What Is Esports Gaming Software?

The software used in esports is complex and vast. There are a large variety of options used for a lot of different purposes.

For example, management uses software to help organize their teams and other software to record and analyze data. Meanwhile, other tools assist in making live esports events as fair and reasonable as possible. When competition is involved, the esports industry wants to use its resources to make everything more efficient and accurate.

Considering the video game world is filled with some of the best coders in the business, it makes sense that skill level would carry over to esports tools as well.

Esports Management Software

Gaming software can seem complex, but some of the most critical resources are actually pretty simple. In esports, management software and apps are vital. When managers use them, it helps organize their team schedule, plan things between coaching staff and players, and managers can even use it as a professional space to chat with other organization members.

This kind of software not only keeps a team/org organized, but it also keeps them professional. Working to manage a group of people with unique goals and skills has never been so easy.

Some management software apps/sites include Battlefy, Award Pool, rSchoolToday, SENET, Digitain.

Esports Data Analytics

One of the fan-favorite pieces of esports software is data analytics tools. Fans and pros use these to learn about the strongest units, improve their own gameplay, create the best builds for certain champions/heroes, and find out how the meta of their favorite game currently works. The most accessible form of these tools are sites like DOTAbuff, Mobalytics, etc.

While these resources are super popular, data analytics are also used in live tournaments, created in-house by some teams (Cloud 9, for example), and can really affect the game’s meta. After all, if a pro team has their own data analyzer on their support staff, they can get accurate results on what is working and what isn’t. This way, throughout a tournament, a pro team can become very efficient in their picks. The influence of data analysis is exactly why the final games of, say, a “League of Legends” tournament turn into a pick/ban fight of either eliminating the most dangerous champions or trying to take them for yourself.

Live Tournament Software

During live esports events, the officiators and moderators try to be as objective as possible. However, referees can only do their best, so recording systems and live data analyzers help ensure that any glitches/lags in the game don’t affect the event. Instant replays are vital in seeing what happened during a fight and resolving the issue.

For example, during the most recent “League of Legends” 2021 MSI tournament, there were a few minor lag issues or suddenly crashing windows. When one player’s “LoL” client crashed, the referees used software to clock reset the game a few seconds/minutes to discount any effect the crash might have had. And when lag occurred, the refs used instant replay and stat recordings to see if the lag affected the game and, when it didn’t, they let the game continue.

Live tournament software exists to try to make every professional game as fair as possible. With any video game, glitches and crashes can happen, so this kind of analytical/resetting software is vital to make players feel comfortable about the state of the game, even when errors occur.

Streaming Service Options

An offbeat but essential piece of esports software is the streaming services that house them. Without Twitch, YouTube Gaming, or Facebook Gaming, esports would not reach such large audiences. A large part of the scene’s charm is the fact that fans can watch it live from anywhere and for free, so the software that runs these sites is absolutely vital to its success. If they didn’t exist, esports would not be the powerhouse it is today.

Also, the tools inside streaming services to integrate chat logs help the casters genuinely interact with the fans, and the integration of sponsored ads fuel the money behind the industry. Even though they seem simple, the various aspects of these streaming services are a well-oiled machine that makes up the smooth viewing experience that esports fans love.

The Future of Gaming Software

Over time, the tools that esports players and fans use to involve themselves in the scene are growing all the more nuanced and plentiful. They help make the whole competitive video game system run smoother and they interconnect the community.

The longer they exist, though, the more intelligent, specialized, and valuable they become. Who knows in five years how intricate and intrinsic they might be to the esports world?