How Will the Esports Landscape Change in 2024?

If 2023 was a year of consolidation and conservatism in esports, how is 2024 shaping up?

The answer, in general terms, appears to be pretty much the same, with many teams and event organisers doubling down on their stripped-back approach due, in part, to a lower level of investment in the key titles.

But even so, there’s still plenty of room for optimism for esports gamers in 2024…

Familiar Faces

In the boom years for esports teams, player transfers became something of a Wild West, with the clamour for those that deliver quality performances – and generate revenue – in great demand.

But with budgets shrunk in the wake of challenging economic conditions, teams are instead looking to build a roster of players that will ensure they remain competitive without breaking the bank.

「JDG.Announcement」

We are thrilled to announce that Mafa as our new head coach!

Mafa brings a wealth of achievements from his time with GenG & iG including 1 Worlds, 1 LPL, & 3 LCK Championships. We are confident that Mafa will lead our team to new heights!#JDGwin pic.twitter.com/12tBR0PVNS

— JD Gaming (@JDGaming) December 1, 2023

There’s a chance that the likes of JD Gaming will continue to splash out on building the ultimate squad, but for the most part, consolidation is likely to be the theme regarding roster development.

You Can Bet On It

The esports industry bid farewell to specialist betting firms like Unikrn and Luckbox, who failed to gain enough traction with punters.

In 2024, mainstream bookmakers that offer esports betting markets will likely be the primary destination for punters wanting to bet on CS:GO, LoL, Dota etc. Firms such as Paddy Power offer live streaming, a range of markets and added extras like a bet calculator, so the user experience will at least remain high.

Esports is still in its growth phase, so the demise of Unikrn and Co was to be expected in some ways – but esports betting still has a bright future.

New and Emerging Markets

Europe, Asia and North America have been the dominant regions in esports gaming for several years. But could that change in 2024?

One area that is banking on it is the Middle East, and specifically Saudi Arabia – whose plans for domination in many different sectors now extend to competitive gaming, as detailed in the National Gaming and Esports Strategy detailed by the country’s cultural leaders.

Other countries from Latin America are expected to follow in the lead of Brazil, which now has four players that have banked more than $1 million in esports prize money, while Asian nations such as Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia continue to report impressive player numbers – the latter was one of the first countries to officially recognize esports as a ‘sport’ as far back as 2020.

A Whole New World

Will CS2 replace CS:GO in the hearts and minds of esports enthusiasts?

That’s one of the key questions for 2024, with the migration from the original Counter-Strike title to its sequel likely to shape how the competitions centered around the Valve title play out.

The general feeling is that CS2 is a worthy successor to the original release, but even so, the leading teams and franchises will take some time to bed into the new maps and gameplay – that could see some shocking results when the tournament schedule gets up and running in 2024.

So, the new year is shaping up to be a good one for esports – those that adapt the best to the changing conditions will surely thrive the most.