The most underrated esports scenes 

Esports is a broad and all-encompassing term that often lumps together games and fan bases which have very little in common. An enjoyer of competitive League of Legends is referred to as ‘esports fan’ whilst that person might have no interest in any other competitive game, or even the industry at large. Yet esports is often talked about as one single entity. 

It would be odd to assume that a Liverpool Football Club fan knows anything about the intricacies of Ultimate Frisbee or their local cricket club. 

Esports is a vast industry and sometimes it is the unheard-of, underrated or barely spoken about esports that can be a joy to uncover. So with that in mind, here is a snapshot of some esports titles that have dedicated fanbases, despite flying under the radar. 

The unspoken esport, Pokémon has an extremely unique esports scene that resembles more of a festival than a traditional esports event. The annual Pokémon World Championships is a culmination of different competitions — Pokémon GO, Pokémon UNITE, the trading card game and its videogame franchise. This year’s edition featured almost 3400 competitors. 

Pokemon esports events are a centre for competitive players, trading card enjoyers and general Pokemon fans with anime screenings and a unique temporary store (The Pokémon Center) being commonplace. Even the stage embodies this with it being a long stage divided into sections with each esport having its own speakers and seating area, only using the entire stage for the finals.

Another element that makes this esport unique is its different divisions. There are three age groups so that kids as young as 10 years old can compete. For context this year the Juniors Division was for those born in 2012 or later, the Seniors Division was for those born in 2008 to 2011 and Masters for those born in 2007 or earlier.

Pokémon esports offers an extremely interesting viewing experience for those able to attend one of the World Championships. Its 2025 edition is taking place in Anaheim, California, from August 15th to the 17th.

The world was at a standstill in 2020, footballers played in completely empty stadiums and people locked themselves at home. However, whilst everything seemed to freeze, the Sim Racing esports scene exploded. Fans of Formula 1 (F1), NASCAR, Rally Racing and more were unable to get their fix from the regular channels so instead they turned to Sim Racing. 

A virtual form of car racing mimicking the experience of driving a real car, Sim Racing was not only enjoyed by fans. Celebrities, sports stars and even real-world racers decided to try their hands at Sim Racing bringing a huge audience with them. The peak event for F1 Sim Racing, F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix Series Vietnam, reached 400,000 concurrent viewers around this time.

Whilst the Sim Racing esports scene was not able to replicate its heights after COVID, there are many unique games to choose from which give the viewer a different experience. From the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual held on rFactor 2 to the ESL-run RENNSPORT series there are many forms of Sim Racing to choose from. 

With many Sim Suites existing around the world, Sim Racing is perfect for fans of motor racing who want to experience their beloved sport virtually. Meanwhile, dedicated esports scenes provide even more content for racing fanatics. There are now even scenes that look to use esports as a gateway into real-life driving such as Prodigy Racing League.

Farming Simulator is, you might have guessed, a farming simulator game developed and published by GIANTS Software. The company’s first edition launched in 2008 and since then the game has established a niche in the esports market.

Casual players can enjoy the relaxing scenes of driving a tractor over lengthy green fields, breeding livestock, growing crops and selling assets. However, Farming Simulator esports is anything but relaxing. Players compete in teams on symmetrical farms trying to score points by dropping hay bales into bonds within a time limit.

The game’s esports ecosystem has found a niche player base and audience, but also it has attracted big companies from the farming industry to get involved. This includes the likes of John Deere, an agricultural machinery manufacturer, Lindner and Helm, the latter of which won the most recent Season 5 World Championship in Marktoberdorf, Germany. 

The esport itself is a great change of pace from other games. Ultimately, the commentators, players and fanbase all share a passion for farming, which leads to an enjoyable viewing experience.

Football Manager has been a fan favourite in the football community for years. The franchise is well-known for allowing football fans to take control of almost any team they can think of and, through somewhat realistic simulations, take the club to new heights. 

With its dedicated and passionate fan base, Sports Interactive has taken the game in a myriad of new directions over the years and one of those directions is, surprisingly, esports.

FIFAe recently hosted the World Cup of Football Manager in Liverpool which saw competitors from a variety of nations play against each other to be crowned the best of the best. The event was not promoted massively before it began, but did feature huge names within the Football Manager community such as ‘Zealand’ and Ben ‘Doctor Benjy’ Carr. In addition, other notable names outside of Football Manager were present like former Chelsea star man John Terry and former English manager Sam Allardyce.

Whilst the idea of Football Manager esports is still young and unproven, the event was perfect for fans who wanted to see the game played at the highest level. The future could be bright for the title’s esports hopes. With the scene also in its infancy, it is the perfect time for a new fan to discover Football Manager esports and watch it grow.

Okay, this one might not necessarily be underrated but it has to be mentioned. Similarly to many of the other esports on this list, GeoGuessr falls short of what many people would refer to as a ‘normal’ esport. To many, it seemed like a strange choice for competition, but the GeoGuessr World Cup 2024 took the world by storm when it finished with a peak viewership of over 250,000. 

For context this beats out some incredibly notable esports tournaments this year including the League of Legends’ LCS Spring 2024 (246,184), the Call of Duty League 2024: Stage 1 Major (245,437) and the Halo Championship Series 2024: Arlington Major (109,670).
With a very passionate community around it and with players who are freakishly skilled at finding locations based on very little information, GeoGuessr esports is a spectacle that is worth witnessing.