October 5, 2023
When most people think of esports, what comes to mind is large arenas, professional tournaments, and big prize money. The reality of the industry is that this side of esports is only a tiny portion of what actually goes on in the space.
Esports runs on content creators, streamers, viewers, academic leagues, collegiate leagues, and amateur competitors. While the majority of esports do have amateur scenes as well as professional scenes, some esports simply do it better. Below is a compiled list of the six esports games with communities that do amateur esports the best.
Super Smash Bros.
The Super Smash Bros. amateur scene is one of the most casual out there. However, the game (throughout its various iterations) has developed an incredibly strong community around it. There are local Smash nights in bars in pretty much any city in the US, and you can find locally run leagues and tournaments almost everywhere.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and its Gamecube predecessor Super Smash Bros. Melee, enjoy an incredibly loyal fanbase of fans looking to compete. Since there is not much of a professional scene and prize money in these titles is scarce, Smash tournaments draw huge crowds of both players and spectators.
The biggest tournament for Super Smash Bros. is the Genesis tournament series, with seven tournaments. The first Genesis tournament was held in 2009, and 292 players entered the bracket. Fast-forward ten years later, and the 2019 Genesis 6 boasted over 2,000 players. The explosive growth of this tournament shows the amateur scene surrounding Super Smash Bros.
Fortnite
The main reason Fortnite is on the list is that the game does not have much of a professional scene. Anyone can climb the ranks in arena mode and make it to the top of the leaderboards. From there, they may be invited to a Fortnite tournament by Epic Games or a third-party esports organization.
The division between amateur and professional in Fortnite is very blurred, and opportunities abound for those looking to make it in the amateur Fortnite scene.
FIFA
Like Super Smash Bros., the FIFA community has grown incredibly tight-knit over the years. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so it only makes sense that the most popular soccer video game would have a lot of fans and a large fanbase.
In the local scene, you can probably find people playing FIFA in bars, restaurants, or gaming venues alongside those playing Super Smash Bros. The casual scene is very impressive, as nearly anyone who understands soccer can pick up the game and play.
Minecraft
Similar to Fortnite, Minecraft does not have much of a professional scene. In fact, it does not have a professional scene at all. But, as one of the most highly regarded games ever made, its amateur scene must be considered.
Minecraft is a sandbox game that lets you do nearly anything. Because of this, there are amateur events in Minecraft in many categories. An organization may hold a building competition that pays the winner, a custom racing competition, a local world-building contest, and more. While the amateur scene in Minecraft is less structured, there is endless opportunity for community building.
Microsoft itself even holds international build championships for its education edition. This event brings students from across the world together to build in Minecraft, and then the company crowns a winner.
On a smaller scale, many Minecraft-focused Discord servers run periodic tournaments for community members.
Valorant
Since Valorant is one of the most popular esports right now, it only makes sense that the game would also have a thriving amateur scene. The amateur scene in Valorant is different from some of the others mentioned above, as Valorant’s amateur competition bleeds into the professional circuit.
The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) is the main professional esports event for Valorant athletes. To qualify to participate in VCT, teams can compete in the Valorant Regional Circuit, Valorant Gamer Changers, or the Valorant Regional Leagues. Of these tournaments, only a handful will qualify for the VCT, which is unfortunate. However, since Valorant is such a popular game and its fan base has been growing so quickly, you can expect to see the amateur scene for Valorant grow, even more, becoming more widespread and inclusive. Besides, a lot of small scale tournaments with prize pools are being ran online.
Rocket League
Rocket League is one of the most popular esports in the world due to its accessibility and ease of play when getting started. The nuances of the game factor into it being one of the most technically challenging games when playing professionally.
For those not ready to make the leap into professional play, there are many minor league Rocket League leagues (a mouthful) including Minor League Esports, United Rogue, Frontier Doubles League, and many more. To become an amateur Rocket League player, all you really have to do is find some teammates (or play solo) and start entering leagues and tournaments. It really is that easy.
From there, you will be able to climb the ranks and get noticed in the amateur (or professional) scene.
Conclusion
If you are looking to get into esports for fun, or if you are trying to bridge the gap between casual play and professional play, amateur esports are definitely the way to go. In addition to those listed above, there are many more esports that boast strong amateur competition including Pokemon Unite, League of Legends, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Mario Kart, and more. If you are struggling to find a team or a league to play in there are many resources online to get you started, you just might have to do a bit of digging.