Three games that deserve to be esports in 2025

Esports, in one form or another, goes way back. From local multiplayer matches to watching a tournament over streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, gamers love to watch events hosting popular esports games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and more.

However, if you look back before battle-royale games and streaming existed, there are plenty of games that would have been credible entries at esports tournaments worldwide if they were as popular in the mid-90s as they are now.

Nostalgia is a powerful business, especially in gaming. We see remasters, remakes, and re-imaginings of existing games every year. We’re about to see a remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 in July, as well as a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 in August. However, we believe there are many games that could still feature at esports events worldwide that could draw in millions of viewers, just like how current games like Street Fighter 6 and Fortnite. With this in mind, we’ve featured three games that should make an appearance as an esports title sooner rather than later.

A game becomes an esport through a variety of factors, such as big community interest and developer support to push it into esports if the game fits into the category. There’s no formal process, nor a ceremony to name specific games as eligible for esports tournaments. They grow into the category by being played a huge amount by fans in competitive scenarios, from online battles to local meetups.

Eventually, after a game gains traction, publishers usually test out the game at bigger events, and if it’s a success, you’ll likely see the title debut at esports tournaments like EVO and Combo Breaker. This will also lead to developers bringing out updates to the title to better suit it for these tournaments, such as customisable options for matches, handicaps, spectator tools, and much more.

If the title becomes sustainable at esports events through consistent updates and refinements thanks to feedback from players, there’s a chance it could eventually become as popular as Fortnite, Tekken, and more.

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series revolutionised how skateboarding games could be, with its addictive controls, fantastic soundtrack, and unique humour scattered across its levels and playable skaters. Players could perform multiple tricks to earn high scores in order to progress to the next level in career mode, as well as collect items like the secret tape and the letters that make up ‘Skate’. Thanks to the remasters of Tony Hawk 1+2 in 2020 and the upcoming 3+4 in July, it’s high time that the original sequel, released in 1999, makes an appearance at an esports tournament. The tense moments to rack up a high score within a two-minute limit would be a great watch, where viewers could keep track via a live scoring system. It could also help promote the new 3+4, especially if there are plans for new levels and playable skaters.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2, released in 2010, is a fan favourite in the Tekken series. In this spin-off, players can select two characters in a match where they can be swapped at any time. The roster of characters is one of the series’ biggest, with past and present fighters appearing in this edition of Tekken. Its mechanics of the tag system, as well as its playstyle for each character, are still lauded all these years later. It’s ultimately a celebration of the series as a whole, and could be a great way to help rebuild some of the reputation that Namco has damaged, due to the mess of Tekken 8’s Season 2 pass.

Bloody Roar may be a game you’ve never heard of, but it’s a cult-classic in various circles. Developed by Hudson, the fighting series began in 1997 on Arcades and Sony PlayStation, enabling players to activate a ‘beast mode’ for characters, transforming them into various animals. The fighting mechanics are well done, with low latency and easy-to-learn combos throughout the games. The last Bloody Roar entry was released in 2003, with Hudson being bought by Konami in 2012, and the series’ rights going to them. The series could be a great fit in esports, as it has a certain unique charm, thanks to its original ‘beast mode’ gameplay, great soundtrack, and stage design. Having the very first game be made available could be a great surprise for players, perfect for a legacy showcase at events like EVO and DreamHack that can spotlight underrated fighting games, and perhaps inspire Konami to look into a long-overdue sequel.

As mentioned, nostalgia is a powerful feeling. It can remind players of a vivid memory playing a certain title during their childhood that could have really engaged or inspired them.

Seeing some retro games appear at esports tournaments that have done that for players in the past would bring a lot of goodwill to the organisers. It could also inspire the proprietors of the games to look into a remaster or a sequel to bring it to a modern audience. We’re seeing something similar happen with Sega’s Virtua Fighter, with the fifth game appearing on Nintendo Switch 2 soon, and a new entry in development.

Ultimately, there’s a lot of untapped opportunity here that developers and esports organisers can make use of, which could benefit everyone if done right.