In such a lucrative and popular world such as the video gaming one, it’s inevitable that there are going to be some pretty fierce clashes between some of the leading lights within it. Whether it be a race to the top of the console tree, or a clash for the bragging rights of being the best selling release of the year, the history of gaming is littered with discussion and debate over these top gaming rivalries over the years.
Dota 2 vs. League of Legends
Two of the most popular Esports titles of all time and easily the leading lights of the MOBA world, there’s not a lot more we can say about Dota and League that hasn’t already been said countless times over. Both titles boast mammoth sales, a healthy and stacked competitive scene and easily some of the most dedicated and passionate fanbases found anywhere in the community.
League of Legends is definitely the winner when it comes to longevity success, having been released in 2009 and seen its popularity remain consistent even up until now. For newcomers to the MOBA scene, League of Legends is also certainly the easier game to drop into and pick up, which explains why it boasts a more widespread amount of players in comparison to Dota. Dota’s skill cap however is certainly much higher, which most of its players take a huge amount of pride in, and perhaps goes to explain why it can brag about possessing the most lucrative competitive Esports tournament in the entire world in its International, which was worth around $33 million this year.
FIFA vs. Pro Evolution Soccer
The two most successful football simulation games ever released, both FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer have been at the top of the sports genre for nearly twenty years now. Popular right around the world on PlayStation and Xbox alike, this rivalry has had the gaming community locked in countless fierce debates for years now.
Despite losing the rights to Italian giants Juventus this year, EA’s FIFA series still undoubtedly possesses the best collection of stadiums, kits, badges, logos and players that most football fans still look for in their football game. It also boasts a far more popular and lucrative competitive scene, linking up with the Premier League notably and creating the FIFA Premier League. However, the general agreed consensus in the gaming scene is that, whilst Fifa is undoubtedly the best simulation for footballing fans, Pro Evolution Soccer actually rocks the best gameplay. Most agree that the mechanics are smoother, the games are more competitive and that Konami’s attention to detail is far more realistic than their EA counterpart.
Counter-Strike vs. Overwatch
A real classic against the newcomer on the scene, both these first person shooters can point to huge communities of fans and brag about possessing levels of gameplay that, frankly, leave their rivals in the dust. Counter-Strike has been a popular title ever since its original inception in the early 2000s, whereas Overwatch has experienced a meteoric rise to the top in the past couple of years.
Whilst the two games have very differing styles of gameplay, their rivalry comes from their standing in the Esports community. Counter-Strike’s popularity almost exclusively stems from being the go-to for competitive first person shooters, but this title has been increasingly put under pressure by the emergence of Overwatch as an Esport through the new Overwatch League. It’s clear there’s not enough room at the top for both these titles, so it’ll be fascinating to see who emerges as the victor between these two juggernauts.
Super Mario vs. Sonic The Hedgehog
One of the oldest and most discussed rivalry of all time, Nintendo’s Super Mario and SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog have been battling it out against each other ever since the early 1990s. Whilst Super Mario might have been at the top throughout the 1980s, his blue hedgehog rival stole the spotlight from him when he burst onto the scene in 1991. The thrilling fast-paced nature was a whirlwind in the gaming scene and truly did steal Mario’s thunder for a time, perhaps the only game that can actually point to that achievement.
Super Mario didn’t sit idly by however, revolutionising the gaming world with the first 3D adventure, Super Mario 64 in 1996. The transition to 3D proved to be harder for Sonic to master however, and some fans would even claim he’s never truly been at home in this world. With that being said, his popularity still remains high enough for him to be classed as Mario’s main rival, with releases still coming thick and fast and a hotly talked about film set to be released in 2020.