eSports; building a community
Players enjoy the state of the art gaming stations at Ramcross eSports Bar.(Photo by Matthew Siu)
The 2019 League of Legends world championships are underway, and I want shed some light on a seldom talked about aspect of esports. Spectating.
Now the debate of whether or not esports can be considered “real sports” or not has largely been beaten to death at this point. If you want to argue the nature of the sport and its inherent level of athleticism (or lack thereof), then by all means, your mind is unlikely to be changed on that front.
However, the one aspect that has largely been untouched in this discussion has been the one I think most closely resembles that of traditional sports, that being the spectator experience. Just one look into the space and you can find all the hallmarks that make up great sports narratives. Your Cinderella stories and underdog moments, regional pride and rivalries, and, as the sport matures and grows, the legacies of dominant teams begin to form.
The viewership statistics back this up as well. With last year’s League of Legends grand finals hitting numbers that rivalled that same year’s Super Bowl, and undoubtably reaching a wider global audience.
Detractors are quick to doubt the legitimacy of the sport, but it’s not just some flash in the pan. The industry is there, in fact it has been for years over in the East.
Countries like Korea and China have larger accepted the phenomenon. While we here in the West have been slower to adopt, and even slower to accept, that comes with time.
Events have no issues selling out stadiums and arenas, much the same way a traditional sporting event might. With larger and larger investments entering the space, across the myriad of games that carry a professional scene.
As spectators we want teams, people and narratives that we can get behind. That sense of pride when your team wins. The excitement that comes with an underdog story, winning against insurmountable odds. Following a player through their career, watching them grow and succeed. Esports has all of that.
“It’s a great feeling to have a team to get behind,” says Brody Ellwood, local gamer and avid hockey fan. In 2017 Ellwood travelled to Vancouver to watch the North American finals for the game League of Legends live. “Getting to watch my team and it’s players grow and fight for that chance to lift the trophy, it’s exciting, no matter the sport.”
Meanwhile, it’s been no secret that our local esports scene has been more or less, a failure. A combination of a lack of interest, a small talent pool, and general lack of coordination has crippled fledging tournaments and organizers.
Instead local businesses have shifted gears to the spectator experience.
With Ramcross Esports bar opening over the summer, the first of its kind in Alberta. Providing an establishment not only for patrons to play the game, but also come together and watch the games they play, at the highest level.
That sense of community is important. Getting together with your friends to watch the big game, whatever game it might be, is a universal experience.
