Esports Tournament Platform Development- A Step-by-Step Guide

The growing trend of eSports & gaming tournament software development has presented tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs to create an enjoyable, secure, and lucrative gaming environment for players.

With the help of advanced technology and software engineering, platforms such as Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Steam have become increasingly popular in the eSports & gaming industry.

Developing an eSports tournament platform requires a comprehensive understanding of the gaming industry and a clear roadmap for success. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to develop a successful eSports tournament platform.

Before we dive into the development process and the aspects of the eSports tournaments industry, let’s look at some statistics first.

eSports Tournament Statistics

1. According to reports, the eSports tournament industry is valued at around $1.44 billion as of 2024, and it’s expected to touch the mark of $5.48 billion by 2029 end. It brings us to the reality that there is no better time than now to develop an eSports tournament platform.

2. As of now, there are approximately 7.64 million active streamers on Twitch, and Johan Sundstein, also popularly known as N0tail is the highest-earning player in the eSports tournament industry.

3. The majority of eSports game fans (60%) are aged between 16 and 35. In addition, the average age of a fan of these tournaments is 26.

4. In 2015, only 800,000 people were aware of eSport and its tournaments, and today, in 2024

, this number has surged to the mark of around 2 billion. This data makes it clear that the eSports tournaments industry has vast potential and great opportunities.

5. As of today, Team SoloMid, also known as TSM, is the top eSports team with a valuation of around $540 million.

Before we dive into the eSports tournament platform development process, let’s first understand in brief about eSports tournaments.

What Exactly Is An eSports Tournament?

eSports is a form of competition that is conducted through video gaming. It involves players competing against each other in various popular games such as FIFA, Overwatch, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The main goal of the tournaments is to maximize player engagement and provide an enjoyable experience for them.

The eSports industry is relatively new compared to conventional sports, and its tournaments have seen tremendous growth over the past decade.

As of now, there are many famous eSports tournaments such as Dota 2’s The International, League of Legends World Championship Series (WCS), and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s Major Series. The prize pools for these tournaments are huge and can go in millions of dollars.

Now, let’s jump into the different eSports events and games being held today. Knowing the types will better understand the development process and help you create an engaging tournament platform.

Types Of eSports Games In The Market

1. First-Person Shooter Games

In this type of game, players use a first-person view and take control of the character with weapons such as guns and grenades. Popular FPS games include Call of Duty, CS:GO, and Rainbow Six Siege. These games often feature team-based objectives and require a lot of strategies.

2. Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) Games

In MOBA games, two teams battle it out with the help of characters with special abilities. These games have become extremely popular in recent years and are characterized by their high skill ceiling. Seeing the popularity, you opt for game development services to create a custom MOBA game and host a tournament for it.

3. Real-time Strategy Games

In this type of game, players have to build a base and then use their own armies to fight against other teams. Players also need to manage resources such as food, gold, and wood. The most popular games in this category are StarCraft II and Warcraft III. Moreover, these games are great for tournament platforms as they require a lot of skill and strategy.

4. Racing And Sports Gaming Events

Racing and sports games have been popular for quite some time. Players take part in tournaments to compete against each other in simulated car races or sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Popular racing/sports tournament games include Gran Turismo Sport and FIFA 20.

5. Turn-based Strategy eSport

These games involve players competing against each other using their strategy and wit. Popular turn-based strategy tournament games are Age of Empires II, Heroes of the Storm, and Civilization V. You can hire an eSports tournament service provider to organize these types of tournaments.

Now that you know the different types of tournament games, it’s time to move on to the benefits of eSports tournament platform development.

Benefits Of eSports Tournament App Development

As of 2024 and beyond, eSports is expected to become a billion-dollar industry. This presents an incredible opportunity for tournament platforms as they can offer players the chance to participate in competitions and compete with others. If you’re wondering what makes eSports tournament management app so attractive, here are some of their key benefits:

1. Increased Engagement

For companies looking for ways to engage their audience, eSports tournaments are a great option. eSports tournaments can increase player engagement by providing them with opportunities to compete and win prizes. This leads to an even more intense gaming experience and encourages players to return for more.

2. Higher Revenue

eSports tournament platforms can generate more revenue compared to conventional gaming platforms. This is because tournaments are a great way to attract more viewers, who will, in turn, be exposed to other forms of monetization, such as advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. You can use this extra revenue to invest back into your platform and make it even better.

3. Enhanced Visibility

eSports tournament platforms can help you gain visibility and recognition in the competitive gaming industry. This can attract more players to your tournaments, leading to increased engagement and, ultimately, higher revenues. When your platform garners enough attention, it will become easier to attract sponsorships from gaming companies and other related organizations.

