There is no doubt that eSports has become a significant fan and spectator sport in recent years as well as its increasing popularity as a participation pastime. Although much of the West still sees a dominance for more established sports, the popularity of eSports is still on the rise there and is even more so in other sections of the world. The most obvious example of a market in which eSports is growing to surpass other sports would probably be South Korea. Although sporting excellence in more conventional sports is important there, and their soccer team in particular is always expected to perform well, eSports is huge there. And South Korea is huge in eSports.

When it comes to explaining South Korean eSports excellence, there is no one specific factor that makes the country a shining light in the field and a focus of online betting like at Limitless Casino There are, however, some aspects that should be acknowledged when analysing why South Korean teams are so good - and how other nations could catch up.

Discipline is fundamental

It’s often noted that K-pop is one of the fastest-growing musical genres in the world, and that the performance levels of groups like BTS and Seventeen outstrip what is expected from Western groups. That’s not an accident; these groups train, rehearse and innovate until they’re more or less able to perform on demand. This level of discipline and hard work is expected in Korea, and it’s fundamental to the performances of their eSports teams as well. Teams like T1, DRX and Gen G are committed to delivering every time they enter the arena, so they practise endlessly. There’s not a situation they might face that they haven’t already gamed out.

Military service and its impact

Some soccer players, musicians and other prominent names in South Korea are able to use their success in their field to gain exemption from the military service all Korean men are expected to perform. However, at present the state has not recognised eSports as being a path to exemption. This means that in their mid-twenties, Korean eSports stars like Faker and Khan are expected to at least take a break from their careers to carry out their service.

This has multiple effects: it necessitates that teams have a deep roster that can bear the loss of a player for 18 months; it makes the players all the more focused on performing at their best in the knowledge that they may need to depart the scene for a while; and it is leading to an increased focus on ways that eSports can be used within the military, harnessing the skills of the best players and allowing them to continue practising while enlisted.

A global image

For South Korea as a country, there is a strong sense of celebrating the cultural impact that Korean performers have on a global scene. Oscar winners like Boon Jongho are national treasures because they have become relevant beyond national borders. So Korean eSports teams dominating the global playing field is increasingly self-perpetuating. Knowing that their teams are flying the flag abroad leads Korean governments to make bigger concessions to those teams to help them stay good.