We’ve seen numerous e-sports tournaments, and how they are organized on a large scale. Big stadiums, with millions screaming from their homes, or in front of the big screens with each action unfolding before their eyes. But what happens when traditional sports count e-sports as a part in it? With the Asian Games 2018 hosting several e-sports titles, the popular reaction remains to be seen (especially since the population is highly divided on this issue).
The Asian games 2018 will have League of Legends, Hearthstone, StarCraft 2, Clash Royale, PES 2018, and Arena of Valor. It is interesting to notice that two among these are mobile games, also a symbol of the increasing popularity of mobile esports. Several titles like Counter Strike : Global Offensive, DOTA 2 and Overwatch are skipped, and this might lead to a controversy among the esports communities themselves as debates over the choice of the game arise.
No details about the procedure of enrolment have been given, though the number of players for each region have been pre-determined. The official page asks players to “get in touch with the local National Olympic Committee (NOC)” for details of registration. Interested participants can check here for details.
While debates on the inclusion of esports will continue,the official presence of esports in the Asian Games will mean that esports is no longer a “small affair”.