Esports FAQ

In certain countries around the world, esports is officially deemed a sport. The first nations to recognise esports as a sport were South Korea, China, Russia, Denmark, Italy and South Africa. As video games continue to become an increasingly common source of entertainment, the stigma around them as a competitive endeavour is fading.

Yes, in several countries around the world Esports is officially a sport, for example in South Korea, China, Russia, Denmark and Italy. In 2020, Ukraine officially announced esports as a sport.

Esports could well be part of the Olympics by 2028 in some form. In 2021 the IOC supported its first-ever "Olympics Virtual Series" in the run-up to the Tokyo games. There are very convincing arguments to include esports in the Olympic program, especially its ability to engage a younger audience. However, the fact the competitive esports scene is less regulated than traditional sports and that the games are IPs owned by developers make it not straightforward.

Esports players being classed as athletes depends on what is considered "physical exercise". Esports is a recognised sport and esports players considered athletes in several countries such as China, South Korea, Russia and Denmark.

Esports organizations make money through several revenue streams. These can include sponsorships, ad revenue, merchandise and through taking a percentage (typically 5-10%) of the prize winnings of their teams in competitions.

There is a common belief in the general public that given esports' minimal physical exertion it should not be classed as a sport. However, archery and shooting also include minimal exertion and are classed as sports and are part of the Olympics.

Esports is a sport because it is a skill-based activity that has a set of rules which players obey in order to engage in competition. Gaming requires fast reflexes, hand to eye coordination and mental fortitude much like other traditional sports.

No, Esports are not in the Olympics. However, they have featured in the SEA Games and the IOC supported its first-ever "Olympic Virtual Series" ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Esports became popular at the end of the 20th century through the popularisation of games such as real-time strategy game Starcraft and first-person shooters Doom and Quake.

Nobody owns Esports. Unlike traditional sports there is no governing body overseeing the entire esports scene. Instead the developers of each game create their own rules for their competitive scene. The level of involvement of the developers can vary drastically, from closed franchised leagues to laisser-faire.

While fans new to the scene may think esports team make the bulk of their money through prize winnings, in fact for the majority of teams it is through sponsorships and brand deals with endemic and non-endemic sponsors looking to advertise their products to a young audience.

The highest earning esports team of all time is Team Liquid, who have won $37 million across 2025 tournaments. Their biggest win came in 2017 when they won the Dota 2 International where 1st place was worth $10.8 million.

Esports should be considered a sport because it requires fast-reflexes, mental strength and strategic thinking, much like many traditional sports we know today.

Esports makes money by monetizing the young audience - primarily millenials - who consume the content on a regular basis. This demographic is very valuable to companies who want to target a younger audience for their products or services.

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal is a shareholder of NRG Esports, after investing in the company in early 2016 alongside Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins.

The Esports Awards 2020 were postponed due to the COVID pandemic and will be held on November 20th 2021 in Texas, USA.

The arguments against esports being in the Olympics are that competing in esports does not require enough physical exertion to qualify as a sport and that it is more of a mental game than a physical one. However, there are similar accuracy based sports such as archery and shooting that also lack a strong physical exertion.

Yes, Esports can definitely be a career. Universities now offer modules and courses in esports, and there are plenty of businesses courses worldwide that delve into the growing scene. Outside of competing in the game, there are jobs as managers, commentators, hosts, graphics designers, video producers and more.

There are currently no esports in the Olympics, although there is talk to include gaming in the future.

Currently there is no confirmed date for when esports will join the Olympics, although the IOC supported its first-ever "Olympic Virtual Series" ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021. Given the phenomenal growth and influence of esports worldwide, it's not impossible we could see esports at the Olympics within the next 12 years.

The Video Game Esports Boxing Club was delayed and is due for release in "late 2021".

Nobody invented esports, but the first esports tournament ever held at Standford University on October 19th, 1972, for a game called Spacewar.

There is currently no restrictions on who can be an esports competitor, but the majority of top flight esports players are typically between the ages of 15 to 35. However, as time passes the age range will inevitably increase.

Esports players make money through their share of tournament prize winnings, streaming revenue and salaries if they are part of an esports organisation, which the majority of top players are.

The first ever "esports" event was for Space War, a space combat game. The tournament took place at Stanford University on October 19th, 1972. Students gathered to compete with the top prize being a year's subscription of Rolling Stones magazine.

Since the turn of the 20th century the scale of esports events has grown and the majority of premium esports events are now held in stadiums, theatre halls and event venues.

There were multiple categories for the esports Awards 2019 and over two dozen winners. The biggest awards went to Dr Disrespect for Streamer of the Year, Nadeshot for Personality of the Year, Bugha for Esports PC Player of the Year and SonicFox for Esports Console Player of the Year. G2 Esports was crowned Esports Team of the Year.

Esports is consumed by a wide audience but it is primarily of interest to millenials (born 1981 to 1996) and Generation Z.

Esports should be in schools because it is a growing industry with a lot of potential for growth and job opportunities. Esports is a booming creative industry with a lot of reach and influence in mainstream media.

There are dozens of esports games but the most popular hardcore esports veteran titles are League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Esports is popular worldwide but the biggest hubs are China, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Given Esports takes place primarily online it can be located anywhere. Qualifiers are typically held online with the winners of the qualifiers then travelling to an offline event for the Finals.

Shroud retired from competitive CS:GO in 2018. He remains on his team Cloud9 as a streamer and content creator.

Ninja is currently not part of any esports team. However, in the past he competed for Cloud9, Team Liquid and Luminosity Gaming.

Esports events are primarily broadcast through Twitch.tv, YouTube, DouYu,

The oldest esports organisation is Schroet Kommando, better known today as SK Gaming, which was founded in 1997.