As per Statista, Out of the 3.24 billion gamers globally, 2.65 billion use mobile devices, which accounts for a considerable chunk of the market. As the number of mobile gamers rises, leagues and competitions are becoming increasingly popular in the digital world, opening up a new area of eSports.
Additionally, mobile gaming is expected to overtake console gaming as the highest-grossing gaming category globally; esports and mobile gaming provide significant possibilities for both large and small businesses in the industry.
Growth of Mobile eSports
Due to increased mobile connectivity and internet availability, mobile eSports is almost on par with traditional eSports games, especially in developing countries. The best players team up to play eSports mobile games, where they compete in a range of leagues and tournaments for cash prizes, bragging rights, and other benefits.
Another factor driving mobile eSports gaming’s explosive rise is the evolution of mobile gaming’s sophistication. Smartphone gaming was once mainly used with simple games as a pass time activity. But when smartphone technology advanced, technological limitations disappeared, and substantially higher quality mobile games were made possible.
A lower barrier to entry supports the current upward trend. To pursue your eSports goals, you only need a smartphone; a PC, console, or other expensive extras are unnecessary. The communities that have grown for players, both in-game and online, have contributed to the growth of mobile eSports. The leagues and competitions give developers another real and worthwhile opportunity for growth and profitability.
Top Mobile eSports Games
Other prominent mobile eSports games earn significant yearly income in addition to the success of shooter and combat games. A few of them are as follows:
- Call of Duty: Mobile: Call of Duty: Mobile is a free-to-play shooter game developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Activision for Android and iOS. It has over 480 million dollars in sales and 270 million downloads in a single year, making it one of the greatest mobile games launched.
- PUBG Mobile: The battle royale video game PUBG Mobile was developed by Tencent Games’ LightSpeed & Quantum Studio. It is PUBG: Battlegrounds’ mobile adaptation. It originally became available on Android and iOS on March 19, 2018.
- Fortnite: Fortnite Battle Royale is a free-to-play battle royale video game developed and launched by Epic Games. In addition to having construction mechanics, it is a companion game to the cooperative survival game Fortnite: Save the World.
Future of eSports and Mobile Gaming
The popularity of eSports has increased significantly during the last several years. It is one of the fastest-expanding sports categories globally.
As per sources, by 2025, it is anticipated that worldwide eSports and game revenue will increase from $875 million to at least $1.15 billion. In addition, the eSports industry in China is expected to earn up to $360 million in revenue by 2025, making it one of the top mobile industries.
Most eSports fans who watch events on mobile devices will also be in China. It is estimated that 418 million people watch eSports on their mobile devices worldwide. By 2025, the number is expected to reach 548 million globally, with China alone having 173.8 million viewers.
Mobile is the future of eSports, just like it is the future of gaming. The accessibility, availability of gameplay on the move, and global audience of the mobile gaming business make it difficult for its competitors, PCs, or Consoles, to compete. Furthermore, mobile eSports games are currently better than ever due to the expansion of the on-demand game selection by tech juggernauts and other essential gaming companies.
Conclusion
Gamers quickly realized their mobile phones could deliver the same exhilarating experiences as high-end PCs or consoles. So, it should be no surprise that mobile gaming has developed from a simple gaming platform to a serious rival to PC and console games, given the emergence of technology like Cloud Gaming and 5G services.
Like any other trend in mobile gaming, mobile eSports is a key area for developers to keep an eye on. High-quality, fully localized games and thoughtful marketing strategies will be a crucial and successful combination for developers who want to include a mobile eSports event in their portfolio.