What Are Some Underrated Esports?

When we say esports, one might quickly think of games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, or DotA 2. These titles have produced some, if not the biggest esports scenes in today’s entertainment and gaming sphere. Obviously, it took years, if not decades, for these games to become so popular worldwide. The fact that billions of dollars have been poured into the respective games’ esports ecosystems also helps a ton.

Of course, not every popular game has an equally popular and massive esports scene. Famous franchises such as Call of Duty and Halo still draw in millions of fans worldwide, but still can’t reach the former examples’ span. This is often reflected in the prizes as well, as for example the Halo World Championship 2024’s prize pool is $1 million, according to HaloWaypoint. Meanwhile, Dota 2’s prize pool is over $2.6 million. A large chunk of the money for it was actually crowdfunded by fans who bought the game’s battle pass. In the past, this method has garnered record-breaking prizes, such as The International 2021’s $40 million, according to dota2.prizetrac.kr.

But regardless of these mind-boggling numbers, there are many other games that have small, yet lively esports scenes. Here, we will try and shed some light on some more obscure esports. We guarantee that you will be surprised to see some games on this list.

Esports Sim Racing

While the scene of competitive racing games has existed for years, racing sims are a niche that exploded a couple of years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 to 2021 was a strange time when sports venues were empty and athletes had to play in empty stadiums. It was a similar case with Formula 1, NASCAR, and other races as well. Fans were unable to get their fix from the regular channels or attend IRL events.

For this reason, many turned to racing sims. These high-quality games mimic the experience of driving a real race car in recreations of real-world locations. Thanks to its high-quality gameplay and the fact even sports stars and real-world racers decided to try their hands at racing sims, the esports scene exploded. The peak event for F1 Sim Racing, F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series Vietnam, reached 400,000 concurrent viewers, according to Esports Charts.

While the racing sim esports scene has not recorded the same numbers ever since the pandemic ended, it has carved a stable niche that is here to stay. This is helped by the fact that there are multiple different sims for fans to choose from – everything from the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual held on rFactor 2 to the ESL-run RENNSPORT series.

Pokémon Esports

Pokémon is obviously one of the most popular franchises in the world, period, so it’s not surprising that it boasts its own esports scene. What’s unique about it, however, is that its events feel almost like festivals. Fans not only come to see esports at a high level, but also mingle with other Pokémon fans, play games, trade cards, and so on. Such events are a center for competitive players, trading card enjoyers, and general Pokémon fans with anime screenings and a unique temporary store, called The Pokémon Center, being commonplace.

One other major unique feature of the Pokémon esports scene is its division. There are three age groups, allowing for very young players to compete, sometimes even children as young as 10 years old. This is quite unique in esports, considering most other scenes’ players usually start in their late teens at the earliest.

Considering the franchise is almost thirty years old, yet still growing, it’s safe to say that Pokémon esports will continue to be a staple of the modern gaming world.

Football Manager

Going back to simulators, the Football Manager franchise has let players take control of virtual versions of their favorite teams for almost twenty years. The rather realistic management simulations have garnered a dedicated and passionate fan base that has spawned a lively esports scene as well.

The scene has been growing further over the past few years with big companies also chipping in to develop it further. For example, FIFA recently hosted the World Cup of Football Manager in Liverpool which saw competitors from all around the globe.

Football Manager’s esports scene is rather new, but considering the recent events gathered substantial views, it’s highly possible that the franchise will grow further. In fact, now might be a great time for aspiring esports players and football fans to get into it.

Farming Sim Esports

Now this is a game probably not many of you would have expected to see here. After all, what type of esport could a relaxing game about farming offer? As it turns out, the Farming Sim franchise has had a small yet stable esports scene since the earliest days of its existence. The first game in the series was released in 2008 by GIANTS Software and since then the game has established a niche in the esports market.

Competitive players play in teams and race to score points. This can be done by completing various in-game tasks, such as being the one to plow a field of a set size first or dropping as many hay bales as possible at a designated point. This often happens in teams with players working together on different tasks to win a match.

While a niche esports, Farming Simulator has attracted more players and companies in recent years. Agricultural manufacturers such as John Deere and Lindner, whose machines are often represented in-game, have fielded their own teams. The most recent Season 5 World Championship was won by another manufacturer – Helm.

Age of Empires

Real-time strategy games are nothing new to competitive gaming. In fact, one might say that titles like the original StarCraft were fundamental in creating the modern-day esports scene. Even today there are many StarCraft 2 tournaments held worldwide.

But one game originating from that early era of competitive gaming, which still has a stable esports scene, is Age of Empires. The franchise has spawned numerous iterations over the years, but Age of Empires 2 likely remains the most popular one. It has received multiple expansions, upgrades, and new editions, such as AoE2: Definitive Edition, helping the competitive side of gaming stay vibrant.

While definitely not as popular as StarCraft esports, or other bigger titles, Age of Empires still possesses a strong following and has multiple tournaments each year. Large companies have often stepped in to sponsor these events. In fact, energy drinks company Red Bull hosted the recent Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado Age of Empires II, which had a prize pool of $138,000.

Conclusions

Esports are playing a bigger and bigger role in today’s entertainment and gaming market and that influence will likely continue to grow. While a few major titles often take the main spotlight, there are many other smaller esports that have just as exciting stories to tell.