The latest sensation in competitive gaming has taken Twitch by storm.
Rocket League, the game of soccer featuring a giant bouncing ball and two teams of rocket-powered race cars, has already sold over 5 million copies. And as more people play it, more people watch it. The game has powered its way into the five most watched games on the popular streaming platform.
The game’s developer, Psyonix, is now prioritizing a spectator mode for the game, which will allow users to watch the biggest games featuring the best teams.
That should push Rocket League further up the viewership charts on Twitch, assuming the game can maintain its early momentum and prove to be more than just a flash in the pan.
Dota 2 saw a much smaller but still meaningful boost, moving up to third in the rankings from fourth as the gaming world turned its collective attention to The International and its prize pool of over $18 million. Valve’s MOBA swapped spots with Hearthstone, which now sits in fourth.
The other esports title to make a significant move was StarCraft 2, which climbed two spots up the chart to 12th, narrowly edging 13th-ranked Heroes of the Storm. The upcoming Legacy of the Void expansion is likely increasing interest in the StarCraft series, while Blizzard will be hoping its own MOBA will move up the charts as qualification for the World Championship at BlizzCon intensifies in the coming months.
While not an esports title, it’s also worth noting that gaming talk shows made a big leap in audience. The genre moved up a full six spots to seventh, leaping over Minecraft in the process.
League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remain the two most-watched games on Twitch.
Screengrab via CookielMonsterr
Published: Aug 14, 2015 06:34 am