Covid question of the week: Will everything in esports return to what it was when the pandemic comes to an end?

I really hope not ?? Esports has developed at an incredible speed during this pandemic and most of it has been nothing but positive for the sport. ??

Esports has been lifted up in the medias as the perfect entertainment form during the pandemic and in many regards, I agree with that. Of course, I miss the LAN’s and events and now that they are slowly coming back, I am excited to see what is to come. Finally watching teams go up against each other on stage again during IEM Cologne has been fantastic and I am loving every moment of it.

However, esports has proven to be so much more than these massive live events. The adaptations the scene has made to move incredible production value into the online world is a real stamp of approval for the sport. The scene has shown that they can adapt, develop, and take things to new levels even when faced with a massive challenge.

Production quality for online events has never been on this level before and it is engaging to watch. Tournament organizers have done a fantastic job implementing partnerships into the streams and production. The quality of casters and talents is on a whole other level now compared to only 2 years back. Tournament systems, data collection, viewer engagement, player tools and God knows what else has been developed at an incredible speed. And the quality and creativity is AMAZING!?

So yes, I do want things to go back to “normal” in terms of live events, bootcamps and whatnot. But I hope and pray that the scene embraces the changes that were forced upon us. I hope that we keep on being the most innovative, engaging, and creative sport in the world for years to come!