In 2021, the global eSports market size was just over 1.08 billion U.S.D, which is expected to reach 1.62 billion USD in 2024. 

While electronic sports were once assumed as a subset of the sports market, it has now turned into a giant industry on its own. Now, entrepreneurs have many opportunities to capitalize on this growing market. And launching an eSports tournament platform is one of the most lucrative opportunities they can consider. The number of eSports players and audience is ever-increasing, which means creating an engaging platform can get you a huge success. 

But, it may be challenging to create such powerful software and attain success with it. Firstly, you must have detailed knowledge of this arena and know the precise development process. To make this easier for you, we have created a comprehensive guide conversing all the important aspects of eSports tournament software development. This blog post will assist you in creating the best eSports platform that can survive the market competition and get you adequate ROI. 

Let’s begin with understanding some crucial features that can help you attract a vast audience and retain them on your platform.

Key Features of eSports Tournament Software 

Leaderboard 

A leaderboard is the most important feature that displays leading eSports players and teams. It helps keep users updated and engaged. 

Live Streaming 

There should be a live streaming option allowing users to watch various eSports matches in real-time. Offering live match streams helps keep players hooked for a long time and improves the retention rate.

Create/ Join Tournaments

There should be an easy way to allow tournament organizers and players to create tournaments and join the existing ones. 

Live Chat 

Add a place in your software where users can communicate and discuss things with other users or friends in real-time. This feature takes user experience to the next level. 

Real-time Statistics and Updates 

Users should be able to check live match statistics and updates. Offer them detailed match reports for an improved experience. 

User Management  

Make sure to add an advanced user management feature that lets Admin manage users’ data and activities seamlessly.

Calendar 

Users should be able to check all upcoming and preceding tournaments and set reminders for the same. 

Additional Features 

• Social Media Sharing 
• Settings 
• Personal Profiles 
• Push Notifications
• Analytics 
• Referral Programs 
• Multi-lingual Support
• Multiple Payment Gateways

eSports Titles and Tournaments You Must Cover 

Along with the above features, the eSports titles and tournaments you cover will have a great contribution to the success of your platform. Below are the most prominent titles you must integrate into your eSports tournament software for a massive user engagement. 

eSports Titles 

• Counter-Strike
• League of Legends
• Dota 2
• Overwatch
• Fortnite
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
• Hearthstone
• StarCraft
• Rainbow Six Siege

Tournaments

• Overwatch League
• League Of Legends World Championship
• Call Of Duty World League
• Capcom Cup
• Halo Championship Series
• Evolution Championship Series
• Dragon Ball Fighterz

There are millions of eSports fans across the world having different choices and interests. Your platform must cover a comprehensive range of eSports content that satisfies them and encourages them for revisits. 

Now, you have an idea of the required features and content for creating the best eSports tournament platform. Let’s see how you can make it happen. 

Steps to Build A Powerful Esports Tournament Platform 

In order to build an engaging eSports tournament software, you need to follow a step by step process, as mentioned below: 

Research 

Research is a crucial step in helping you create an advanced platform and get a competitive advantage. In this step, you need to identify and study the competitors, target audience, current market scenario, latest technology trends, and a lot of other factors leading towards a high-performing solution. You can study the existing eSports platforms like Electronic Sports League (ESL), Battlefy, Toornament, GameBattles, and more. Consider working on the aspects lacking in these platforms and offering your target audience a cutting-edge platform. 

Define the Project Scope 

Once you have good research data ready, define the scope of your project. This will include determining and documenting particular goals of this eSports project, features, functions, deadlines, and costs. Simply put, you will get a precise idea of what you want to achieve and what tasks need to be done for that purpose. Make sure you cover all the above and advanced features when creating the project scope document.  

Design Compelling UI

UI/UX is one of the key components in deciding the success of an eSports software. Your software should be compelling enough so that it can fetch the user’s interest within the first visit only. But, it should be user-friendly as well. Users tend to leave a platform within a second if they find it complicated or confusing. Thus, focus on adding intuitive yet highly attractive design components. Try using high-quality graphics and creative color palettes to design an eye-catchy interface. 

With a simple yet engrossing UI/UX, you can ensure maximum user retention and less abandonment rate. 

Development 

Once you get a perfect UI/UX design ready, get to the coding part. Remember, scalable code is essential if you want your software to last long in the competition. If you don’t have much money and time to invest in the software licensing and infrastructure, it is wise to opt for a Platform as a Service model. This PaaS provider manages most of the aspects of your project including networking, infrastructure, operating system, middleware, database, and more. 

Also, you can consider using APIs for most of the functions to speed up the development and come up with a more potent platform. There are several popular eSports APIs providers such as Toornament APIs, Abios Esports API, and more, you can consider for your platform. 

Hiring the Professionals 

Besides acquiring the detailed knowledge of the development process, you would need to hire talented professionals to create high-performing esports tournament software. You need to build a team of experts for various roles, such as:

• UI/UX Designers with CSS and HTML expertise
• Business Analysts
• Developers with excellent expertise in development languages like Java, JavaScript, NodeJS, or PHP
• Testers specializing in the automated and manual testing
• Project Manager 

Searching and hiring all these freelance professionals may require a good deal of time and money. Also, although freelance professionals tend to be highly skilled and dedicated, you may still have to compromise the quality and timely delivery.

On the other hand, hiring an experienced eSports software development company saves both your time and money. You get a complete development team to work on your project along with other required resources. Also, a reliable software development company ensures to meet clients’ expectations and deadlines most precisely.

Final Thoughts! 

We have provided you with all the required and important information to simplify your task. This guide will surely help you make the most out of your eSports project. If you still encounter any hassle in your journey, you can contact our experts. We will help you overcome the same by providing you with the most effective solution. 

Krati Sharma