As competitive video gaming has become more mainstream, so too has betting on the events increased. There are several different eSports genres, and within each of them are many popular games. We’ve listed them from the least to the most commonly found at online sportsbooks, with the fewest to the most markets. If you’re interested in getting involved in eSports betting, this guide is a good place to start.
Fighting and Racing Games
In fighting and racing games it’s one player versus another, although in tournaments there can be partners or free-for-all situations. Classics in this range include Smash Brothers and Mortal Kombat, as well as FIFA’s range of video games where two players each build their own teams and then go up against each other. Outright bets, totals and propositions are possible as they are in physical sports.
Real Time Strategy Games
In Real Time Strategy, or RTS, games, you need to make decisions based on events and changes that occur in real time. You can bet on who will complete the game first and win overall, who will win each stage, and what the final score will be.
StarCraft is one of the most successful RTS titles ever released, and the original version was so popular that it was declared an unofficial sport in South Korea – a foretaste of great things to come in the world of eSports, perhaps?
First Person Shooter Games
Usually abbreviated to FPS, First Person Shooter games have also been popular for decades. Wolfenstein 3D was a big hit in the 1990s, and heralded a new era for FPS. The objective is simple; individual players participate in the game and see it from a first-person perspective, as they try to shoot their enemies and complete other tasks.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Halo and Overwatch are just three of the many popular FPS titles available today, for competitive gaming and lucrative betting. Put money on who will win a tournament, which group the winner will come from, how many rounds will be played, and totals for various game metrics such as total number of kills.
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena – MOBA – games like DOTA 2 and League of Legends have taken the sports betting world by storm. They are the most team-oriented of all eSports genres, and always involve a squad having to work together. Spectators, and bettors at NZ betting sites, seem to prefer watching groups than watching individuals.
Each player chooses an avatar, imbued with different strengths, weaknesses and tools, so they really need to complement each other to fend off attacks from the opposing sides. Both teams have an objective that they must achieve, while simultaneously stopping their opponents from achieving theirs.
As you can imagine, much fighting and excitement ensues! The more experience players get, the more their skills or items level up. Depending on the game, you can wager on who will win overall, who will win each map, total number of kills and other propositions. Perhaps most dramatically, you can predict who will win first blood!
