There has been a consistent increase in the number of players and fans participating in eSports. Over the years, some teams have made history with excellent performances, ridiculous sports earnings, and the number of supporters they have attracted with their professional gaming skills. Dominating eSports is quite the challenge as every year, new formidable teams challenge for the top spot. Different organizations sponsor some of the biggest teams, while other teams are unions of several individuals.
Currently, there are about 500 teams that participate in eSports. Other than cash prizes from official competitions, eSports teams earn from brands in exchange for publicity. The teams are also funded by advertisers seeking brand recognition from the massive eSport fan base. You can now follow your favorite eSports team online at truenorthcasinos.ca from anywhere in the world. Below are some of the teams that have made their mark in eSports.
Evil Geniuses
Evil Geniuses is an American organization with teams in Fortnite Battle Royale, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft, Call of Duty, and Dota 2, among others. The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 teams are the organization’s top-performing with impressive records like qualifying for the Grand Final Singapore World Pro and the Dota 2 team ranking 5th and 6th in The International Championship. Their CS: GO team has recorded significant wins in the ESL One held in New York City. The Evil Geniuses started strong in 2019 but ended up performing poorly as the year came to an end.
Astralis
Astralis is a one-game team founded in 2016. The team’s decision to specialize in one game has earned the Danish group a good reputation in eSports. Despite having a single team participating in one game, Astralis has emerged victorious in 11 tournaments. The team is also one of the most popular and is considered successful compared to other non-specialty eSports teams. Astralis only participates in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game. In the latest tournaments, only one of the five Astralis players did not rank in the top 20 positions. Astralis has continued to dominate Counter-Strike for years and still gets better with time.
SK Telecom T1
Popularly known for its League of Legends’ team, SK Telecom T1 is a South Korean organization formed in 2003. The T1 League of Legends team dominated the competition in the 2013,2015, and 2016 World Championship. The team holds a world record for attracting an audience of over 4 million during the T1, G2 faceoff in 2019. These records imply that the game would have had millions of more viewers if it were the Grand Finale. The other teams under SK Telecom T1 have not achieved as much as the League of Legends team.
Fnatic
According to Forbes, Fnatic is considered the most prominent brand of Esports in the world. Formed in 2004, the organization originates in the United Kingdom and currently accommodates players from different regions of the world. Fnatic teams compete in Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG Mobile, Heroes of the Storm, and Apex Legends. LoL, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 are Fnatic’s main competitive grounds. Fnatic began to attract people’s attention after emerging champions during the 2011 LoL’s first season. However, the team went back to being EU LCS champions after failing to qualify for the 2012 Worlds. In 2013 and 2015, Fnatic secured the top 4 positions in Esports competitions. 2016 was also marked with failure, and this motivated them to try harder, leading to their 2017 success, where they completed among the top 8 teams in the competitive world. Even though the team performed poorly again in 2018, they dominated the Rift Rivals, spring, and summer splits.
Team Liquid
Liquid, as the name suggests, is a team that comprises of high-level players with fluidity in competitive gaming. Liquid is a fan favorite and holds the record for the most-watched team among Esports teams globally. Liquid was founded in 2000 in the Netherlands. Liquid qualified for the Dota 2 International finals of 2019, although it later lost to OG. This team earned its fame and prosperity by actively participating in many Esports events. It was awarded the second-ever Intel Grand Slam after consistently winning a series of events such as the ESL Pro League and DreamHack Masters.
There are many other honorable mentions in this category, including Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Vitality, Virtus.pro, G2 Esports, etc. Professional Esports teams invest a lot of their time and resources to become the best. With the increasing popularity, the potential of the gaming industry is boundless as technology advances. Professional teams employ gaming experts and diligently strategize their moves, just like in any other sports. The industry is, however, young and needs to invest more in marketing.
