The eSports industry is in a very unique position compares to other professional sports and competitions. Where as “physical sports” usually separate leagues and teams based on both gender and age, eSports is an almost entirely free competitive landscape where anyone can compete against anyone. While in physical sports, people argue that men have certain advantages over women such as taller average height and more average muscle mass, gaming on the other hand is an entirely equal space where body composition, gender, and age mean nothing.
While the players in eSports are predominantly male, there is nothing against females or any other gender from stepping into the same ring if you will. And according to CNBC, for most game the only age restrictions are that contestants cannot be below the age of 13, and sometimes not below the age of 17 for rated Mature games. So this means that a 13 year old girl could be playing against a 50 year old man in the same eSports competition, given that the game is not rated Mature. With societal trends moving heavily towards social freedoms, eSports presents itself an equal zone where anyone with the right skill can showcase their talent and compete amongst the best.
And this equality has done nothing but shine, as just last year a 16 year old kid won 1st place in the Fortnite World Cup, winning 3 million dollars in return. There are very few competitions that offer the ability for a 16 year old to win that large of a cash prize. And this is why people are rallying around eSports, because it is bringing power back to the people and allowing anyone to compete.
An even better example is the story of 14 year old Benedict Ward, who a couple months ago became the youngest ever professional eSports player in the world to be signed by a team. Here is another example of a young boy being rewarded and recognized for his talents. He has gone on to earn upwards up $50,000 in his first year. Not many sports or competitions can offer the same kind of equality and cash prizes for a 14 year old.
So, eSports’ free landscape offer the ability for any person of any age, race, gender etc. to showcase their talent. And that kind of liberty is not only attractive to players, but to fans of the competitions that will continue to boom this industry moving forward.
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