In December 2020, a study by Broadband Savvy examined and assessed 74 cities from multiple countries on the basis of high-speed internet availability, broadband cost and connectivity, frequency of gaming expos and esports LAN events, the cost of gaming hardware, gaming-related jobs per-capita, the cost of rent, and 5G coverage.
The study shines a light on the best and worst cities around the world for people hoping to get into the esports business:
Top 10 cities:
- Austin
- Seoul
- Bucharest
- Paris
- Los Angeles
- Hong Kong
- Montreal
- Barcelona
- Seattle
- Boston
Bottom 10 cities:
- St Petersburg
- Cairo
- Johannesburg
- Vienna
- Santiago
- Auckland
- Brisbane
- Abu Dhabi
- Sydney
- Dubai
Austin, Texas, received the top spot in the rankings as the best place in the world to live as a gamer due to its fast internet, frequent expos, and excellent gaming job opportunities. Seoul, South Korea, was No. 2 because of its extremely fast internet speeds and thriving esports scene.
Seoul, South Korea, was also the best performing city in Asia because it scored well in three main categories of average internet speed, 5G availability, and it having a dedicated esports stadium.
Dubai ranked last while Abu Dhabi finished third-to-last because gigabit internet costs the equivalent of nearly USD 800 per month. Sydney, Australia, was second-to-last in the study due to its slow, expensive internet speeds, high costs of living, and lackluster gaming job opportunities.
