of Valor, but hasn’t seen the same success its enjoyed in China.

To add to this, mainland China also recently banned a number of highly popular esport games, while putting others on a “watch list”. It’s an effort from their Online Ethics Committee to crack down on ‘vulgarity’ and explicit violence in video games. The most popular esport games banned games in mainland China are:

  • PubG
  • Fortnite
  • H1Z1
  • Alliance of Valiant Arms

Here’s a full list of games that were either banned or put on a watch / review list in mainland China – you’ll notice a few Chinese games are also on the list, including Arena of Valor, the game I just said was China’s biggest esport draw. Tencent, the developers of Arena of Valor, actually skipped off to Hong Kong for laxer laws, tweeting “after everything we did for you 🙁 @XiJingpingreal”. Actually I’m making that up, they didn’t tweet anything. But they did skip off to Hong Kong.

game-reason-action

 

In any case, when you take into considering mainland China’s clamping down on mobile games for their “corruption of youth” potential, then it’s not hard to believe North America will once again be the largest esports market in 2019. America boasted esport revenues of $409.1 million in 2018, and I’m pretty sure we won the most esport trophies. What’s that? South Korea, you say? They don’t count. Their public education was replaced with MOBA training campuses years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m 99% positive these photos are from South Korean elementary schools. Prove me wrong.

 

Author: Katie Green


Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: What to expect from esport in 2019

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

Latest News

Drafted.gg Achieves ESIC Gold Standard Accreditation, Joining a Distinguished List of Esports Betting Content Providers

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) today admits Drafted.gg into the ESIC Gold Standard accreditation following an extensive on-site audit. This prestigious recognition underscores Drafted.gg’s unwavering commitment to integrity, fair play, and robust security measures in esports.

The ESIC Gold Standard for esports betting products represents one of the highest bars in esports betting product compliance and integrity best practices. Fewer than a handful of organizations worldwide have demonstrated the advanced operational protocols, thorough oversight mechanisms, and consistent ethical standards necessary to pass the stringent requirements set by ESIC.

Achieving this level of accreditation signals an organization’s excellence in safeguarding against corruption, match manipulation, and unethical practices—all of which are critical to the continued growth and credibility of esports.

The comprehensive audit evaluated key areas essential to maintaining a fair and secure competitive environment. These areas included physical security, CCTV monitoring, communication device restrictions, referee oversight, and overall compliance with ESIC’s rigorous integrity program. Over the course of the audit, Drafted.gg demonstrated exceptional diligence, meticulous record-keeping, and a forward-thinking approach to maintaining the highest standards of transparency and fair play.

“Drafted.gg joins an elite circle of esports organizations that meet the exceptionally high bar of ESIC Gold Standard compliance,” said Ian Smith, Commissioner of ESIC. “Their rigorous approach to operational integrity meets the benchmark for best practices in esports. We welcome them into the ESIC Gold Standard for Betting Products category.”

The ESIC Gold Standard accreditation highlights Drafted.gg’s robust systems for upholding best practices within esports. From comprehensive background checks and secure access controls to high-quality production techniques, Drafted.gg exemplifies what is possible when an organization aligns every aspect of its operations with the principles of fair competition and ethical conduct. This accreditation also reinforces the integrity of Drafted.gg’s esports content—made available to operators through its partnership with Oddin.gg—helping sportsbooks access compliant, high-quality content for esports betting.

A representative from Drafted.gg remarked: “The entire management team at Drafted.gg is excited about this milestone, as passing ESIC’s Gold Standard audit validates the rigorous integrity measures built into Drafted.gg from day one. From match oversight to data security, Drafted.gg’s operations are designed to meet the highest standards in compliance. This accreditation is not just a milestone—it’s a statement of the company’s ongoing commitment to fair competition and trust in esports.”

 

The post Drafted.gg Achieves ESIC Gold Standard Accreditation, Joining a Distinguished List of Esports Betting Content Providers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

FBM Foundation brings hope, joy and essential aid to National Children’s Hospital

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Bringing hope, joy and essential resources to children and families in need was the main purpose behind the FBM Foundation’s last initiative, in partnership with the National Children’s Hospital and Malasakit Center, on March 10th.

