#48 - Simon Sundén: Why Esports Helps Some Games And Hurts Others

Today's guest is Simon Sundén, a veteran of the competitive gaming scene, CEO of Clutch Group, and the operator behind major esports productions like the GeoGuessr World Cup.

We dig into the rise of esports from its origins in South Korea, how livestreaming changed the industry forever, and why most studios misunderstand what esports is actually for. Simon breaks down what makes a game truly competitive, how to evaluate esports potential, and why watchability matters more than most devs realise.

Whether you're a game developer, studio founder, or just obsessed with competitive gaming, this is a masterclass in understanding how esports really works.

Connect with Simon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsunden/
Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clutchgame/

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:03 The origins of esports and the Korean boom
07:43 How streaming transformed competitive gaming
13:14 How esports boosts game retention and monetization
19:06 How GeoGuessr unexpectedly became a successful esports
24:27 How to know if your game is ready for esports
32:51 Why watchability is crucial for streaming and competition
36:30 Could “Peak” become an esports? Simon’s analysis
41:30 What it actually takes to run an esports competition
45:08 Cutting noise, delegating smartly, and staying focused
51:18 Meetings, productivity, and the value of IRL networking
55:14 Essential advice for new studios today
57:16 Community building done right for modern games