Esports is one of the extraordinary phenomena of our time. Who could have predicted even a few years ago that video games would give birth to an officially recognised sport where leading players could quickly become millionaires while still in their 20s?
But the facts and figures are there for all to see. The global esports market is estimated to be worth around $1.7 billion annually (€1.57 billion) and is set to grow at around 20% annually.
While the US and the Far East are the dominant regions, it is a global phenomenon.
Many colleges and universities have underlined its general acceptance and now offer courses to prepare future generations to compete in and administer the sport. There’s even a university in London dedicated to the subject.
There’s also a huge fanbase worldwide, thought to number around 550 million people, generally aged between 18 and 24. The genres of gaming that they follow are wide-ranging, from battle royale games like Fortnite to shooter games like Call of Duty. And although following the fortunes of others on sites like the Golden Nugget Online Casino has yet to catch on, it can’t be very long before it does.
The growth of Esports in the country
The presence of esports in Ireland has been faltering in the past. Until relatively recently, there was no official body to represent the activity. But that all changed with the arrival of Esports Ireland.
The organization aims to promote all aspects of esports across Ireland. Its plan is to raise awareness, increase the standards of play, and inspire more of the country’s gaming fans to take part.
While it’s not positioned as a governing body, its role is to spot emerging talents and help them pursue successful esports careers.
It works with community groups and educational establishments to create these pathways and is recognized worldwide as a member of both the Global Esports Federation and the International Esports Federation.
The Tournament Scene
A healthy esports ecosystem in a country is strongly linked to the number and quality of the tournaments held there. This gives star players a chance to shine and generates far more comprehensive interest.
While there are plans to increase the number of tournaments in the future, there are already at least three major esports competitions.
The first of these is the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series Rocket League. This competition is open to teams of players who are all studying at the same university and who compete at Valorant. While the prize fund is relatively modest at around €400, it’s widely regarded as a stepping stone to bigger and better tournaments for the best players.
For esports football players, there’s the Virgin Media ELOI, which runs from late February to the exciting finals day in Dublin in April. The winners then get the chance to take part in the play-ins for the EA Sports FC Pro World Championships and be entered into the group stage of the prestigious eChampions League.
But undoubtedly, the biggest annual showcase for esports is the GamerFest event, held in Dublin each October. In addition to being a meeting place where all things game-related are on show, several tournaments occur on the esports main stage.
Games include Valorant, Call of Duty, F1: Fastest Lap, and Tekken. Best of all, these are open to everyone, so there are opportunities to catch the eye of potential teams and sponsors.
Ireland’s esports elite
Although still relatively early days for esports in Ireland, several players have already started to carve out reputations for themselves as fearsome adversaries.
Leading the way is Jordan “Jurd” Crowley, whose specialism is Call of Duty, which has earned him around €300,000 to date. His biggest success was coming first in the EU CWL Pro League in 2017 and winning in two subsequent years’ playoffs.
Justin “MiraCu” McNally is another big name in esports. After a successful few years as a PUBG champion, he’s now moved on to mentoring and coaching for FUT Esports.
In terms of top teams, Wylde is based in Cork and runs its own gaming academy with the objective of attracting young talent. It’s already enjoyed big successes, including winning numerous tournaments, including the first-ever EA eLeague of Ireland FIFA competition, and being a finalist in Gamers Without Borders 2023.
With inspirations like WYLDE and all the other activities around esports in Ireland, the future looks very bright. So, for anyone who thinks it might be for them, this is undoubtedly the time to jump on board.