4. Multiple Dedicated Income Streams

eSports tournaments have multiple dedicated income streams. These include prize pools, sponsorships, merchandise sales, advertising revenues, and more. This provides you with a steady source of income for your platform and allows you to invest in its growth. You only need to be creative and focus on building a sustainable business model.

5. Improved And Growing ROI

eSports tournament platforms help you attain a higher ROI than traditional gaming platforms. This is because tournaments encourage players to come back for more, which helps grow your player base and generates more revenue from events. Furthermore, eSports tournaments can help you save money that would otherwise be spent on marketing.

6. Cost-effective Branding

Having your own eSports tournament website or app can be a great way to establish your brand in the gaming world. This will help you reach out to more players and give them an idea of what your brand stands for. Plus, it’s cost-effective and can be done with minimal resources to make your eSports platform popular.

These are just some of the benefits that come with developing an eSports tournament platform. Now, let’s move toward the full-fledged development process of an eSports platform.

eSports Tournament App Or Website Development Process

Creating an eSports tournament app or website can be a daunting task, but it can also be gratifying. With the proper planning and development process, you can create an engaging experience for both players and viewers alike.

Whether you’re looking for a way into the competitive gaming industry or want a fun project, below is a step-by-step guide for developing your own eSports tournament platform.

Before you begin, it’s essential to ensure that any platform you develop meets the standards of the competition. Many tournaments have specific regulations and requirements, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with them before you proceed.

Once you’re sure that your platform meets the competition standards, you can get started on the development process.

1. In-depth Market Trends And Competitor Analysis

It’s important to research the existing tournament platforms and trends in order to understand what features would be most beneficial for your platform. As there are several different types of tournaments, this will help you develop a platform tailored to the specific needs of your players.

While performing research, be sure to pay close attention to what competitors are doing and adjust your platform accordingly. Moreover, also figure out the overall budget of the development to ensure that you are not overspending on unnecessary features.

After figuring out the budget part, the next step is to decide whether you will use an existing platform or develop your own. If you need specific customizations that are not offered on any current platforms, then developing a custom platform is the best option.

2. Wireframing And Prototyping

After you’ve decided on the platform, wireframing and prototyping should be the next step. This is an important part of creating a tournament platform, as it will help give you an idea of how your players will interact with the platform. It’s also essential to consider user experience when designing the platform, as this will make the tournament smoother and more enjoyable for players.

During the wireframing process, you should also consider the technical aspects of the platform. This includes features such as data storage and security, as well as game-related features such as streaming capabilities and compatibility between different platforms.

Once you’ve created a wireframe, developing a prototype is next. This will help you visualize the platform before investing in a full-fledged development process. Prototyping also allows you to test the platform’s features and make any necessary adjustments before going live.

3. UI and UX

The next step in eSports software solution is to create the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). The UI is what people see when interacting with your platform, while the UX is how users feel about their experiences.

For an eSports tournament platform, it’s important to make sure that the UI is easy to understand and navigate, as this will help players find the information and features they need quickly. Additionally, the UX should be tailored to meet the needs of your players. This includes making sure that all tournament information is easy to access, as well as providing interactive features such as leaderboards and game stats.

When building a UI/UX for an eSports platform, it’s important to consider the different types of players you’re catering to. For example, if you are hosting a tournament for casual gamers, then you should focus more on engagement and rewards rather than intense competition.

On the other hand, a professional eSports platform should be tailored to give players an immersive experience that encourages high-level play.

4. Development

Once the wireframe, prototype, and UX/UX have been developed, it’s time to move on to the development process. This involves coding the platform using a combination of back-end and front-end technologies.

The back end focuses on the logic behind your platform, while the front end is responsible for its design and user interaction. It’s important to choose the right technologies for your platform in order to ensure that it is secure, reliable, and efficient.

It’s crucial to pick the right tools and technologies that will help you as your platform grows. When coding the platform, you should also consider scalability. This will help ensure that your platform can handle increasing numbers of users as more tournaments are hosted on it.

5. Testing Different Aspects Of The Platform

In this competitive industry, ensuring that your platform is reliable and can handle intense tournament gameplay is important. Testing different aspects of the platform is a key step in guaranteeing its robustness. This includes testing for bugs, crashes, latency, scalability, and security issues.

You should also test the responsiveness of your platform by using multiple devices. This will help you ensure that players can access the platform from any device, including mobile phones and tablets.

