Esports That Maybe You Don’t Know

On hearing the word esports, most people instantly picture the big three: League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Dota 2. Nevertheless, the competitive gaming domain is significantly larger than the one known to the public. Besides the mega-franchises, numerous titles for esports maintain existence in different niche communities. These communities are shared with tournaments, fanbases, and professional players of each other.

Here is the list of such esports that you probably don’t know about but definitely should.

1. Age of Empires II

Age of Empires II, with its latest version and a loyal fan base, has seen a large-scale competitive comeback from its inception to the present day. Significant events such as Red Bull Wololo gather the best players from all over the globe to show their ingenious tactics. Besides its simple setting of economy and warfare, the game becomes one of the most intelligent ones in the esports world.

2. Poker Esports

Poker has been a part of casinos and card tables for a long time, but now it has also stepped into the digital world of esports. The platforms run high-stakes tournaments that are a combination of skill, strategy, and mind games. 

The sharp competitive edge is even more visible in online poker, where the faster players outpace the slowest ones due to the game's speed, multitabling, and quick reading of opponents. At present, some poker-centric esports leagues are live-streaming their matches, attracting a big crowd of fans from all over the world.

3. World of Tanks

The game of armored fighting has been experiencing a slow but steady rise in popularity in the field of esports, resulting in a large fan base, primarily in Eastern Europe and Asia. The players of one team operate the war machines tactically, which are historical representations, and must also be very accurate with their shooting. 

The World of Tanks Grand Finals always bring the best teams for the biggest cash prizes. But the visual of tanks moving on the strategic maps is something that you can barely see in the traditional world of esports.

4. Clash Royale

Mobile games usually get no credit in the competitive gaming world, but Clash Royale is just the opposite. Its real-time card battles made the game a worldwide phenomenon in the esports scene, even having official developer-sanctioned leagues, Supercell, as its sponsor. 

Being that anyone with a smartphone can quickly jump in and play, and also having a high skill ceiling, makes it very appealing, particularly to those fans who want quick matches with a lot of strategy.

5. Brawlhalla

Super Smash Bros. fans will find Brawlhalla pretty familiar, as it is often labeled as a less complicated version of Super Smash Bros. Brawlhalla is a free-to-play platform fighter that has grown its scene within the esports community. 

Brawlhalla competitions are populated by players from all over the world, and the game is so deceptively simple that it has a surprising depth. The vivid graphical style and easy-to-learn controls have made this title one of the most accessible esports for both playing and watching.

6. Farming Simulator League

You read the title correctly. There is a professional esports league for Farming Simulator. In this league, those competitors who complete the same tasks, such as harvesting, transporting, or selling crops in the least amount of time, are the winners. 

The whole idea of the Farming Simulator League might sound niche. Still, the league has found sponsors and fans, some of whom specialize in the segment, thereby signaling that esports can grow in unusual genres.

7. Speedrunning Competitions

Speedrun doesn't have just one game; it's about finishing any game as fast as possible using skill, knowledge, and sometimes exploiting glitches. One of the main events in this area is Games Done Quick, where players compete to complete games like Super Mario 64 or The Legend of Zelda: 

Ocarina of Time in the shortest time possible. Although the format is not always like traditional esports, the community and the level of competition still make speedrunning a notable point.

8. Eternal Return

Eternal Return, which combines battle royale, Moba, and survival mechanics, is the newest of the esports in town. Players gather materials, make weapons, and kill off their rivals one by one until there is a single winner. 

The blend of strategy and action in this game is its unique selling point among other battle royales, and it has been slowly but steadily spreading across the competitive scene in Asia and other regions.

9. Teamfight Tactics

Teamfight Tactics (TFT) is an auto-battler made by Riot Games where players drop their units on the board and watch the fight go on automatically. 

The go-with-the-flow setup might make you think it’s not so serious, but TFT is actually quite strategic, with the need for thorough planning, resource management, and adaptability. Big TFT tournaments have big-money prizes, and the game’s esports scene is getting bigger and bigger along with Riot’s more famous title, League of Legends.

10. VR Esports

Virtual reality is still in its infancy, but VR esports are already there. Games like Echo Arena and Onward have built up their competitive communities, with the tournaments attracting both players and spectators who are fascinated by VR’s immersive gameplay. 

The physicality of VR, ducking, aiming, and moving in real space, adds a layer of athleticism rarely seen in traditional esports.