Rainbow Six Siege Helped Me Finally Understand The Appeal Of Esports

Jul 16, 2023

I've seen the light

The Rainbow Six Siege Invitational has come to an end, with Europe's G2 Esports bringing home the trophy after a long weekend of tense matches against the world's strongest competitors. There was no better place than its hometown of Montreal for the global community to come together and celebrate an esport that has evolved so much in the past seven years. As a relative outsider to the world of Siege who came into this tournament with a disconnect of everything it meant to so many people, I am leaving Canada an enthusiastic convert.

Esports has always felt like an alien concept to me. An avalanche of scrawny white dudes who keep getting cancelled on Twitter also happen to be amazing at certain video games and make loads of money from it. Hooray, I guess. The space so often feels male-dominated and drenched in so much tertiary jargon and weird baggage that immersing yourself in the space as a newcomer seems terrifying. Having the opportunity to be there in person and soak it all in with all that previous bias cast aside allowed me to appreciate an emergent sport that means serious business.

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I’ve never followed sports much in my life, except for certain world cups and regional tournaments that ignite the dwindling patriotism in my cold, cynical heart. Never have I felt a drive to support a specific team or purchase tickets to games for the purpose of hoping they rise to the top. I love a good underdog story, but couldn't give a flying fuck about whether Nottingham Forest will finally make it to the Premier League or if Harry Kane is going to complete his transfer to Newcastle United. Those things might have happened, and I’d have no way to know, since I don't care enough to investigate.

But I understand the allure of sports, and the territorial love my friends and family are known to form around teams they’ve come to dedicate their entire lives to. Millions of fans gather in arenas to spur their chosen side onto victory because of the adrenaline this collective support instils, whether it be the thrill that comes with a deserved win or the sting of a tragic loss. Fans show up for the occasion no matter what, knowing that a true follower doesn't abandon its clan after a series of failures, but instead shepherds them towards a win that might not emerge for years. This is precisely how the Siege invitational unfolded, with G2 Esports subverting continuous upsets with a dominant win that, from the very first match, felt reasonable to predict.

My heart was with other teams due to their overconfident demeanour, but even I was sucked in by the explosive momentum as thousands around me cheered for even the smallest of actions. A well-timed kill or unexpected comeback saw the arena explode into thrilled roars, claps overpowering the ridiculously powerful sound system that made each round pop off the screen. Even from the adjacent media room I could often feel the atmosphere dripping off me, ground shaking underfoot a constant reminder of the chaos unfolding just a few metres away.

For days, I lived and breathed esports, many of its hallmarks sinking into my mind through osmosis as renown casters, stars, and even developers stopped by to say hello and chat about the game that changed their lives. I didn't even realise I was hanging out with one of the biggest Siege YouTubers on the planet until we walked into the lobby, and he got swarmed by fans wanting to take pictures with him.

It's fascinating to learn how many different slices of culture exist inside this medium, and how ignorant I am to many of them. Not by choice, merely a consequence of how I came to love video games growing up and the disconnect I had to esports because of the platforms and genres I frequented. The majority of competitors taking part this past weekend were younger than me and likely grew up in the heydays of Call of Duty, finding their feet in other spaces before being taken under the wings of their teams to chase a dream that might lead nowhere. It does for some though, and to see that goal achieved in the moment despite my naivety was all the convincing I needed.

Not to say I’m suddenly going to start casting and getting really into Valorant, I don't hate myself that much, but I no longer view esports with a dismissive sneer or view that it is little more than a bunch of kids competing for far too much money before moving onto a real career. There are players, casters, coaches, managers, sponsors, presenters, production staff, and an endless list of professionals helping to bring this realm to life, and in many ways it has already begun to surpass the traditional sports that inspired it. It's serious business, and now I finally get it.

Next: Rainbow Six Siege Is A Strange Sign Of Where Live Service Games Are Right Now

Jade King is Lead Features Editor for TheGamer. Previously Gaming Editor over at Trusted Reviews, she can be found talking about games, anime and retweeting Catradora fanart @KonaYMA6.