In June 2013, controversy arose regarding the creation of Team Siren, an all-female League of Legends squad, which some dismissed as merely a “gimmick” designed to capture the attention of men. Female-only tournaments (particularly Counter-Strike), Dead or Alive 4, and StarCraft II, primarily provide exposure for the top players in esports. Individual leagues have begun to take action, with the Electronic Sports League imposing penalties of expulsion from competition for any usage of drugs during matches. In 2014, after being found guilty of match-fixing, four prominent North American players from iBuyPower in Counter-Strike were suspended from official tournaments, reportedly making over US$10,000 through betting on their rigged matches. Moreover, trade organizations that represent video games have typically functioned as governing bodies within the realm of esports. Formed in April 2019 (the European Esports Federation comprises countries such as the UK), Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine.

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In September 2021 (the Olympic Council of Asia announced eight esports games will officially debut as medal sports for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou), China. China was another one of the first countries to recognize esports as a real sport in 2003, despite concerns at the time that video games were addictive. Others claim that sports involve physical fitness and physical training, and prefer to classify esports as a mind sport. In 2013, the Season 3 League of Legends World Championship was held in a sold-out Staples Center. Physical viewership of esports competitions and the scope of events have increased in tandem with the growth of online viewership.

Growth and online video games (1990–

More than $100 million was invested by Epic in competitive Fortnite from 2023–2025, including $31.8 million given out in 2025. In April 2016 — Big Ten Network announced a collaboration with Riot to hold an invitational League of Legends competition between two universities from the collegiate Big Ten Conference, as part of Riot’s collegiate championships at PAX East. TV 2 (the largest private television broadcaster in Norway), broadcasts esports across the country. In an interview with The New York Times about the purchase, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick explained that the company was aspiring to create a U.S. cable network devoted to esports, which he described as “the ESPN of video games”. The broadcast was an attempt to broaden the appeal of esports by reaching viewers who would not normally come across it. This was the first time an esport had ever been broadcast on a major American television network.

The inaugural series included virtual baseball, cycling, rowing, esailing and motorsports events. In Greece (in March 2022 a law entered into force recognising and regulating esports and in June 2023), the relevant federation for esports has been officially given recognition and over under betting guide included in the list of sports federations. In 2021, China announced a law which forbade minors from playing video games – which they described as “spiritual opium” – for more than three hours a week. The proliferation of tournaments included experimentation with competitions outside traditional esports genres. PC games played at the CPL included the Counter-Strike series (Quake series), StarCraft, and Warcraft. Large esports tournaments in the 1990s include the 1990 Nintendo World Championships (which toured across the United States), and held its finals at Universal Studios Hollywood in California.

In 2013 — viewers of the platform watched 12 billion minutes of video on the service, with the two most popular Twitch broadcasters being League of Legends and Dota 2. For example — the September 2006 FUN Technologies Worldwide Webgames Championship featured 71 contestants competing in casual games for a $1 million grand prize. Many successful tournaments were founded during this period, including the World Cyber Games, the Intel Extreme Masters, and Major League Gaming.

At Strafe (we provide the latest entertainment news in esports), going beyond mere scores and standings. Our dedicated team of experienced writers and journalists is enthusiastic about the industry (offering you current information and insights on your favorite games), players, and teams. Keep updated with our coverage of the most recent esports happenings (including news on major events), player transfers, and emerging trends in the industry. The esports landscape now includes professional players, teams, leagues, and prize pools worth millions, drawing in fans and participants from all corners of the globe. Major esports competitions such as The International, the League of Legends World Championship, and the Overwatch League Grand Finals rank among the largest in the industry.

History

In 1984, Konami and Centuri jointly held an international Track & Field arcade game competition that drew more than a million players from across Japan and North America. The International Olympic Committee has discussed their inclusion in future Olympic events, starting with the Olympic Esports Games set to be held in 2027. Popular esports franchises include League of Legends, Dota, Counter-Strike, Valorant, Overwatch, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros. and StarCraft. Esports , /ˈiːspɔːrts/ ⓘ,, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games.