Furthermore, you should also test the platform’s features to make sure that they work as intended and are easy to understand. This includes testing tournament information, leaderboards, matchmaking systems, and other features.

6. Deployment

Once all the testing has been done, it’s time to deploy your eSports tournament platform. Depending on the type of platform you’re building, you may need to use a hosting service or deploy it on a cloud-based platform.

Regardless of the method you choose, make sure that your platform is secure by setting up registration and authentication procedures. You should also make sure that all payments are securely processed and stored.

Finally, it’s essential to have a backup plan in place in case of a technical issue or emergency. This will help ensure that your platform can be quickly restored if something goes wrong. If you don’t have an in-house development team, it’s better to hire a reliable software development team to handle the deployment process.

After knowing the development process, it’s time to look for different technology stacks available to build the eSports Tournament Platform.

The Technologies Used For eSports Platform Development

When developing an eSports tournament platform, there are many different technologies to choose from. Each technology has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the right one for your project. Some popular technologies used in eSports development include:

1. For Android

To build an eSports tournament platform for Android, you can use Java and Kotlin as the primary programming languages. The development process can also be simplified by using popular Frameworks like React Native and Flutter. For a back-end server, you can use Node.js, Express, or Firebase Realtime Database.

2. For iOS

When it comes to developing an eSports tournament platform for iOS, you can use Swift or Objective-C as the primary programming language. The Swift programming language allows for faster and more efficient development. For a back-end server, you can use Node.js or Express, as both of these are compatible with iOS.

3. For Web

To build a web-based eSports tournament platform, you can use popular frameworks and libraries like Angular, React.js, and Vue.js. These frameworks will help you create a user-friendly interface for your platform. For databases, you can use MySQL, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL. These databases will help you store and manage eSports data efficiently.

Now, let’s look at how much it costs to develop an eSports tournament platform, as it’s important to understand the costs involved in the development process.

Cost Of Developing An eSports Platform

The cost of developing an eSports platform can vary significantly depending on several factors, such as the type of platform and the features included in it. On average, it takes between $50,000 to $200,000 to develop a basic eSports platform.

This includes the cost of creating software, hosting and security infrastructure, designing graphics assets, and so on.

Below are some of the critical factors that influence the cost of developing an eSports platform.

1. The Number Of Developers And Location

The cost of developing an eSports platform is directly proportional to the number of developers and their location. Development teams located in North America, Europe, and Asia have different pricing models, and therefore the cost of developing a platform can vary between them. Moreover, the cost of hiring a single developer can also vary depending on their experience and skill level.

2. The Complexity Of The Platform

The number of features and functionality needed for an eSports platform can also impact the cost of development. For instance, a basic eSports platform may include leaderboards, tournaments, and real-time analytics – all of which can be developed relatively quickly and cheaply. On the other hand, more complex platforms that include virtual reality (VR) capabilities or 3D gaming will require more resources and take longer to develop, thus increasing the cost.

3. Graphics Levels And UX

The graphics level and user experience (UX) of an eSports platform are also important factors affecting the cost of development. Platforms that feature higher-quality graphics, offer a more intuitive UX, and utilize the latest technologies will require more resources to develop and thus increase the overall cost. In addition, incorporating features such as voice and video chat can also add to the eSports platform development cost.

4. Technology Stack

The cost of eSports tournament app development is also affected by the technology stack used. Different stacks come with different expertise, and developers may need to invest additional time and resources to acquire the necessary knowledge.

5. Scalability And Number Of Releases

The cost of eSports platform development is also impacted by scalability and the number of releases. A platform that requires multiple releases or needs to be scalable to accommodate a large number of users will require more resources and time, thus increasing the cost. For better scalability, developers may also need to invest in cloud hosting, which adds to the cost.

To ensure you get the best value for money, it’s essential to choose the right eSports tournament software experts from professional companies like Auxano Global Services.

Why Choose Auxano Global Services For eSports Platform Development?

Auxano Global Services is a leading software development company with years of experience in the eSports industry. Our team of highly qualified professionals understands the complexities of the eSports industry and is committed to delivering high-end solutions for our clients.

We have expertise in a wide range of technologies, including game development., tournament management software, and virtual reality (VR). We are also experienced in developing multi-platform solutions for both web and mobile devices.

Wrapping Up!

eSports tournament website development requires specialized knowledge to build a high-quality product. In 2024 and beyond, the eSports industry is expected to experience rapid growth, making it important for organizations to have a well-developed platform that meets their needs. If you’re planning to develop an eSports tournament platform, hire an experienced company so that you get the best value for your investment.