Fall Guys - Does it Really Have a Chance at Esports?

With any game which endures a surge of popularity, the question of esports is always drawn into the conversation - which is great! This is certainly the case for Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the new battle royale which everybody's favourite content creator and streamer has played. Acting as this year's summer hit. the title seemingly has everybody's attention, while some esports organizations have taken it upon themselves to form an esports roster ahead of time for any competitive events. Here's my opinion. 

Really, an esports team?

Let's start by tackling what I mentioned right there, as it was the trigger for this article. Panda Global announced the world's first esports team for Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Take a look at it below: 

Jumping the Gun (Literally) 

If you haven't realised, I don't think that Fall Guys is a title viable for esports. Why not you may? Because it's childish? Fortnite looks pretty chidlish but still manages to pull off crazy events! I'd reply by saying there's a massive difference - the skill and depth of gameplay involved in Fall Guys is not comparable to something like Fortnite. 

In Fortnite, players have to micro-manage inventory, movement, item use, structural building, spatial awareness and aiming all at the same time. The only thing one does in Fall Guys is jump, jump and jump and at times, grab things. This alone doesn't make it viable as a competitive esport due to this, together with a limited number of maps and unique mechanics with a high skill ceiling. 

Fall Guys will not become a major esport - however, it has an opportunity to be something else for the competitive gaming community. Competitively, it may have a few invitationals and a Twitch Rivals event but nothing much beyond that. 

How about a Pre-Event Show? 

What Fall Guys has above many other games is the ease to play and understand what you're watching. You instantly understand what's going on when tuning into anybody playing the title. 

That's why I think Fall Guys could be an incredibly fun pre-event laugh for many events. Get the pros to all enter one lobby and have a laugh while also entertaining the community at the same time. Honestly, I love the thought of this idea as it sounds like a lot of fun for everybody involved. 

Perhaps, if the developers of the title could partner with ESL for instance, it could lead to some awesome fun. Hell, maybe here at GMR Entertainment we might host a friendly competition at our next event!

Not All Popular Games are Destined to Become Esports 

Here's a concluding remark for this discussion - not all games were made to be played at a competitive level. Remember Teamfight Tactics by Riot Games, and how everyone thought that would become the next big thing? Luckily, Riot Games came out to officially state that the game will remain strictly casual despite the community's demand for it. 

Now take a look at Fall Guys - is this a game that was built for the purpose of high-level, competitive play? No, it was designed to give everyone some colourful, fun and new way to claim a battle royale title, especially for those not fond of shooters. This new droplet of colour is something we should embrace as casual fun in these tough times, and certainly should not push it where it isn't designed to go. 

Let's see how long this title will survive anywhere. Will it make it to the end of summer before dying like so many other battle royales out there? One which comes to mind is PUBG at this point in time, as it struggles to compete with the current competition. 

Let me know if you agree or disagree with me on this in the comments section below!