What are Esports? Introduction to the Global Phenomenon of Esports

Tom Brady, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and others are household names, while Lee Faker Sang-Hyeok is less well-known. Although Kim Doinb Tae-sang and Luka Perkz Perkovi are still well known, they are also rising to the status of world-renowned athletes. The most popular computer video game in the world, League of Legends, has professional players like Faker Perks and Toinb. The League is one of the many ambitious and well-liked sporting events that make up the fast-growing esports category. Administrators operate in what is referred to as a global gray area. Esports is a lucrative corporate sponsorship option for athletes because of its enormous popularity (some events regularly draw tens of thousands of viewers), but it is also fluid and lacks defined standards. This article describes the global phenomenon of esports; provides an overview of the role and practice of esports; highlights why esports is considered an integral part of the evolving internet culture and introduces the reader to the structure of gaming more broadly.