The boom and bust of esports


Enlarge this image

The explosive growth of Esports has made it so that elite-level competitive gamers can leverage their ability into a full-time job. But what does the life of a typical Esports pro look like and how do they think about their long-term prospects with Esports growth stagnating?

Theresa O’Reilly for NPR

hide caption

toggle caption

Theresa O’Reilly for NPR

The explosive growth of Esports has made it so that elite-level competitive gamers can leverage their ability into a full-time job. But what does the life of a typical Esports pro look like and how do they think about their long-term prospects with Esports growth stagnating?

Theresa O’Reilly for NPR

The origins of competitive gaming are rooted in college campuses going back to the early 1970s. Now a globally popular industry, esports is at the center of many questions about long-term financial viability.

Today, we dive deep into the hype surrounding esports and why the luster seems to be rubbing off the industry that was once seen by some as the next NBA.

Related episodes:

Forever games: the economics of the live service model (Apple / Spotify)

Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Read More:   Profiting off greater risk: the reinsurance game

Leave a Reply