The vibrant Australian esports scene is about to take a further step with the launch of the Gfinity Elite Series Australia. But, what is ‘esports’? Many have probably heard about it but do not really understand what all the talk is about.
Esports is competitive multiplayer video gaming for spectators. That’s right, just like traditional sports in this country, there are fans and players that watch other people playing video games for their entertainment.
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There are fans because it is dynamic, highly engaging and very competitive. Players primarily watch to learn how to get better at the games they play, watching online and at live events to do so.
Sports authority Gemba recently identified that there are over 1.5 million esports fanatics in Australia.
These are punters that regularly watch, attend events, buy merchandise and have esports as their number one source of entertainment. Not surprisingly, of 65 per cent of these fanatics are under 30 – the millennial market so important for brands and traditional sports.
Australians love to support their local club or city in any sporting rivalry, and this is the key insight on which the Gfinity Elite Series Australia was developed.
The opportunity to create drama and theatre from intercity and intracity rivalries adds that extra passion point that fans love.
While the rise of the Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash Leagues has been meteoric, T20 cricket has been played in Australia for over ten years. It was not until Cricket Australia relaunched with city-based clubs that the true potential was unearthed.
The Gfinity Elite Series Australia, for the first time in Australian esports history, will see six city-based clubs competing weekly. The clubs, Melbourne Avant, Sydney Chiefs, Brisbane Deceptors, Perth Ground Zero, Melbourne Order and Sydney Roar will compete in front of a live audience at the state of the art esports arena within the Hoyts Cinema Complex at Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter.
Creating a city reference point will allow new fans of esports a logical way to engage with the league. It also allows for the creation of tribalism and parochialism, a key driver in sports.
Sydney vs Sydney, Melbourne vs Melbourne, Sydney vs Melbourne, State of Origin style Sydney vs Brisbane and Perth vs the rest, all generating emotion and passion.
Each club has three teams who compete across iconic game titles: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, on Saturdays from 3pm (AEST) to 8pm, Rocket League on Sundays from 10 am to 1pm, and Street Fighter V on Sundays from 4pm to 7pm in an action-packed five-week regular season, before two weeks of finals.
There will be four ladders; one for each game and then an overall club Championship ladder, determined by the most consistent club across all three game titles. Clubs will compete for $225,000 in prize money and the bragging rights as the inaugural Gfinity Elite Series Australia Champions.
While the live audience is very important to the series, like traditional sports, most fans will be watching at home or out and about. However, unlike traditional sports, core esports fans are digital by nature and their preferred platform is online broadcaster Twitch.
In Australia, there are over 1.7 million unique viewers each month on this platform and they are a highly engaged and interactive audience.
In addition to the exclusive online broadcast of 11 hours of live gaming each weekend on Twitch, Rocket League matches will be simulcast on One, providing a broader audience the opportunity to tune in and see what all the hype is about.
This is a very dynamic and exciting area, the true merging of sports and entertainment. As the player base becomes more professional, dedication to mental and physical preparation are mandatory to compete at the top level.
The recently built Alienware Esports Training Facility in Los Angeles is fitted with a full gym, administrators, in-house chef, sports psychologists and nutritionists, replicating the support structure surrounding any professional sports club.
Esports is riding the crest of a wave with phenomenal interest globally. Embracing familiar sports structures and competitive frameworks, as demonstrated in the inaugural Gfinity Elite Series Australia, is the latest initiative to make esports this the leading sport and entertainment pastime for millennial Australians.
Note: Gfinity Australia is a joint venture with HT&E Events. The Roar is published by Conversant Media, which is owned by HT&E.
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