EditorialEsports

The rise of esports on Mobile platforms

Following the emergence of competitive gaming in the 1970s, the industry’s potential has reached new, unprecedented levels over the last few decades. Most significantly, perhaps, is the pace at which esports have been able to grow on mobile devices. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the emergence of eSports on mobile platforms.  

An ever-growing market 

Fundamentally, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that eSports on mobile devices is the latest trend within the gaming world, given that the mobile gaming is, according to Medium, who reference a report by Newzoo, the most lucrative segment of the entire gaming market. By the end of 2019, it was predicted that the global gaming industry would be worth approximately $152 million, with the mobile sector accounting for 45 per cent of that total.  

Crucially, accessibility and convenience are at the very heart of mobile eSports developments. In recent times, due to the vastness of the mobile audience base, increasing numbers of developers have sought to optimize their console titles onto remote platforms. In turn, this has proved immensely beneficial to the outlook of competitive gaming on mobiles.  

In 2018, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was released onto Android and iOS devices, and, since then, has been at the forefront of mobile eSports. Although considerably lower than the eSports record, which is held by Dota 2 at $33 million, the Tencent announcement regarding the $5 million prize pool for PUBG mobile eSports in 2020 is a significant step forward for the industry. Moreover, the title has also aided in broadening the appeal of mobile gaming, with Fnatic, the most successful eSports brand of the last decade, expanding into India in their hunt for more PUBG Mobile players.  

PUBG Mobile Launch Trailer

The potential to displace Competitive Gaming on Console 

Despite rising to prominence on traditional consoles, there’s a growing belief that, in the coming years, mobile eSports will become the leading platform within the competitive gaming industry. As per a study by Tappable in 2018, it was discovered that 42 percent of contemporary gamers preferred playing on smartphones as opposed to consoles and PCs. While, as touched upon above, this gaming evolution can somewhat be attributed to convenience, it can also be put down to the cost-effective nature of mobile gaming. Along with PUBG Mobile, other first-person shooters from world-renowned franchises are also free-to-play on smartphones and tablets. Since being released in 2019, Call of Duty: Mobile has already amassed over 150 million downloads, and has grown significantly in both India and the United States. Vitally, with console titles now costing in the region of $70, increasing numbers of players are now turning to their smartphones for immersive, open-world gameplay, as showcased by the above statistics.

console gaming

Moreover, various esports news platform (you can take win.gg as an example), especially mobile esports platforms are acting as the catalyst for gaming growth in numerous countries. Upon the release of PUBG Mobile, the South Asian countries have seen a massive growth regarding the title’s competitive prize money as smartphones continue to establish themselves as the leading gaming device.  

A platform that caters to user demands 

Ultimately, at the very heart of mobile gaming is accessibility, convenience, and a user-friendly route to enjoying the latest titles. Importantly, these factors have been pivotal to the mobile platforms rising importance to the eSports industry. In turn, it wouldn’t come as a shock, given the focus on catering to user demands, if mobiles were to displace consoles as the focal point of competitive gaming in the coming years.


This is all we have for today’s article about the emergence of mobile eSports industry. What’s your take on the rise of eSports on mobile platforms? Let us know in the comment section below!

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