When it comes to looking at nations that are obsessed with esports, Lithuania perhaps isn’t the first that springs to mind.

While the country is known to enjoy the casino experience since the amendments were made to gambling legislation, it appears that it has also realised all that esports has to offer. As well as the thrill of taking part, there is also the opportunity to gamble on the outcome of games and tournaments which adds to the draw.

In 2019 it was reported that almost a third of Lithuania’s population was involved with esports in one form or another. Let’s take a look at what it is in this country that is leading to esports becoming as popular as they are.

GameOn

GameOn is an event that has been held in Lithuania since 2015. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest factors behind the popularity of esports in the country. It is an event where developers, fans, and journalists come together to enjoy all that gaming has to offer. Yes, the event is an esports one, but it also gives independent game developers a platform to showcase their work.

GameOn is a fully-fledged gaming agency. It promotes tournaments and attracts some of the very best players to these. One of the biggest roles taken though is to promote esports as a whole across the nation. The fact that GameOn is actively pushing esports to Lithuanians means that there is little wonder that they are being enjoyed more and more. 

Investment levels

Something else that has certainly led to esports increasing in popularity in Lithuania is the money that has been invested. Over the last 12 months, some $14 million has been invested. This has come towards developing games, teams, and promoting events. Committing to funding like this keeps the industry alive and visible.

The investment by Lithuania may be dwarfed by other countries such as China who pumped an astonishing $27,588 million into the industry, but it is important to put this into perspective. Lithuania is a much smaller nation and not one that is known to be overly wealthy. This makes the $14 million even more impressive.

The impact of basketball

The link between basketball and esports may not be obvious, but when you take a look at the popularity of basketball in Lithuania, it begins to make a little more sense. Basketball is the biggest sport in the country and has an army of followers. So, when one of the countries biggest basketball teams ventured into the world of esports it makes sense that their fans followed.

BC Žalgiris started to work with esports organisations Gameplay DNA as Baltic Elite. This saw the team competing in esport favourites such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This involvement brought a whole new audience across to esports and has played a massive part in the growth that is being experienced right now. 

Big winners

Another factor that has had a significant impact on the popularity of esports in Lithuania is the fact that there are homegrown winners. With a younger generation being told that it is now possible to earn a living by playing video games they have now seen the proof of this.

Henrik Mclean has won an impressive $212,000 from Fortnite while Zygimantas Navickas has taken $148,000 from the same game. With the younger generation seeing the huge sums that can be won, they are motivated to go and give it a go themselves. Combine this with a country that is actively promoting esports and the reasons for its popularity is clear.