Denmark is a global front-runner when it comes to esports. But how has the Scandinavian country become such a world leader in esports tournaments? Let’s take a look.
How popular are esports in Denmark?
According to Statista, surveys from 2012 to 2018 discovered the vast majority of Danes never played games online. That does not mean online games were not popular in Denmark during that time. Many Danes do love playing a wide variety of online games, from the latest RPGs to casino games like Live Blackjack that is played with real dealers at an online live casino. But online gaming has not been as big in Denmark as other countries in recent years. The one major exception is esports.
Denmark has been at the forefront of the global esports scene for several years. Indeed, it is the country that is most represented in esports titles. Danish players often rank highest for games like FIFA, Dota 2, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and Danish esports teams like Astralis, North, and Origen are some of the most well-known esports teams on the planet. Individual Danish esports players are arguably even more successful than the country’s teams. Danish gamer N0tail is the highest-earning esports player in the world. As of March 2020, he had won nearly $7 million (USD) playing Dota 2 tournaments.
What esports games are Danish players best at?
Statistics from Statista in 2019 show the multiplayer online battle arena esports game Dota 2 had the most awards won by Danish players. The second highest-earning game for Danish esports players was Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, while the third highest-earning game was the incredibly popular battle royal and survival game Fortnite.
Danes Love Watching Esports Too
Danes do not just love playing esports. They also enjoy watching them. According to Airnow, the number of Danish people using the Twitch game-streaming service on a daily basis in October 2020 was 17,000. That saw a rise of 1,000 users compared with the previous month.
Why are Danish players so good at esports?
There is one simple reason why Danes have begun to lead the way in esports tournaments. The country fosters growing talent from an early age. Denmark develops its homegrown talent through schools and clubs, where students practice esports both during school hours and in spare time. Such schooling in esports has only been possible because of the Danish Ministry of Culture’s mission to treat esports like any other type of sport. Denmark developed a specific esports strategy for fostering young players, the first country in the world to do so. Danish players do not only learn how to get better at playing specific games. They also learn a lot about teamwork and self-care practices, which are valuable skills that can be utilized in other areas of life. To illustrate just how seriously the Danish government takes esports, the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, once visited the CS:GO heavyweight team Astralis and played a few games with them!
While other countries have shied away from encouraging esports, Denmark has done the opposite. The country’s Ministry of Culture has helped esports to grow by:
· Building a sustainable structure for Danish esports.
· Strengthening national talent.
· Establishing esports integrity.
· Making esports more inclusive for female players.
· Creating excellent commercial development opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Denmark’s approach to esports is way ahead of other countries. But other places around the world are beginning to follow Denmark’s lead, so it will be interesting to see whether Danish players remain as global leaders in many esports games over the coming years. One thing is for sure, esports is rapidly growing: both in Denmark and around the world.