Competitive gaming is often associated with esports, where people play against each other online or onsite at spectator events for a cash prize. It is open to both amateurs and professionals, with players using PCs, consoles, and mobile devices for the game.
A typical esports game is based on a particular gaming style, which can include multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games such as League of Legends and Dota 2, fighting games like Street Fighter and Smash Bros, first-person shooters (FPS) like CSGO, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, and sports-based titles such as FIFA and Rocket League.
The esports market is rapidly growing, with revenue for 2025 set to reach $4.8 billion. Market research projects the competitive gaming industry will record an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2029) of 5.56%, resulting in a projected market volume of $5.9 billion by 2029.
Competitive gaming is not only becoming a mainstream sport, though — players leverage skills from esports to online games to record better performances and outshine their competitors. Let’s look at seven skills from competitive gaming that are essential for excelling in online games.
- Faster reflexes
Fast reaction time is crucial for winning in competitive gaming events. The slightest delay between an event and a gamer’s response can cost a player the winning title. Esports players have spent more time training their bodies and minds to increase their reaction time, which helps them excel in any online game where winning depends on fast reflexes.
While some players are genetically more gifted with faster reflexes than others, getting better at reaction time can be learned. First-person shooter games usually require the quickest reflexes and can help develop faster reflexes for online games like Super Hexagon and Ultrakill.
- Strategic thinking
Video games demand that players think quickly and strategically. Usually, esports game scenarios present limited information, requiring players to carefully read the situation and determine the right strategy to employ for the game.
Since esports players are often faced with game paths requiring critical reasoning, they’re usually more prone to adapt to and learn the tactics of different games. Strategic thinking skills are used in esports game categories like battle royale and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA).
But it also finds use in online games like chess, poker, and World of Warcraft. This skill is particularly valuable when playing at casinos offering online poker, where reading opponents and calculating odds quickly can lead to winnings.
- Tilt control
Tilt is a common term in esports used to describe the feeling of intense frustration that can lead to a decline in performance. Repeatedly losing a game to an opponent can become a stressor that eventually compounds the losses.
Competitive gamers engage in several multiplayer games and often face moments when winning seems elusive. This helps maintain composure and focus during games. Tilt control is also an important gaming skill for online games, helping players handle losing streaks without letting their emotions get in the way of a rebound.
- Ability to work under pressure
Esports players often face the challenge of competing against other pro players at top speed and accuracy. The stakes are usually high, with sponsorships, rankings, and even the players’ careers on the line.
Competitive gamers, most of the time, have to make split-second game strategy decisions to outshine their opponents and win a game. Due to the public nature of esports, where players play live in front of an audience, the pressure can become even more overwhelming.
Pro competitive gamers’ frequent participation in esports events primes them to better handle pressure and stress. Esports players usually have a set of routines, both pre- and in-game, to ease pressure and maintain a balanced outlook while gaming. Competitive gamers’ developed ability to handle pressure makes them suitable for excelling at most online games, where the gaming environment is not as tough.
- Situational awareness
Esports like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, and League of Legends require high situational awareness to stay undefeated. Players must familiarize themselves with the enemy’s terrain, their movement timing, and locations for supplies and shelters.
These games can be brutal, as one bad angle peek could mean instant death for the player’s character. Situational awareness allows players to navigate terrains, be ready in time to react to and eliminate enemy threats, and complete missions.
- Teamwork
Most esports competitions are multiplayer games, such as 5 vs. 5 or 6 vs. 6, played on games like Overwatch and Dota 2. While there are solo tournaments for individual gameplay, the majority of competitive gaming is multiplayer and team-based.
Esports players have to build strong teamwork skills to succeed as a team, making competitive gaming a training ground for developing teamwork skills. Competitive gamers often develop strong teamwork skills, which enable them to excel in other online games.
- Game sense
Having a good game sense is essential in competitive gaming. Players must know how to complete missions by understanding the game in detail. This includes knowing the game mechanics like combat rules, resource management, how to explore terrains, and how to level up.
Competitive gaming helps players improve their game sense due to the adept gaming skills required to scale through each stage. Most online games require a good game sense for players to emerge at the leaderboard, a skill that players can learn through competitive gaming.
Conclusion
Competitive gaming requires players to combine different skills to win tournaments and earn rewards. These skills include game sense, situational awareness, fast reflexes, and tilt control. The advantages of competitive gaming include the possibility of transferring esports skills to other online games. Those skills are universal in their application, allowing online gamers to deploy high-end skills to win games.
