As esports continues to grow worldwide, we take a look at which games are the most popular to bet on.
Esports betting is a growing trend, with bigger cash prizes and tournaments happening on a regular basis. Esports betting Canada market is following trends, but it can be complicated for newcomers to find the perfect game to bet on. From the classic DOTA 2 to newcomers like Valorant, here are the most popular games for esports betting in 2021.
The Big-Three Esports Games
For over a decade now, three games have been dominating the esports market: DOTA 2, League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. These games have a steady viewership and provide some of the most intense battles in esports.
DOTA 2 and League of Legends are both MOBA games or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Two teams of 5 players face off in an arena, with the goal to be the first team to destroy the enemy’s base. DOTA 2 regularly breaks records of prize pool in esports. The International, the main tournament on DOTA 2, amounted to several millions of dollars.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a FPS, where two squads face-off in a battle to defuse or protect their team’s objective. One team has to plant a bomb, while the other must prevent it from exploding. The game ends either when all members of a team are dead, if the bomb explodes or if it is diffused in time.
Esports Games That Look Like Traditional Sports
Esports betting is similar to traditional sports bettings in many ways, so esports games that take inspiration in traditional sports are extremely popular.
FIFA is the most iconic game for football fans. Players can bet on matches or results, just as for soccer betting. It is one of the easiest esports games to start betting, as the rules and settings are familiar to all sports fans.
American football fans also have their own esports game, with Madden NFL. The Madden 21 Club Championship gathers the best players as they battle to win a piece of the $750,000 prize pool.
For basketball fans, NBA 2K is the best esport title to get started. Real basketball players often refer to this game, which has its own TV channel and esports league.
Other Popular Esports Games
As long as a video game can be played competitively, it falls under the appellation of esports. There are therefore plenty of esports games, so if you didn’t find your perfect pick for esports betting, here are some other games that may interest you.
Valorant is still pretty new to the esports scene, yet it gathers some of the best players from other similar FPS esports games (Overwatch, CS:GO, etc.). This FPS mixes traditional shooting with individual capacities for each hero, making games more dynamic and unexpected.
Overwatch is another popular FPS esports, where teams of 6 face off to either capture objective points or escort a payload to its destination. The Overwatch League is the official esports league of the game, where teams battle for the yearly Grand Finals.
Starcraft II is another major game in esports. This strategy game gathers the best players from all around the world for over 10 years now. The esports leaderboard is mainly led by South Korean players, where the game is a real phenomenon.
Unlike traditional sports betting, esports betting is still pretty young and therefore has room for development. Esports betting also benefits from traditional sports betting, with sports fans taking a bigger interest in sports games like FIFA, Madden or NBA 2K.
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