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Is there room for new FPS eSports titles in 2017?

Counter Strike: Global Offensive. (Photo: Wiki Commons)
Editor
23rd March, 2017
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It’s one thing to say a game will be the next big thing in eSports, but it’s another entirely for this to actually happen.

Every year great FPS games come out with new ideas, boasting competitive value for viewers and players alike. Most fall by the wayside, with dwindling viewer bases unable to compete with the established heavy hitters.

But is there even room to begin to compete for a new title?

The biggest title on the horizon promising this sort of eSports attraction is Quake: Champions. The name carries with it a history – the franchise boasts major gaming status back in the late 90s and a resurgence between 2006 and 2012.

As an arena shooter, it offers something less like the CS:GO and Overwatch appeal, falling more into the Call of Duty or Halo camp.

Even with this history, the new game has a lot of competition, and when it comes to the fans, there’s only so much someone can pay attention to.

It’s hard enough to keep up with the teams, players and leagues across one title, let alone two or three. When there’s huge games offering rich narratives, big money and regular tournaments, it’s hard for new titles to get a look in.

Rainbow Six: Siege feels like an all too accurate recent example of FPS titles hoping to break into eSports. Originally it was spurred along with developer tournaments and support, which garnered it a reasonable amount of popularity.

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Over the last year and a half the game still sits at a steady enough eSport title, but would fall into the second tier of these games. That is, games that haven’t failed by any means, but have a much smaller audience and less appeal than Valve’s multi-million dollar Counter Strike empire. Sure it has viewers, but it’s never the TV broadcast choice, or IEM Sydney level title.

There’s a reason CS:GO is one of the most well-known eSports worldwide. It’s easily in the best years of its life, with prize pools and Valve-funded majors cementing world class events on the regular.

The open nature of the games means it’s easy for organisations to run their own independent leagues worldwide, making it lucrative and easily accessible.

Weapons, skins and gambling keep the player base invested with the title past simple gameplay, while competitive play is straightforward to watch.

Anyone can sit down and see a good shot or clever manoeuvre play out, regardless of their knowledge of the game mechanics or meta play.

CSGO played on Dust

Add to this the steady presence of Call of Duty and Halo in the scene, and the rise of Overwatch, and FPS eSports have offered genuine variety for fans.

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Whether you want slower, tactical play, all out action or hero shooters, the established titles are there and only getting bigger.

There’s so much on offer, despite a resurgence after League of Legend’s all consuming MOBA attraction, that the ones at the top draw viewers in and keep them.

Another reason for this restriction at the top is the tournaments themselves. Coming from so many developers, those that wish to over protect their eSports baby risk complete alienation.

This is something Overwatch is even struggling with currently – with viewing tools locked behind developer control and the Blizzard-run Overwatch League in the works for later in the year, teams and leagues are left in a tough spot.

The freedom of Valve’s CS:GO and DOTA2 have led them to the forefront they occupy right now.

None of this is to say definitively no, there’s no way for a new title to break through. If one hopes to however, it has an immense uphill battle to go through to get there. Quake: Champions could be just what the world needs to open up the FPS genre to more fans and games.

There’ll always be a rise and fall. Developer tweaks, scandals or disinterest could kill an eEport in an instant, and there’ll be another game eagerly flocked to in the void.

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