Professional video gaming, also known as eSports, has soared in popularity since the beginning of the last decade. Although the potential of this industry has been apparent for a long time, it has benefitted immeasurably from several other companies within the sector teaming together and helping to elevate it to its maximum potential.
For example, game designers and advertisers utilized the incredible capability of the internet to advertise and broadcast their upcoming games. Using this technology and appealing to gamers who want to test themselves against elite gamers from all corners of the globe signaled the beginning of iconic and prominent League Of Legends tournaments.
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What Are The Bookmakers Saying?
One of the other markets that has experienced serious growth due to the internet is the world of eSports gambling, which has helped to buoy the legitimacy of the competition. Although professional video gamers and fans do not doubt that eSports is a bonafide and legitimate professional, elite competition, the idea is still foreign for many who don’t play or watch video games. However, one common ground is the gambling world, which people understand in much greater numbers. By combining both of these worlds, it has introduced people involved in each of these separate industries to explore how they work.
As League Of Legends is one of the oldest and one of the most popular eSports leagues, it was one of the first professional video gaming markets to become popular. Nowadays, League Of Legends eSports betting markets are widely available to explore. It’s not just tournaments or outright markets either; there are a host of derivative and in-play markets that people can enjoy.
Tournament Format
This year sees a slight amendment to the previous format. Once the tournament begins on the 10th of October, there will be a 5-day period play-in stage, followed by a Swiss Stage, which unfolds at the KBS Arena in Seoul – where the 22 teams involved will all feature. The proceeding knockout tournaments take place in Busan on the first weekend of November and the 11th to 12th of November – seven days later, the tournament venues come full circle, with the final set to unfold at the stadium where it began – the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The Front Three
With the Worlds coming up next month in South Korea, it’s hard to look back at the three frontrunners as the favorites to win the tournament. Gen.G is a good price, and although these odds might get smaller as the start of the tournament dawns upon us, they’re currently positioned as the third favorite. With an overall valuation north of $200 million, they are one of the most highly valued teams anywhere in eSports, and it’s not just League Of Legends where they have made a name for themselves. Still, their expertise stretches into other games, such as Valorant.
LNG is the next name in the betting odds, with bookmakers fancying them ahead of Gen.G – but as we have already alluded, this can change sharply as the tournament gets closer. As you’d expect, the current favorite for the League Of Legends Worlds is JD Gaming, and they will likely be the last ones standing when all is said and done.
Expected Audience Figures
Despite what happened over the last few years, eSports viewing figures haven’t dwindled. Understandably, like other professional sports, it experienced a serious downturn during the lockdown. Still, it also drove millions of people to watch the games unfold online, and it was one of a few sectors that could attract a massive audience without adjusting their business model significantly. Other sports, such as horse racing, had to adjust, and while the virtual Grand National might have drawn in huge viewing figures, it’s something that few people would be keen on watching again.
The Worlds this year takes place over two destinations within South Korea, Busan, and the capital, Seoul. It’s the third time the Worlds has taken place in South Korea, and it is fitting, considering that there’s such a strong concentration of ardent League Of Legends fans within the country and in Asia, too. The Sky Dome seats over 16,000 and is anticipated to sell out for the finals. However, that’ll be nothing compared to the number of people who will tune in online, watch on a host of streaming services, or keep up to date with it on social media. Organizers will be hopeful it can surpass some of the previous records and bring in millions of people.
The internet has proven to be a valuable tool for League Of Legends fans, where you can spend hours on YouTube watching tactics people implement or diving into facts and stats about in-game characters. Without it, eSports leagues and the Worlds would likely cease to exist. However, it will be a crucial foundation and drive the success of this year’s Worlds, which many anticipate will be one of the most watched ever.
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