Mobile Esports: What It Needs to Thrive

Mobile gaming has long been the plucky little brother of esports, getting a pat on the head from hardcore fans while quietly dominating under our noses.

According to Newzoo, mobile gaming made $93.2 billion, which was 52% of all video game industry revenue in 2021. As of 2019 (pre-pandemic, mind you), mobile esports was estimated to fetch $1.15 billion by 2025. So what will it take for mobile esports to be taken seriously?

Source: Verizon

Advanced Technology

The phone in your pocket is already far more powerful than the supercomputers NASA used to launch people into space. As consumer technology increases in power and emerging economies adopt smartphones as the norm, it's no wonder that mobile gaming has taken a firm hold on audiences everywhere.

Factor in countries (China, India, Brazil) where gaming PCs and consoles are much less common than phones and you have a recipe for some seriously profitable entertainment.

It's no wonder that telecom giants are actively invested in the future of mobile esports. Verizon and Dignitas entered into a 5G-focused partnership, 100 Thieves teamed up with AT&T, and the list goes on.

The pandemic helped accelerate interest in easy-to-join esports activities using the devices players already owned.

Source: Immortals

Buy-In from Brands

Coca-Cola has signed on as the first?worldwide founding partner of Wild Rift's inaugural esports season. The agreement also includes the new Wild Rift Leagues launched in January.?A number of esports organizations have already brought on rosters to play in the League, including Immortals, NIP, NextPlay, DG Esports, Nova Esports, Noble Esports, and others.

Sportbook Rivalry is among the first to offer betting on mobile esports. Its users can now place wagers on Mobile?Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends?Wild Rift, Call of Duty Mobile, PUBG?Mobile and Free Fire, with additional games to be introduced in the future.

“Mobile gaming is soaring in popularity around the world, and we believe mobile esports titles will be among the most played, viewed, and bet on within the coming years,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry in a release. “Not everyone has a desktop computer capable of playing top games, or a console at home, but nearly everyone now has a mobile phone. This makes the global ecosystem for mobile gaming incredibly deep and exciting. We think the future is massive for this platform.”

Leaders in the Space

Trailblazing always requires that someone go first and prove that it can be done. In the case of mobile esports, we already have several leaders in terms of tournament organization.

ESL launched a new mobile esports ecosystem in 2021 that expanded its reach over 80 eligible countries and different game titles. In addition, ESL has partnered with top game publishers and developers?Gameloft,?Riot,?Supercell, and?Tencent?to include Asphalt 9: Legends, Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Legends of Runeterra, PUBG Mobile, and League of Legends: Wild Rift into its ecosystem.

In an?interview with Esports Insider last year,?James Yang, Director of PUBG Mobile, said that 2022 will be a year of growth?with a focus on the regional leagues for the mobile version of PUBG.

Game developers have learned the power of reaching audiences through mobile versions of popular esports titles like PUBG and Call of Duty. The sooner we get 5G rolling, the sooner we will see mobile esports truly thrive.

By?H.B. Duran

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BoomTV?partners with top developers, influencers, and brands to create unforgettable, life-changing experiences through the power of esports.?If you'd like to reach audiences in creative, meaningful ways, contact Stev Lawson: [email protected].