Why Esports is Booming in Lockdown

Silent roads, barren high streets, horribly awkward video call catch-ups: lockdown has been—and continues to be—an abnormal experience, and that’s putting it lightly. Throughout this weirdest patch in our recent history, we’re having to snatch peace and happiness wherever we can. That’s where digital entertainment is coming to the rescue. Countless folks are making use of their Disney+ trial, free month of Xbox Game Pass or Videoslots bonus code to brighten up these long lockdown evenings, and in the same way, free esports are providing a cost-effective method of coping with everything falling apart in the outside world.

With all this in mind, it’s safe to say that esports are more popular now than they’ve ever been. Dota 2, Fortnite, League of Legends, Rocket League and myriad others are dominating the evenings of millions of people all around the globe, and those numbers are only increasing. There are no two ways about it, esports in its many varieties is booming. The question is, why? Why has lockdown caused such a boom in the popularity of esports? Let’s get to the bottom of this question and see if we can gain an appreciation for esports along the way.

Filling the Gap of Organised Sports

Professional sports may have returned in some capacity, but your everyday pub leagues and school-aged sports games are still nowhere to be seen. In their need for something competitive and fierce to get riled up over, these sport fanatics have taken off their studded trainers and put on their headsets for a slice of hyper-competitive esports action, and those games’ respective communities have flourished as a result.

Providing a Sense of Accomplishment

This locked-down world, for many of us, has given rise to a lingering sense of aimlessness. People have lost their jobs, been restricted from their hobbies and have been prevented from meeting up with friends; as a direct result, they’ve lost their sense of purpose. esports, though, are helping to provide some sense of accomplishment through teamwork, victory and individual in-game performance. It may be no replacement for real-life achievements, but it’s certainly helping people in their time of need, and we’ve got esports to thank for it.

Giving People a Sense of Community

What’s the cure for isolation? Community! Esports communities—as harsh as they can sometimes be—have given people a sense of belonging at a time where they’re feeling their absolute loneliest. Teamwork, coordination and cooperation are core to any good esport, and it just so happens that those things are great for fostering a community spirit too!

Have you gotten into esports since lockdown has started? Which one, and why? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!