E-sports has come a long way- from small LAN tournaments and niches player bases to sold-out stadiums and whatnot. Like the ‘traditional’ sports, Esports also happen to have various tournaments, leagues, and even award ceremonies. Esports are on the rise. And it is not going to slow down any time soon And it comes as no surprise that the year 2019 was filled with many moments that redefined esports.
We are now going to look back at all the moments/events that happened last year and played a significant role in (re) defining Esports.
Moments That Redefined Esports In 2019
Team Liquid’s Intel Grand Slam
The aggressive CS: GO scene saw two titans fight for the majority of the focused season. Astralis on one side was and is the “most contested” Champion of 2019. While the Danes overwhelmed the CS: GO scene in 2019, they dropped the ball sufficiently long for Team Liquid to win the Intel Grand Slam trophy.
It took Team Liquid just 63 days to win the Grand Slam Trophy. They won IEM Sydney, DreamHack Masters Dallas, ESL Pro League Season 9, and ESL One Cologne in that period, and also brought home a $1,575,000 prize check.
The multi-day run enhanced the past Grand Slam taken by Astralis (323 days), checking one more significant moment in 2019.
G2 defeats SKT in a semifinal. Twice.
It’s G2 again. During the LoL group’s best year to date, they experienced the absolute hardest adversaries possible. It incorporated a top-level Fnatic, Team Liquid, DAMWON Gaming, and Griffin. The most challenging adversary was, by a wide margin, SK Telecom T1.
OG wins The International back-to-back
OG set another standard for distinction at The International 2019. They finished an accomplishment no one anticipated that they should and earned themselves the second back to back TI trophy. People expected Team Secret or Team Liquid or even PSG.LGD to dominate the 2019 TI competition. However, OG had different plans. They took the challenge and earned a portion of the most magnificent esports prize pool ever.
FunPlus Phoenix wins Worlds 2019
Despite being the victors for LPL summer with an astounding record in the regular season, FPX was never a top pick of the gathering at Worlds 2019. Up to the finals, many thought that G2 would win. What happened is the complete opposite. They beat G2 3-0. Going from being viewed as semi-underdogs in the competition to bringing back the Summoner’s Cup to the LPL for a second year straight is a serious achievement. Additionally, the Worlds’ signature melody being Phoenix fits the story well. And particularly, the Doinb-Umi side story helps shape the account of FPX’s great triumph.
Collaborations between esports and the fashion industry take off
Computer games have become the most productive type of stimulation. Presently, the worldwide gaming business sector is worth $152 billion. According to predictions, the global market will surpass 1.5 trillion dollars in 2020. The requests for dress and gaming are on the ascent over each edge of the world. It just bodes well that in the long run, they would team-up.
The chaos at Griffin
While Echo Fox turned into the focal point of negative consideration in the LCS, Griffin got involved in their very own wreckage. From Kanavi’s out of line agreement to allegations of maltreatment by mentor cvMax, it never appeared to end. Riot Korea mediated, constraining the administration to step down. All players had free office status, and many held onto the chance to escape the association.
All in all, 2019 has been an exciting year in the esports industry. We hope that 2020 brings many more opportunities for this industry to flourish in the future.