Esports is often called the sport of the future, but there is nothing mysterious about it: it is competition in video games, with rules, referees, teams and prizes. Wikipedia describes it as a form of competition using video games, which often takes the form of organized multiplayer tournaments between professional players who compete both individually and in teams. Below we explain how it works, based on Wikipedia pages checked on October 14, 2026.
How it all began
The first known competition in a video game took place on October 19, 1972, at Stanford University: the game was Spacewar!. Wikipedia names the 1980 Space Invaders championship by Atari as the first major competition: more than 10,000 people from across the United States took part. The “predecessor” of esports was the All-Japan TV Game Championships held by Sega in 1974.
Who takes part and what each one does
- Players. Professional players often compete for teams or large gaming and entertainment organizations. According to Wikipedia, most of them end their careers before the end of their twenties.
- Teams and organizations. These include FaZe Clan, Cloud9, Fnatic, T1, G2 Esports and Natus Vincere. Teams sponsor players, and players may receive a separate team salary. Training is intense: Wikipedia mentions that the Team Liquid roster in League of Legends trains at least 50 hours per week.
- Game developers. As Wikipedia notes, they design and fund tournaments and other events. For example, Riot Games ran the League of Legends Championship Series, later turned into a franchised league.
- Organizations and federations. The list includes KeSPA, IESF, the British Esports Federation and WESA.
- Viewers. Most people watch competitions online: according to Wikipedia, streaming services are the most common way to watch tournaments. The Twitch platform, which appeared in 2011, regularly broadcasts competitions; on one day of The International it recorded 4.5 million unique views.
How leagues and tournaments are organized
A tournament is an event with a limited timeframe: several days or weeks, after which a winner is known. A league lasts longer and is divided into seasons. In most team esports games, as Wikipedia writes, organized play is built on promotion and relegation: teams move between leagues depending on results, as in football.
There are also franchised leagues based on the North American model. Wikipedia gives examples: Overwatch League (2016) from Blizzard, NBA 2K League from Take-Two with the NBA, Call of Duty League (2020) from Activision, and eMLS (2018) from EA Sports and MLS.
The best-known tournaments, according to Wikipedia, are the League of Legends World Championship, The International (Dota 2), Evolution Championship Series (EVO) and Intel Extreme Masters. Some games have a spectator mode with a delay, so that viewers cannot help the teams with hints.
Where the money comes from
The prize pool of The International 2021 exceeded 40 million dollars: this is the largest prize pool in esports history, and it was partly funded through the in-game “Compendium.” At Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2021, the total prize pool was about 22 million dollars.
But the big numbers apply to the best. Wikipedia stresses that financial stability is largely limited to players on top teams, and cites a study showing that only one in five professional players has a career longer than two years.
Esports is not limited to computers. Among the large prize pools, Wikipedia names the Grand Finals King Pro League for Honor of Kings (a mobile game): almost 10 million dollars. And the list of disciplines for Natus Vincere includes the mobile games Brawl Stars and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Words you will hear in a broadcast
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Prize pool | the total amount distributed among teams according to their results |
| Roster | the players who represent a team at a tournament |
| Qualifiers | a stage where teams compete for a place at the main tournament |
| Major | one of the most prestigious tournaments in a particular game |
| Bo3, Bo5 | “best of three” or “best of five”: a series of matches in which the winner is the first to take the required number of maps or games |
| Patch | a game update that changes the balance and can overturn team tactics |
If these words are clear to you, you can watch a broadcast of a complex tournament bracket without a cheat sheet.
Is it a sport?
The question is debatable. Wikipedia notes that calling video game competitions a sport is a contested topic: supporters describe it as an unconventional sport that requires careful planning, precise timing and skilled execution, while others classify it as a mind sport. In 2017 the IOC stated that competitive esports can be regarded as a sporting activity. Esports was a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games.
In Ukraine, esports was officially recognized as a sport in September 2020 (according to the Ukrainian Wikipedia).
A Ukrainian footprint: Natus Vincere
The best-known Ukrainian organization is Natus Vincere (Na’Vi). It was founded on December 17, 2009 under the name Arbalet UA, and its headquarters are in Kyiv. The Dota 2 team won The International 2011, beating the Chinese team EHOME 3:1 in the grand final and receiving 1,000,000 dollars. The Counter-Strike team won PGL Stockholm 2021 on November 7, 2021, beating G2 Esports 2:0; it was the organization’s first CS:GO major. As of October 2026, according to Wikipedia, the organization’s disciplines include Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, League of Legends, Valorant and other games.
To learn more about the games themselves, see our article on the main esports disciplines, and for how to follow tournaments, see our practical guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do esports players earn?
Wikipedia stresses that financial stability most often applies to players on top teams, and one study found that only one in five professional players has a career longer than two years. So the big prizes go to a minority.
How many hours do players train?
It depends on the team and the game. Wikipedia gives an example: the Team Liquid roster in League of Legends trains at least 50 hours per week.
Do you need to be able to play to watch esports?
No. It’s enough to know the goals of the game: for example, in Dota 2 teams defend their base and try to destroy the opponent’s “Ancient.” We covered the details of the games in a separate article.
Is esports an Olympic sport?
Here Wikipedia cites only the IOC’s 2017 statement that competitive esports can be regarded as a sporting activity, and the fact that esports was a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games. The status differs between countries.
How long does an esports career last?
According to Wikipedia, most professional players end their careers before the end of their twenties. So it helps players to think ahead about what to do after their sports career.
Is esports only about computer games?
No. Among the large competitions there are mobile games (Honor of Kings, Brawl Stars), as well as console and multiplatform titles. The format is the same: players or teams compete under tournament rules.
Sources
Data was checked against live official pages and Wikipedia on October 14, 2026.
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