Extreme eSports: the very male, billion-dollar gaming industry at a stadium near you

A crowd of 18,000 filled a Sydney arena at the weekend to watch groups of young men play video games for huge cash prizes

Whenever an artist scheduled to play Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park doesn't sell enough tickets, the venue tactfully drapes black cloth over the empty seats in the theatre's uppermost section. Filling more than 18,000 seats is quite an ask, which is why only top-flight acts like Pink, Katy Perry, Shania Twain and Kendrick Lamar are attempting it in coming months.

The black cloth is not needed today. Sydney gaming enthusiasts have filled the venue almost to capacity for the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), a three-day professional video game tournament that rivals anything Qudos has hosted in terms of scale and spectacle.