In the digital age, video games are booming, and the playerbase for all competitive e-sports is growing rapidly. 

E-sports is short for electronic sports, or any video game that is played competitively with leagues, teams, and rewards. 

The organization of the games is similar to physical sports. E-sports include almost all video game genres, from first-person shooters to Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBA’s). 

A common misconception is that video games are solely for children. 

It is clear, however, that many people take their passion for video games to college and beyond, and the field of e-sports is serious. “E-sports takes just as much skill as the more traditional physical sports,” said senior Peter Rondum. “The skill required in e-sports is just more mental. But I think both require the same amount of reflexive ability.”

However, there is another side to this phenomenon. about the seriousness of e-sports, especially compared to physical sports. 

“E-sports is entertaining for a certain demographic, but it doesn’t really contribute to society,” said sophomore Ethan Yamamoto. “Real sports shows a physical effort of people who strive to better themselves.”

Colleges around the world, including UC Irvine and Berkeley, have created e-sports scholarships and have been constructing massive e-sports as the popularity for professional gaming continues to grow. The number of game-savvy students that pour into these schools is rising continuously. 

Even beyond college, opportunities to pursue a career in profesional gaming are opening up as well.

About 28 millions e-sports fans exist just throughout Europe and North America, and that number is growing by 21 percent a year, according to ESPN.com. 

ESPN also reported that just last year, more people watched the “League of Legends” World Championship on PC than the NBA Finals and the World Series. 

The popular video site Youtube held a view count of 79 million for gaming, which was more than movies, news, and education combined. Much of this growth can be accredited to Twitch.tv, a website where users can watch other players “stream” their games. 

“I believe that e-sports has always been popular, just not in the United States,” said junior James Gilstrap. “As American culture begins to focus more on things like the internet and online activity, e-sports starts to grow in popularity here as well.”

It’s true. Professional gaming has been a prominent part  Asian countries such as China and South Korea, as well as throughout Europe.

But some say that traditional sports will always require more skill and will always be bigger than electronic sports. 

“I don’t think e-sports athletes should be paid as much as regular athletes,” said sophomore Alex Sydorak. “Videogames are more of a hobby than a job or sport. Sports like baseball require more skill than videogames do.”

Regardless of whether professional gaming is to be taken seriously or not, e-sports is without a doubt growing rapidly.  Competitions are popping up around the world, from county competitions to world cups. The “Overwatch” World Cup 2016 took place in December, and it held a record high audience size.

Previously gaming was thought to be a recreational activity. With the rise of the e-sports scene, this is not the case anymore.