Are you a massive fan of Among Us? Because you already know you aren’t alone if so, and there’s tons of speculation about where this game might be going and what’s coming next for it in the gaming world – and we’re here to take on the esports angle and see what’s what for this quirky but very endearing collaborative game that has snatched a good portion of the internet’s attention in recent years.
We all know esports are on the rise and that the gaming industry’s spotlight is pretty unwaveringly focused on titles like Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty, League of Legends, DOTA, and more – but that doesn’t mean games like Among Us shouldn’t have their turn under the magnifying glass, or that they should go unnoticed in the gaming landscape. If you check out any esports betting site at the moment, you’ll see a wide range of games joining these behemoths and getting a bite at the apple – but will Among Us ever join them, and what might we see change if it did?
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Easy To Learn, But Hard To Master
This is a huge factor for most esports: it’s got to be simple enough for the players to pick it up, but there has to be a scalable challenge that means you need to work to hone your skills. The most popular esports almost exclusively capture this balance, where you can plunge into the game with very little time investment, but you can spend weeks, months, or maybe even years working to make yourself a pro.
Among Us certainly ticks this box: it’s got a pretty simple approach, and you’re either a Crewmate or the Imposter, with straightforward goals and an easygoing learning curve. However, the nuances behind the gameplay are ever-changing and incredibly challenging to get to grips with you’re constantly up against the complexities of human deception, and while you’ll get better at spotting when people are lying to you, my goodness, it’s not easy and becoming a true pro is tough. Want to be an expert? You’re going to be playing for a heck of a long time (not that we’re complaining about that!)
Engaging To Watch
For esports to be successful, they can’t just grab the players – they’ve got to grab the audiences too. You’ve got to build an atmosphere where a casual viewer can be just as invested as the people holding the joysticks, and that’s not easy for a lot of video games – but boy does Among Us hit the spot!
On first hearing, you might think it’s a players-only game, but that’s not the case. There are plenty of people who stream their Among Us games to avid viewers (yes, we’ve watched some of these ourselves, and yes, they’re amazing!). Having information that the other players don’t have access to about who the Imposter is and watching them trying to figure things out is an enormously engaging process, both frustrating and invigorating, and we’d recommend it!
Is it enough to keep global audiences at the edge of their seats and encourage betting sites to pick up the game? It’s hard to say for sure, but we certainly know plenty of people who love watching Among Us, and we think it could happen!
The Goals Are Straightforward
Another must-have for a successful esport is straightforward goals that the players can strive for and know categorically whether they’ve achieved… again, Among Us is right there, totally on track. Whether you’re a Crewmate or the Imposter, you know exactly what you’re doing at all times, and you can constantly be striving to meet your goal. So yeah, it’s kind of already covered!
We also know there’s room for more esports; this area is now considered mainstream, and we’re seeing both new games launch and older games move into the space constantly. However, Among Us is still a relatively niche game, and might need to bump up its mass-market appeal to take its place in the esports kingdom.
What Might Change?
Predicting what might change in a game is never easy; there are tons of variables, especially with a market that’s as fast-changing and new. That said, Among Us is lacking in a few key areas; the game has an average playtime for each round of around 10-15 minutes, and that’s quite long compared to esports like Counter-Strike.
Additionally, because most of the players are collaborating (the Crewmates) against one other player, it’s pretty hard to come up with clear, decisive winners, and rank them accordingly. This makes it less satisfying than some of the current esports’ options. If Among Us manages to tweak or reangle itself to address these drawbacks (or at least, drawbacks in esports terms, rather than just gameplay), there’s a chance it could grab more mass-market appeal and perhaps even take its place in the esports arena – but it’s hard to say for sure. As enthusiastic players, we can all cross our fingers and hope!
