Esports hype is dying, but events like Evo hold the answer: stop trying to be a reference

I have been one of the haters Come onexpansion. After the Saudi Arabian company RTS took over the Evo and announced a bunch of competitors, I was sad. Like Arslan Ash, I felt that this would spoil the prestige of the event gathered in Las Vegas.

However, there are many differences in the discussion of why I am not a supporter of Saudi Arabia controlling another corner of the esports industry. And it’s not really a concept for fighting gamers to have a lot of events in general. Honestly, I think we need big events like Evo, not just FGC.

There has been a lot of talk lately about sports needing to be “saved.” While we all like to say that things are “dying,” I can also say that esports is no different. flourishing. Most mainstream esports titles don’t see much growth in viewership or revenue. Sponsors, investors, publishers, and tournament organizers are all struggling to see how esports can work, especially since it’s free to watch events online.

And if any stadium dares to charge a $10 rate, fans will boycott it.

I League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational saw 2.3 million viewers in 2023, 4.8 million viewers in 2024, and 3.44 million in 2025. There is no real growth pattern here. There is no indication that League of Legends, arguably the most popular esports title in the world, is only getting bigger as time goes on.

I For other countries is something Dota 2It is a very big event each year. In 2023, it peaked at 1.44 million viewers. By 2024, that drops to 1.51 million. After that, 2025 had 1.79 million. Also, esports never dies. It’s just… He is there. Fans stay a long time. But there aren’t many new fans. I would still count esports as a hobby.

Ask most people what esports is and they’ll think it’s their little cousin who plays Fortnite or mention some annoying streamer on Kick. Most people don’t watch top performers on stage. I would argue that this will always be the case, and that esports will never be the best. You won’t see Street Fighter 6 or Apex Legends pro driving in the Macy’s Day Parade on TV. And honestly, thank god.

However, the real problem is that the hype is dying within the existing esports fans. A few years ago, you would hear people talking a lot about the teams’ rivals, and you might even see the trash talk playing on social media and on the airwaves. You’ll see random memes populating your timeline. You’ll see the same spread on Reddit. You could see people arguing about who the GOAT was.

A few years ago, it sounded like by force. The broadcast is unseasoned. Drama is formulaic. The fanbase doesn’t passionately argue about anything. Sometimes it is difficult for the writers here to find a good story to dive into. Many things are at a high level.

I’ve seen quite a few arguments as to what can “save” esports from this ongoing decline in hype. What will keep fans invested? Are you in love? Some have said to accept more mobile games. The fan base in South Asia is huge, and there are entire countries that are obsessed with mobile games. I don’t know if that can be recreated in North America and Europe, though.

I think the real answer lies within the fighting game community.

Don’t kill me for saying this again, but the fighting animal community is built on grassroots love. The grit. Determination. There is no money on the line. Maybe a few thousand if you’re lucky. There is no honor. You won’t be widely known outside of FGC. Most people outside the FGC don’t know what’s going on here.

But they continue to grind, 10 hours a day for years on end. They fly to tournaments they don’t have the money to go to. They are fascinated. It’s that kind of spirit that other esports need to embrace.

Esports has been striving to become a mainstream phenomenon, drawing inspiration from traditional sports. Scheduled seasons. Franchise teams. But again, it all feels manufactured. It all feels old. Forced. Business.

Over at FGC, there is chaos, talk, salt, rivalries, chaos. The fan base may be small, but it is strong. They are planted.

How can we recreate that kind of atmosphere with Counter-Strike 2? For League of Legends? These games already have more fans, more viewers than FGC could ever dream of. But how can they be hype?

I think they need more events like Evo.

Evo is a celebration of all things fighting games. Almost every fighting game scene in existence competes in Evo, all gathered in a large convention center to gather together and watch the same thing on multiple screens. Although these martial arts are often considered outside of other events, they are popular and respected here.

Every fighting game has a different fan base. They are all different. Some smell better than others. Playing. Kind of. But at Evo, they all come together to celebrate fighting games as a whole. Even if you came to watch Episode 8will check Guilty Gear -Continue-. You will be happy Deadly Rage: City of Wolves. It creates a sense of harmony.

Mainstream esports used to have that with Major League Gaming (MLG), back when they used to run LAN events for shooters like Call of Duty and Halo all in one building. This was not just a sports competition. This was a gathering of FPS sweatshops who wanted to feel like they belonged and to see criminals being celebrated on stage.

I think we should ditch all theater lessons and bring back these real community events. This is why I fear the purchase of Evo. The desire to reach a large audience by having a broadcast game and the like doesn’t ring true for the FGC brand. To play. Remember back in the day when everyone plugged in their computers to get a LAN? Or will you have to break through the walls of your high school to play StarCraft while in the library? At the time, esports was like a celebration of booths that were often ridiculed. It was a way to feel a sense of community.

Now, we get streamer shows. We get bands walking on stage with fog machines and rap music. We get great productions played live between matches. It feels like we’re trying to get used to normal people again. Look, we’re having a lot of fun here! Look, we’re successful and cool! How about accepting that we are all crazy? Why not just focus on what esports is all about: talent, passion, grit. Who cares about all these other things?

Super Smash Bros. event Supernova gets it. It has announced a comeback this year in a big way. Place twice. But instead of marketing with generic titles or other attempts to appeal to the masses, it announced More things that Smash players love. Supernova is a celebration of the Smash community. There are big tournaments, yes, but also play areas, old school tournaments, the Smash 64 Combo Tournament, the Smashies award show… This is a way to bring together all the Smash communities, even if they often don’t understand each other.

If sports organizations and tournament organizers can stop trying to appeal to the masses and return esports to its roots, I think the hype will be saved. No Chipotle ads or crypto sponsors have gained a large following. The spectators stopped. Let’s focus on true esports fans and give them what they want.