Shady Numbers and Bad Business: Inside the Esports Bubble
Often viewers are incentivized to watch the tournament, by being offered exclusive cosmetic items in game or some premium currency for the game. This makes the view counts artificially inflated by people just looking for the handout. But the esports coordinator gets to flex the big viewer number as if it were organic.<p>Also esports competitors skew young because league participation means you are taking 3-6 months off work to earn below minimum wage. These young players are often delaying college educations to compete. You may mistake their hunger for competitive spirit, but they&#x27;re actually just hungry. Watch their streams in the off-season and listen to them dread the return to the &quot;gaming house&quot; and its frequency of ramen meals.