Could Role Playing Games Be the Next Big Thing in E-Sports?

While traditional sports aren’t going anywhere soon, it’s clear that the rising generation often cares about E-Sports almost as much as they do about the big four. The world’s best League of Legends or Fortnite players are international celebrities revered by gamers all around the world, and their largest tournaments are big-ticket events with millions of dollars on the line and even more eyes watching them play.

With E-Sports carving out such a large niche in the sporting landscape the question of if they will last has been abandoned and instead replaced with which game will be the next to strike it big and become a Twitch mainstay with big money for those who provide the top streams. Surprisingly, the leading contender for this new frontier isn’t new at all — it’s Dungeons & Dragons, and role-playing games like it.

It’s Got Tradition

While being decades old may seem like a problem when trying to appeal to the cutting edge, with role-playing games it’s a strength. Modern roll playing is built on the foundation of decades of prior games. Dungeons & Dragons alone is on its fifth edition. That means that these games have spent decades being refined to create the best mechanisms for a good time.

It’s Always Innovating

While non-gamers may think that the hobby starts and ends with D&D, that’s not the reality of modern role-playing. There are countless systems in existence and gamers on streaming sites like Twitch draw big numbers playing everything from number-heavy games to more abstract experiences which sometimes don’t include a single roll of the digital dice. As designers create new experiences it offers new platforms to entertain the digital audience.

Popularity Is Rising

Year after year the number of viewers online role-playing games are drawing-in goes up. With sites like Roll20 making it easy for gamers to design a visual campaign, it results in gaming maps which are not only more fun for the players of the game but also translate better as a streaming broadcast. It significantly lowers the level of expertise required out of viewers, as they can simply enjoy the games as if they were a movie of an epic saga.

Modern Media Bring it Home

Role-playing and the boardgame community at large have seen massive benefits out of the increasing digitization of gaming. Anybody with an email or a Facebook account can use role-playing platforms like the Roll20 App to get started in the hobby with minimal work. Streaming programs also make it easy for the game masters running the session to create eye-catching overlays which show stream watchers all the relevant information like a world map, character information and enemy stats in an easy-to-follow and pleasant-to-look-at way.

The Barrier of Entry is Low

When you look at the most successful E-Sports it becomes clear that they have one thing in common compared to less successful games, and that is the ability for anyone to get started playing them. Many of the leading games are “freemium” experiences, with players able to pick them up for free, but also spend money if desired to access special aesthetic tools. Online role-playing is in the same arena with many apps completely free to use, but also offers special elements like dynamic lighting which add visual flourishes which take the game to another level, particularly when playing with an audience in mind.

If you are on the lookout for the next big thing in online game-watching then look no further than Dungeons & Dragon and its role-playing friends. The community is on the rise and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.