Endpoint are looking to go all the way in the Hellcase Cup
Ihor MatusCounter Strike: Global Offensive has been one of the most popular first-person shooter (FPS) games in the world, ever since its launch all the way back in 2012. Even with there having been more releases in the Counter Strike franchise since then, CS:GO remains the game of choice for players, especially online, and it is thus almost always used for online esports and gaming tournaments as well. There is one such tournament on the horizon, with the Hellcase Cup beginning this week. The tournament has a total prize pool of $10,000, and so it is serious business for all the teams participating, and not just a game.
British team Endpoint will be one of the contenders, and they will be hoping that they can go all the way and win the tournament, and the $4,000 prize that comes with it. Endpoint are one of the newer kids on the esports block, only being formed in 2016, but they have become one of the biggest teams on the scene, and are also active in tournaments for Overwatch as well. They have previous form for winning CS:GO tournaments, winning the UK Masters in 2018, and they also finished second in season one of the Grosvenor esports tournament. With their top players MightMax, Surreal and Thomas all available, the Sheffield-based team will be fancying their chances of adding the Hellcase Cup to their growing collection of esports trophies.
The Hellcase Cup is just one example from a sports genre that is exploding at the moment. Esports has been growing in popularity at an exponential rate over the last few years, and is now firmly established as a legitimate entertainment option for fans, and a very lucrative career for the very best players too. In another example which shows the growth of the sport, Esports Entertainment Group, an online gambling company which focuses on esports gambling and online real money slots, recently began bringing on hundreds of affiliate partners to boost its marketing effort for its revamped betting platform, VIE.gg. These partners include esports teams, players, influencers, tournaments and other partners from the likes of North America, Asia, Europe and South America. Esports Entertainment Group is also intending to have its own esports gaming tournaments, for both mobile users and those on PCs, with huge prizes.
This step shows just how much faith the company has in the growth potential of esports, besides being a company focused on esports betting, for starters. There are multiple gambling companies which offer odds on various esports matches and leagues, and this has only increased in traction in the current scenario, with live sports largely suspended and esports rising in prominence as an entertainment option. Esports Entertainment Group also recently raised $8.4 million through a public offering, yet another sign that this intersection between gaming and sports is here to stay, with the financial markets also believing in its ability to grow by leaps and bounds over the next few years and decades.