Esports often get ignored by those who don’t play the game but people love watching physical sports they’ve never played. Give these esports a shot.
For as long as traditional sports have been televised, there have been loyal viewers that haven’t played the game a day in their life. Similarly, there’s no reason that gamers and non-gamers alike can’t enjoy the newest form of mass entertainment: esports.
What makes a particular esport more accessible is the simplicity of the game’s objective, slower-paced gameplay, and additional media to help fans get further invested. There are more complex games people have never heard of that they can still enjoy, but those types of games certainly aren’t as easy to jump into as a fan.
Valorant is a 5v5 shooter game created by Riot Games, the same company that gave the world League of Legends. Players choose from a list of Agents, each representing a different culture and each Agent wields a different weapon and skillset.
Shooters can be difficult to get into for fans that haven’t played them, but much of what players experience in one shooter will translate to their viewing experience of Valorant. The gameplay is also very fast-paced, making it occasionally hard to keep track of. Regardless, the objective of shooters is fairly simple and if fans can get used to the fast gameplay they’ll easily be able to follow along. It helps that the structure for Valorant Esports is also very accessible through the VALORANT Esports website.
Master Duel is arguably the best digital card game on the market. The series is a beloved childhood anime for many, and the newest way to play the game virtually, Master Duel, has a growing competitive tournament scene.
Any fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime will be able to pick up on Master Duel. While the combos and individual cards may be confusing at first, the core mechanic of the game is still to reduce the opponent’s life to 0. The biggest drag on Master Duel is that tournaments are community funded so far for the still-growing game, and fans will have to check out Twitch and YouTube to catch the games.
The World of Warcraft TCG has seen its biggest days in the spotlight come and go, but there are still plenty of tournaments hosted by the first major digital card game.
As a game, Hearthstone isn’t on the same level as Master Duel. However, as a spectator sport, the game is better funded and easier to understand. Hearthstone has made some great cards (& not so great cards) throughout the years, but the nature of the game makes it pretty entertaining to watch.
While the vast majority of the competitive scene is just comprised of Melee and Ultimate, the Super Smash Bros series is as fun to watch as it is to play. In Smash Bros, players can battle as one of many Nintendo favorites with the goal of knocking their opponent off the battle arena and into the abyss beneath.
There are tons of fun Super Smash Bros characters to play, and the game is easy to both get into and watch. Fans that haven’t played will still know many of the iconic characters like Link, Pikachu, and Mario. The game as a spectator sport has similarities to basketball: even if the mechanics and wild improvisational moves the players make are complicated and require devoted practice, newer fans can still keep up and have fun watching it. There are always tournaments to watch on Twitch and YouTube, so fans will never be starved for content.
The concept of NBA 2K games is pretty simple: players simulate playing NBA basketball while selecting from teams of NBA players.
There are many games that simulate playing sports, but NBA 2K does an especially good job at bringing basketball to the virtual world. There’s also an official league supported by the NBA with games available on YouTube. Much of what translates to basketball being a great spectator sport translates to NBA 2K: the gameplay is fast-paced enough to remain exciting while still steady enough to not be confusing, and the objective of the game despite the complicated moves is ultimately just to put a ball in a hoop.
The first MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) Dota, a custom mod for Warcraft III eventually became the independent game Dota 2, an esport viewed by millions worldwide. The game is essentially a tower defense game, with teams of 5 «Heroes» competing against one another to destroy the opposing Ancient, a large structure deep within enemy territory.
Dota 2 has a lot going on throughout the map, but the basic structure of the game is simple to follow: opposing teams are trying to take down structures. If players can follow that, the rest of the game will follow. Games as popular as Dota also have impressive casters that help the audience better understand the action.
Rocket League is similar to soccer (or football, depending on where in the world you are). The main difference is that instead of humans, the player controls cars.
The rules of Rocket League are incredibly simplistic and it’s possible for anyone to follow along. The only downside is that the franchise lacks the surrounding media to further invest themselves in the game. However, there’s a strong competitive scene that fans can easily keep track of and plenty of teams to root for.
After the introduction of the hit new series Arcane and its genius cast of characters like Jinx and Viktor, global interest in League of Legends from non-gamers has spiked. Riot Games’ first ever game, League is a 5v5 MOBA where Champions fight to destroy the opponent’s Nexus, a giant sphere in the middle of their base.
With over 150 unique Champions, there’s someone for every type of viewer to get attached to. There’s also a great deal of media surrounding the franchise for casual fans to find further investment in like short cinematics, music videos, and Arcane. Fans may be a bit more confused at first than in some of the other esports, but the play-by-play casters help fans get adjusted to the game and understand the complex 5v5 team fighting a little better.
For casual fans who aren’t used to the high-flying action of MOBAs, Teamfight Tactics is an auto chess game based on the world of League of Legends. With gold generated through combat, players purchase and build teams comprised of League’s strongest champions. The ultimate goal of the game is to win enough combat rounds to reduce all seven other players’ life to 0 by assembling the best team possible.
TFT has all the media plusses that LoL has, but the game is easier to follow and combat is a bit slower-paced to watch and enjoy. Among the strongest characters right now are Viktor and Vi, so Arcane fans have a lot to look forward to.
There is arguably no video game franchise more iconic than Pokémon. With hundreds of different options, competitive Pokémon players make teams of six that ideally cover each other’s weaknesses. Then, before each game, they choose four that will match up best against their opponent and compete in doubles matches until the other player is out of Pokémon that can battle.
Even fans that have never played competitive Pokémon have likely been exposed to the franchise in some way, and there’s everything from anime to YouTube shorts for players to get further invested in the world without picking up a single controller. Competitive Pokémon is surprisingly difficult to play, but it is a simple and fun game to understand at heart.
Sam is a BFA acting major from Texas Christian University who specializes in both voice acting and freelance writing. After his articles are complete, Sam spends time writing an upcoming novel series and gaming with friends.
