ESL Announces Worldwide Mobile Open 2021

The gaming sphere is changing, and the mobile market is slowly taking over. Many companies are racing to not only develop competitive mobile titles but also push them into the growing esports scene.

ESL is wasting no time, and the company has just unveiled their new ESL Mobile Open 2021, one of the fastest-growing mobile tournaments. The event will feature seven mobile games and will span across three different regions – Europe & MENA, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

Mobile gaming is here to stay

Mobile gaming is a relatively fresh new market, and it took the gaming world by storm. Not that long ago, mobile games were just pixelated mini-games we’d carry on our phone and would briefly play during work breaks, or while traveling. But things have changed so quickly and drastically, that the mobile industry is one of the fastest-growing ones in the world today.

In this day and age, everyone has a smartphone. The added advantage of mobile gaming is also the fact that people who play them aren’t tied down to a specific place, but can enjoy the games they play anytime and anywhere.

ESL is making the first move and creating a place for mobile gamers to compete, instead of waiting for one to appear out of thin air. This new mobile tournament is open for everybody, and there are no usual requirements you’d see in traditional PC esports events.

Players can register through the official ESL mobile website and take a chance at the upcoming event in April 2021.

The new ESL ecosystem

The new ESL Mobile Open event will continue what ESL started two years ago. There have been six ESL Mobile Open seasons so far, and they’ve been very well-received. They continue expanding both in terms of new games, but also new regions. This year, aside from NA and EU, we’ll be able to witness teams competing in the Asia-Pacific region too.

What ESL has in mind is much more than a simple tournament. They envision a brand new ecosystem for players of all skill levels to compete in. Just a few days ago, the company released a blog post on their website, going over their new approach in more detail.

ESL Mobile Open
Image Credits | ESL

Currently, they have seven different games players can compete in, and those are Asphalt 9: Legends, Brawl Stars, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, PUBG Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Legends of Runeterra. As the ecosystem keeps developing, there will most likely be even more games being added in.

ESL aims to create a global infrastructure of fans and players, and right now they are offering this opportunity to more than 80 countries across the three aforementioned regions.

Kevin Rosenblatt, co-managing Director of ESL North America and General Manager of Mobile at ESL Gaming, had the following to say:

“ESL has made a name for itself building competitive ecosystems across a wide variety of games and genres in the esports landscape. We’re incredibly excited to continue this trailblazing and innovative approach in the mobile esports space.”

When talking about mobile gaming, he also added:

“Mobile gaming has reached unprecedented popularity worldwide and ESL is thrilled to bring players and fans this competitive and highly engaging program.”

Can mobile gaming survive in the PC world?

The short answer is – yes, it can. As a matter of fact, companies have started cutting down on game development of traditional PC genres, and are investing more into the mobile market.

For example, if we take a look at Activision Blizzard’s quarterly reports, we’ll see that the large majority of income comes from King’s Candy Crush, which is a phone/browser game. It’s an inevitability, and companies are aware of it. That’s why ESL is making such great strides with ESL Mobile Open, and will continue to do so as long as there’s a market for mobile games.

Denis Alihodzic
Denis Alihodzic

Since: March 1, 2021

Freelance writer with a passion for gaming and esports. Loves a good old-school RPG, and enjoys spending time with his dogs.

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