By ANN-MARLEEN GRENGEL

In the first event of its kind in Australia, Melbourne hosted the eSports Open at Melbourne Park over the weekend, with gaming fans being treated to the best the industry has to offer.

Some of Australia’s best professional gamers battled it out in official tournaments while everyday gamers were able to play their favourite games in the fan zone

The event was expected to attract more than 15,000 fans. 

Despite the rapid growth in popularity of esports, eSports Melbourne Open crew member Connor Downes said many people still questioned its legitimacy as a recognised sport.

“Many people don’t think it should be classified as a sport because it does not look like a normal sport with not a lot of activity and not a lot of running,” Mr Downes said.

“Sports are considered as something you do outdoors. It is active and something your kids do.

“Where as eSports is more about reflexes, even if there is a physical component too, it is more of a mental game,” he said.

Downes said that the growth of eSports was only going to continue in Australia.

“It is not as big compared to places like China or South Korea, however despite the slower growth compared to Asia, it is definitely rising in Australia,” Mr Downes said.

“You get to see somebody who is 10 times better than you are doing something that you do every day and managing all the aspects of the game in a way you can’t.”

Most visitors were seated in Rod Laver Arena to see different teams competing against each other in popular games like Fortnite.

Competitor Kevin Ellingham, 16, said he did not believe there were a lot of differences between traditional sports and eSports.

“We are all here at an event and we all came to watch something,” he said.

For up-and-coming gamers like Kevin, the eSports open provided valuable learning.

“It helps me see what I can use to play better and improve my overall play,” Kevin said.

The Melbourne eSports Open is expected to return next year.