Why free-to-play needs to stay in esports gaming

There’s nothing quite like getting something for free. And for those who are competitive gamers, what a time to be one. The options of which esports game to sink your teeth into are vast. Better still, many of them are free to play.

Put two and two together, and players will begin to understand why and how esports is an industry that is seeing a surge in popularity with no signs of slowing down. And behind the success is something rather simple: free-to-play games. In this article, we’ll be exploring why free-to-play needs to stay in esports gaming. 

Accessibility

As it stands, the most popular esports games include the likes of Rocket League, PUBG: Battlegrounds, and Fortnite. They all share a common trait – they’re completely free. Therefore, the barrier to entry is low because no payment is required to access these titles. This opens the world of esports to many more prospective players who are willing to go beyond the average gaming experience, giving players a lot of varied competition to face.

Cosmetics

Many esports games are full to the brim with in-game cosmetics that allow players to personalize their character models, vehicles, and weapons. These can be acquired through an in-game currency that’s earned by completing tasks and playing well, and these item stores often run weekly or monthly deals and incentives on selected items. With the base game being free, players may feel like they’re in a better position to engage more with the item stores. Seeing players with their distinct player skins and unique appearances adds variety to the gameplay that is sometimes needed.

Call of Duty adopts a similar structure with its cosmetics and acquiring in-game items arguably feels more rewarding. XP tokens make leveling up quicker, giving you access to better guns that enhance the gameplay. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018) also introduced the battle pass (an additional reward system granting players items). The success and popularity of the battle pass are evident – it’s been included in every edition of Call of Duty since it was first launched. 

Providing rewards and incentives in the world of esports is a widely used tactic. And its popularity goes beyond just esports and into other competitive gaming spaces, too. For example, online casinos have seen a surge in popularity in tandem with esports gaming. Accessibility has boomed in both markets and the products appear to attract a similar player demographic. Much like esports and video gaming developers strive to gamify and incentivize along the player journey, casino sites offer incentives like free spins UK. These incentives also change from time to time, just like the items shops and battle passes in Call of Duty. Sharing the digital stage for recent growth, it’ll be interesting to see if either mediums inspire one another with future rewards and incentives in the competitive gaming landscape. 

Source: Pexels

Streaming

Esports is one of the most watched styles of broadcasting and most definitely has a part to play in its growing popularity. This isn’t only attributed to all the free titles that are currently available, but esports naturally makes for some intense and engaging viewing. For many, it’s no different than watching regular sports on TV, and all these free-to-play titles can add variety to suit people’s tastes.
There are different parts to play in the rise of esports gaming, but having some of the most popular games free to play is no doubt a contributing factor to its success, and perhaps this digital sporting era would look far different if they weren’t.