What Would You Like to See in Sim Racing Esports?

Porsche Coanda ESL R1 Katowice.jpg
With the growth in popularity over the last few years, sim racing has also seen the rise of its own esports scene. While many flock to the streams and live events to see the biggest teams and drivers compete on virtual racing tracks, others do not find it as appealing. We want to know: What would you like to see in sim racing esports?

Image credit: Porsche Newsroom

Most esports competitions in sim racing seem to focus on a single category, that being GT3 - which makes sense considering the numerous competitions that field cars of this class around the globe. For sim racing esports, this means that drivers are competing with modern cars that feature traction control, ABS and usually a Balance of Performance that should ensure relatively even competition.

There are options out there, it seems, with the F1 Esports series being a well-known one. Other vehicles do see use in iRacing Special Events, for example, leading to top-flight esports teams fielding LMDh cars or others. There are esports leagues out there that focus on multi-class racing, too, such as the 24H Series Esports, which also features GT4 and TCR cars. VCO also organizes events that focus on variety to break the mould.

Porsche Coanda ESL R1 Katowice (2).jpg

Image credit: Porsche Newsroom

All of this might change with the influx of prototype vehicles from the LMH and LMDh classes, new sims being developed, or just simply shifts in general popularity of racing classes. Meanwhile, presentation and production values of live streams of the top-flight esports competitions have become extremely professional, sometimes even equaling or exceeding broadcasts of real races thanks to the added possibility of having camera access to every inch of every car and the track they are racing on.

What Are You Interested In?​

We are curious, though: What would you like to see in sim racing esports? Different classes? Certain circuits? Vintage content to have esports racers slide classic cars around using an H-shifter? What would make you interested in watching an esports event? What are the current issues that keep you from watching? What keeps you getting drawn back in if you are an avid watcher of esports events? Let us know in the comments below!
About author
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

Comments

Seeing people that organize them admit that sim racing community is not interested by Sim Racing Esports ...just don't work...​

 
Premium
Ok I couldn't determine if that's sexist or progressive :D
I think the same situation exists in real and sim racing. For some reason, I don't understand, females don't race in the same numbers as males. I know there are a lot of females that game, it just seems sim racing is not very interesting for a lot of females. It would be nice to have move females that sim race.
 
I'd like to see Fernando Alonso shoehorned in as a guest driver at big tournaments. He was hugely entertaining in that Rf2 vintage F1 series during lockdown. Drove the thing like a battering ram...
 
The hilarious irony of simracing esports is that the only people you'd think would be interested in watching - i.e. sim racers - are totally not interested in watching.
We'd way rather play than watch, and if we're watching racing, it's real life motorsport thanks.
 
Premium
TBH, during the pandemic, I liked to watch some of the events that happened in esports with real drivers but I have very little interest in watching people race in sims. It's not a substitute for real motorsport and has little to draw me in on its own merits.

Edit, I should have read the comments, I had nothing to add here :roflmao:
 
Last edited:
More of the old stuff.

During the 'vid there was a series by The Race called the Legends Trophy. The first few races were a bit ropey (as was V8 Supercars too, which went virtual), but once the drivers realised that it's possible to lose just as easily as in real life they knuckled down.

I caught most of those races, and they were superb.

More here: https://www.the-race.com/gaming/inside-the-making-of-the-legends-trophy-and-all-star-series/

And fair to say as we move more and more towards cars that count capacitors over capacity the only way we're going to keep these legends alive is through the digital realm.

Now you've got to just figure out if I was talking about the cars or the drivers in all of the above!
 
Premium
Prefer they spend the money on the games and the customer/user experience rather then development of e-racing.

E-racing looks to be a money pit rather than a source of revenue.

If they are just running on corporate sponsorship then that gravy train should wake up to how the entire scene is ignored and their money is wasted.
 
To be honest, It's all just bland af. I don't even know why anyone watches these.
Make it interesting! GT1 cars in Spa! Amateur open wheelers in Bathurst!

If I wanted to see GT3 cars going around official race calendar circuits, I'd just watch the real damn thing.

Simracing can be fun.
 
E-Sport this E-Sport that. Can the whole craze just die already?

Sick of publishers trying to force devs to E-Sportify everything and make everything take itself too seriously. Honestly, AMS2 is the saving grace of what we loved about sim-racing. Just variety and fun.

If I wanted to watch GT3 cars, I'd watch the real thing. At least the random elements in real life adds some flavor to the racing if it wasn't boring enough until the final laps already.
 
I don't watch much, but I do watch & don't understand others who don't. The reason I watch is to learn from these top drivers. I'm sure all footballers prefer playing but they surely watch Real Madrid vs Barcelona etc. I want to learn from the best.
Having said that, I'd love setups to be posted after the races :)
But #1 issue I have is that most series are based on iRacing & very few on AC. Also as many said, we love GT3 cars, but there are so many other classes.
Also, don't announce the circuit & weather conditions before the event! Make wet races, fixed setup races etc.
 
I honestly don't care at this point. Maybe if they would do something out of the box in terms of car/track combination. Why would I want to watch a virtual event of a series I don't even watch irl.
 
Does anyone besides organizers and participants actually care about E-sport racing?
Question of the day. It's completely unclear to me too, I'm wondering exactly the same.

Maybe it's good to have a poll about this on racedepartment instead of all the other questions in this "news item".
 
Though variety in esports definitely goes to Gran Turismo, for me at least, there are a few esports wishlists I want to see out of sim racing:
All of the following wishlists are in a regional scale (Europe, APAC, and America)

- Clio Cup Continental Esports
- Le Mans Asia
- TCR Virtual

Now I want all of these to be officially sanctioned. Doesn't have to lead to drivers becoming a real driver. All we need is those organizers to make their series more accessible as a yearly event. Though I believe some already did this, it definitely has a long way to go before we get to having many simracing esports avenues.
 

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