Apart from being a social media platform, Twitter is also a place where game publishers, the gaming media, entertainers, game streamer, and anyone related to gaming interact with one another. In fact, more than a billion tweets about gaming were recorded back in 2018.
Considering the growing number of tweets about gaming and esports, there is no denying that Twitter continues to level up.
Gaming fans worldwide came to Twitter throughout the year to discuss the most famous game titles. They also discuss their favorite esports team, as well as join the community of like-minded gaming fanatics.
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed the world in more ways than one. Businesses, regardless if they are big or small, seized their operations as part of the lockdown implementations by governments. Big techs, tech firms, and companies have also seen a downfall as the global economy crashes down at a disastrous rate.
On the other hand, millions of people are stuck at home due to lockdown and social distancing implementations. For this reason, they look for things that they can do at a past time. This is a situation that can be seen around the world.
Moreover, the same situation caused a massive increase in the use of activities related to the internet, such as online games and esports. Compared to last year, video streaming applications have recorded a significant increase in their number of users. Yet, this increase is no longer surprising as people are stuck at home with nothing much to do.
Twitter Reports More Than 70 Percent Increase in Conversations Related to Gaming and eSports
Moreover, the social media giant has seen a 71 percent increase in esports and gaming conversation volume this year, particularly in the second half of March. This was compared to the first two weeks of the said month. The said statistic was released by Twitter’s Head of Gaming Content Partnerships Rishi Chadha. It also added that there was a 38 percent overall increase in the unique authors. In the US, there has been an 89 percent increase in conversation and a 50 percent increase in unique authors.
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown implementations are keeping the majority of Americans at home. For this reason, gaming and esports witnessed a significant increase in engagement and viewership numbers. As a matter of fact, esports is now very popular in terms of video content on channels like Disney XD, ESPN, and FOX Sports. Esports also serve as a substitute for games that have been indefinitely canceled due to the pandemic.
Twitter Ranks Game Tweets On Its Platform
Twitter noted that Fortnite ranked as the fifth most tweeted about the game on the social media platform. In the US, the said game ranked fourth. These figures were both measured for 30 days. Also, Overwatch ranked ninth overall. One reason for its ranking is because the Overwatch League matches resumed last March 21.
In terms of esports organization on Twitter, FaZe Clan ranked as the first most tweeted about the organization’s social media platform. Rounding out the top five are G2, Made inBrazil, Fnatic, and Cloud9, respectively. They had such a massive increase in Followers on Twitter that they celebrated all night!
Countries Tweeting the Most About Gaming
With the launch of Twitter’s Topics feature last November, it became easier than ever to keep up with the most relevant gaming conversations. For this reason, a lot more gaming enthusiasts run to Twitter to see the updates about their favorite gaming and esports conversations. Ten of the countries that tweet most about gaming are Japan, United States, South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, France, the United Kingdom, India, Spain, and the Philippines.
As mentioned, Twitter’s Topics feature made it easier for people to keep up with gaming conversations. When someone chooses to follow a particular topic, they will be able to see tweets from accounts that are fans who tend to talk a lot about gaming, as well as experts of the filled.
Digital Gaming Events on Twitter this Year
Fans around the globe did not get a chance to participate in signature gaming events like E3 physically. However, this fact did not stop publishers and event organizers from creating their own digital events in 2020.
Below are the most tweeted about video game conferences this year:
- The Future of Gaming on PS5 Event
- Niconico Net Chokaigi 2020
- Xbox Games Showcase
- PAX East 2020
- Ubisoft Forward 2020
A number of top digital gaming events happened during the months of June and July alone.
Last June, Sony hosted its event called The Future of Gaming on PS5. this rapidly became the most Tweeted about gaming events this year. This event also drove an 82 percent increase in the gaming conversation happening on Twitter compared to the previous 30 days before Sony’s event took place.
Moreover, another major gaming event last June was EA Play events hosted by Electronic Arts. This event drove a massive volume of conversation, largely brought about by the excitement at the Skate franchise returning announcement.
In July, on the other hand, Ubisoft hosted its first #UbiForward event. It showcased various upcoming titles, both from existing and new franchises.
Lastly, the Xbox Games Showcase happened in mid-July this year. It provided gaming fans worldwide its first gameplay from the latest installment of the Halo franchise.in addition, the return of Fable’s new edition was also announced.
What is Next For this Year?
Millions of people stay at home to prevent themselves from contacting COVID-19. This is why there is likely no signs of slowing down in terms of gaming and esports conversations on Twitter. From digital gaming conventions and events to esports tournaments, there is a lot of worth-waiting gaming content that gaming enthusiasts must keep up with for the rest of the year. In fact, it is just a few weeks away before the much-awaited Gamescom 2020.