eSports takes on COVID-19
Overwatch, Call of Duty, League of Legends, and many more esports leagues have canceled physical competitions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but have since turned to online events. The decision to go all-digital this year provides the esports industry with an opportunity to increase viewership and widen fanbases, explains The Verge, as more people than ever before are turning to digital entertainment to pass time while on lockdown. There’s “something for everyone” in the world of esports, explains ESPN, and notes that fans of traditional sports who may be unfamiliar with online video game competitions can find enjoyment in the likes of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Dota 2, and more. 

Everyone’s tuning in
Social distancing helped Steam break a new user record, writes Polygon, TechSpot, and CCN, after Valve reported its PC gaming marketplace saw more than 22 million players log on over the weekend. The outlets report that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was the most popular game, followed by Doom: Eternal, Tomb Raider, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. The International Business Times predicts this record will be broken again as more countries enact lockdowns amidst the pandemic.

Bandwidth battle
YouTube recently changed its global streaming service so that all videos will play in the default standard definition format (SD) for the next month. The decision was made with isolated people in mind, as more people than ever before are working from home and relying upon internet services for work and entertainment following the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Variety, TechCrunch, and TNW. It’s not only video streaming services that are making changes, notes The Verge, as Sony announced it will be slowing PlayStation downloads in Europe to better distribute bandwidth. The outlet goes on to speculate that more gaming and tech companies may soon follow suit.