The COVID-19 contagion has hugely unseated everyday life and affairs across the planet. People having been confined to staying indoors are slowly adjusting to this new normal. The extended lockdown to contain the virus may have disrupted our daily routines and conventions to a massive degree, but it has also catalysed the rise of numerous virtual online activities that have emerged as popular past times. One such popular trend has been the growth of Gaming and esports during the COVID-induced lockdown. With outdoor activities and get-togethers off the charts, the most preferred and available leisure activities that are there to switch to are gaming and esports. Most of us enjoy playing video games and the rise of technology and innovation has brought us a tremendous amount of next-gen options to our table.
So, what exactly does esports stand for and is the term synonymous with gaming? Well, yes and no. There are countless gamers in the world but not everyone is an esportsperson. When someone becomes efficient at a particular game and is ready to move to the next level to compete with other professional gamers amid a designated audience and handsome prize money, such an event falls under the category of esports. As the lockdown has ushered a swift transition to digital avenues, a plethora of gaming stakeholders and players in the entertainment sector are recognising the need to monetise and digitise the highly unorganised Indian gaming scene into a systematic esport segment. 
Therefore, one of the most exponentially growing industries since the onset of the coronavirus lockdown across India and the world has been the gaming and esports industry. While the Indian online gaming industry has before now lured in investments from venture capital firms to the tune of $350 million between the period 2014-20, it is further projected to grow at a phenomenal CAGR of 47per cent by the FY: 2022. The rise of home-grown gaming brands, the rising popular access to smartphones and wide-spread permeation of internet services along with the outdoor restrictions ensued by the pandemic have all propelled the rise of the Indian esports scene. Therefore it is no surprise then, that the gaming sector in the country is expected to reach a whopping $3,750 million by 2024. With over 400 active gaming startups and over 500 million smartphone, the future of esports and online gaming looks good, indeed!
There are other aspects too that have contributed to the rise of esports culture in the country. As most humans are innately social beings and carry an inherent competitive streak, esporting has offered a wonderful virtual getaway from the moribund loneliness and mental turbulence ensued by the stifling effects of the coronavirus lockdown. With most sources of social entertainment and fun disbanded under the present circumstances, gaming and notably esports have surfaced as the chosen mode of indoor activity and fun. Also, in the absence of live-sporting events such as football leagues, cricket tournaments, so on this year, esporting tournaments have emerged as a worthy substitute providing live-action that extend the much-needed gush of adrenaline and joy to countless viewers. Thus, in a way virtual esports and indoor gaming events are offering solace to millions of people and filling the post-lockdown entertainment gap in 2020.
There are plenty of popularly-embraced online games such as PUBG, Fortnite, Freefire, World of Tanks in the online realm while heavy-duty next-gen console and PC video games such as FIFA 20, Call of Duty, DOTA 2, Tekken 7, and more. are captivating huge audiences across the world as valiant gamers battle it out for coveted prize money plus the bragging rights. Meanwhile, a plethora of online platforms such as Twitch and YouTube and Indian companies like Loco, Rooter and Rheo TV amongst others are providing a highly immersive and engaging platform that allows people to consume and cherish esports content in the form of videos and live events. They are enabling e-sport streamers to directly transmit their gameplay content on these social media and video platforms.
Therefore, hoping to benefit from this hi-growth industry, numerous organisations in the electronics and entertainment segment such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, Qualcomm, EA Sports, and more. are initiating innovations in 5G and cloud gaming as well as tapping into the AR/VR space to harness the immense potential of this prospective goldmine. That said, the future for esports and the gaming industry does appear exceptionally bright within a transformed post-pandemic world.
(This article has been contributed by Rooter CEO and founder Piyush, and AnimationXpress does not necessarily subscribe to these views)
