Opinion: My Top Upcoming Games I’d Love to See in eSports
eSports has been around for a number of years already, but in recent years its popularity has been on the increase. eSports has become so popular and embedded in the fabric of our culture that many online betting sites are now accepting real money bets on games such as League of Legends, DotA (Defense of the Ancients) and Counter Strike. While these games have been leading the way, other games such as Call of Duty, Gears of War and Halo have been pushing their way up the competitive ladder, as the appeal of eSports grows ever more.
In fact, up until recently eSports has flown me by, but since the introduction of the three latter games mentioned, it’s been getting my interest as I tune into its World Championship tournaments and I can certainly see the eSports appeal, even if I am a little late to the party. I expect by the end of the year with the release of Halo 5 Guardians, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, I’ll be clocking up even more time on the Twitch streaming service as I watch the pro’s showing how it’s done with some of my favourite shooters.
Which got me thinking, what forthcoming games would I like to see in eSports in the near future? So while the list below is in no particular order, these are my five games that I would love to see in eSports.
Gears of War 4 – This is kind of an obvious and natural choice really, considering that Gears of War 3 is already an established eSports title. But it’s been four years since the last proper instalment (I’m ignoring GoW: Judgement, not that I didn’t enjoy it) and it will be five years by the time GoW4 releases in 2016. While no multiplayer gameplay was shown at E3 2016, the singleplayer footage looked stunning and got me excited at the prospect of its new and improved multiplayer modes.
And with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition to release for Xbox One on August 27th this year, it will introduce staple multiplayer modes that we see in other titles such as Team Deathmatch, as well as King of the Kill (GoW’s take on King of the Hill) and a special 2v2 mode created by the Gears of War community. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will help wet those competitive taste buds for when Gears of War 4 releases next year for the Xbox One.
The GoW4 multiplayer beta will be available to those that pre-order Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, so you’ll have plenty of time to hone your skills.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – This is a series that is not normally associated with the professional multiplayer scene, but I do hope this will change come the release of Uncharted 4 on the PS4 in March 2016. If anyone has played the multiplayer modes from Uncharted 2 and 3, then you’ll know it is a lot of fun. But rather than having all the influence of ‘all-out-action’ from previous games in the series, if Naughty Dog were somehow able to apply the high emphasis of teamwork to succeed from the somewhat underrated multiplayer of The Last of Us, Uncharted 4 could be an ideal candidate for the eSports multiplayer scene if the developers get that blend just right.
Those that pre-order Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection which releases for PS4 on October 7th will be granted access to the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End multiplayer beta.
Rainbow Six: Siege – When Rainbow Six: Siege releases for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on October 13th, tactical multiplayer gamers will be in heaven. While Rainbow Six: Siege will have a singleplayer mode of sorts, it’s been primarily built with the multiplayer in mind. The long running series has always been a popular multiplayer shooter with its emphasis on tactics where teamwork will be of the essence, rather than the typical run and gun gameplay we find in other shooters
The game will feature 5v5 matches with each match said to last for approximately three minutes, which could make Rainbow Six: Siege the perfect eSports title, where only the skilled and tactically advanced teams will succeed as the bite-sized matches keep the spectators on the edge of their seats throughout.
You can get access to the Rainbow Six: Siege multiplayer beta by pre-ordering the game at select retailers.
Metal Gear: Online – With GTA V, GTA Online felt like a standalone game in its own right and although it’s a very different game, perhaps the same can be said for Metal Gear: Online, which will come with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on September 1st. The Metal Gear Solid series have always been about stealth tactics and 2015’s Metal Gear: Online will be no exception. Whether you play its Player vs. Player modes or 8v8 team-based matches (6v6 for PS3/Xbox 360), you will need to work as a team to succeed and the very best stealth skills will be required in order to succeed.
While this may be a slower paced outing then other titles seen in eSports, having the very best Metal Gear tacticians on show at the world’s biggest competitive gaming event, this could be a dark horse contender and offer a welcomed alternative to the competitive multiplayer scene. I know this is a game that I would love to see introduced in eSports one day and I’m sure that I’m not alone.
WWE 2K16 – Ok, ok, hear me out on this one; this is merely my wildcard proposal. This may seem like an obscene suggestion, but if you’re a fan of the Twitch streaming service, have you ever watched an online Royal Rumble from WWE 2K15? Well if you have, then you’ll know that it’s almost as crazy and random as its real-life counterpart and those who provide running commentary overflow with energetic and enthusiastic commentary to boot.
If you’re a fan of the series and have played against a friend, despite its tongue in cheek nature, things can get very competitive to say the least. The series has always been packed with modes other then Royal Rumble, such as King of the Ring tournaments, Tag-Matches, 6 players’ brawls and much more. I know this will never happen, but when WWE 2K16 releases this year on October 27th, this could offer a wacky and crazy alternative to your more serious Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat type games. If you’ve never watched a crazy fan streaming a Royal Rumble on Twitch, go and watch one now!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my opinions of the games that I’d love to see in eSports, but with so many more games I could have mentioned, I’d also love to hear what games you’d like to see.