The social responsibility project of the FBM Group hosted a donation campaign delivering toys, school supplies, grocery essentials and critical medical equipment to improve the hospital’s services and bring comfort and joy to over 100 families.

The FBM Foundation aimed to make a meaningful impact on the operations of the National Children’s Hospital and the well-being of its patients. In response, employees from NTT and MEMO generously donated toys, art supplies, school supplies, baby wipes, clothing, and diapers. These contributions brought comfort and joy to young patients undergoing treatment at the hospital.

With the participation of 12 committed volunteers, this initiative counted with the direct involvement of Pepe Costa, FBM Foundation Representative, along with the celebrities Papa Jackson, Giselle Sanchez, and Daniel Matsunaga, who invested their time to bring a different enthusiasm to the day of these children.

Beyond the meaningful gifts, the FBM Foundation also provided critical medical equipment and supplies, such as gauze pads, underpads, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, ECG machines, infusion pumps, nebulizers, and a vein locator apparatus. To complete the efforts of this donation campaign, the project delivered grocery essentials to 100 families facing medical challenges, offering much-needed support during difficult times.

Part of this initiative was possible by the funds raised from the Keepy-Uppy Charity Challenge during ICE Barcelona 2025. FBMDS not only showcased its latest iGaming innovations at the tradeshow but also turned visitor engagement into a tangible real-world impact. The Keepy-Uppy Charity Challenge successfully transformed participation into crucial donations, directly supporting vulnerable individuals through this important project at the National Children’s Hospital.

By combining the effects of these solidarity gestures, the FBM Foundation expects to improve the patient’s health care and enhance the hospital’s medical services. This initiative stands as a testament to the power of collective compassion by joining the dedication of 12 committed volunteers to the unwavering support of the FBM Foundation partners.

FBM Foundation continues its mission to create a lasting impact by promoting growth and well-being in communities around the world. Visit fbmfoundation.org to learn how you can help the project make a difference.

 

The post FBM Foundation brings hope, joy and essential aid to National Children’s Hospital appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

London Waterfront Experience unveiled for iGB L!VE

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

iGB L!VE organisers have unveiled designs illustrating the stunning new waterfront social and business networking feature which will be launched at July’s edition, the first to be held in London.

Situated adjacent to the historic Royal Docks, the London Waterfront Experience will involve an iGB L!VE take-over of the Waterfront Street Kitchen and Bar part of ExCeL’s ‘Immerse LDN’ Dock Edge entertainment district. It will include a series of entertainment activations including a centrepiece barge which will be moored at the edge of the dock.

Heralding the exciting new feature which represents a celebration of iGB L!VE’s relocation to London, Global Portfolio Director Naomi Barton said: “ With London’s July sun shining and temperatures reaching the mid-twenties, iGB L!VE’s Waterfront Experience will serve as a dynamic networking and social space.  Open throughout the show it will provide a vibrant London-inspired ‘twist’ on the social and business opportunities that the industry loves about iGB L!VE.”

She added: “The London Waterfront Experience will enhance  iGB L!VE’s unique chemistry and help deliver another world class event with all elements of the igaming industry ecosystem coming together in a city which is widely regarded as being the heart of the igaming industry.

“iGB L!VE 2025 will deliver unparalleled business opportunities with attendees having free access to the sector’s most influential brands and igaming professionals, occupying over 22,000 sqm of cutting-edge innovation and inspiration.”

iGB L!VE’s relocation to London will enable the event brand to continue its upward trajectory and achieve an ambitious four-year plan targeting 30,000 visitors and 550+ exhibitors/sponsors by 2028.

The post London Waterfront Experience unveiled for iGB L!VE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

EEGaming.org is part of HIPTHER, parent brand of various prominent news outlets and international conferences. These platforms and events span a wide range of industries, including Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports, and several others. This indicates that EEGaming.org is part of a larger network that focuses on a diverse array of sectors, particularly those related to cutting-edge technology and modern lifestyle trends.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.