The year 2000 stands out as a peculiar chapter in the annals of gaming history, a time when silver attire was all the rage and the air was thick with echoes of Eric Cartman impressions. In the realm of PC gaming, this era is particularly notable for its juxtaposition of rapid evolution and surprising stagnation. A striking example is found in the June 2000 issue of PC Gamer UK, which prominently featured the burgeoning world of esports. The magazine boldly proclaimed, “Play games all day, get paid as much as David Beckham,” inviting readers to ponder whether this was merely a fanciful dream or a glimpse into a viable future for professional gamers.
Despite being in its infancy, the discourse surrounding esports in 2000 resonates with the conversations we continue to have today: Has it truly entered the mainstream? What does a sustainable career in gaming look like? How can esports expand as a form of entertainment? The two professional gamers spotlighted in that issue, Amir Haleem and Sujoy Roy, were already making waves in competitions like the Frag 3 CyberAthletes Professional League. Having earned substantial prize money—£10,000 from Frag 3, for instance—they were at a crossroads, seeking to transition from traditional employment to a full-time career in gaming.
Fast forward to 2025, and Haleem has taken the helm as CEO of a blockchain enterprise, while Roy leads partnerships at OG esports, having established various initiatives to bolster the infrastructure of professional gaming. Their journeys illustrate a significant shift; while many players today have successfully crafted long-lasting careers, questions about the sustainability of professional gaming remain, with burnout emerging as a critical concern.
Gore never changes
Another enduring topic in the PC gaming landscape is the 2000 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary titled ‘Video Nasties,’ which ignited fervent debates throughout that summer. The documentary scrutinized violent video games, making sweeping claims based on questionable psychological premises. It suggested, for instance, that players of games like Carmageddon and Grand Theft Auto might be more prone to hostile interpretations of real-world situations. Fast forward 25 years, and one might chuckle at the irony, given the staggering number of active players in franchises like Call of Duty, alongside the peculiar behaviors observed in younger generations.
In contrast, some concerns from 2000 feel almost quaint today. Anticipation was building for Team Fortress 2, set to release later that year. Screenshots hinted at a game that bore a striking resemblance to Team Fortress Classic, yet the excitement was palpable, driven largely by Valve’s reputation and marketing prowess. The allure of TF2 was encapsulated in a preview that promised a wealth of gameplay details, such as rocket launchers with danger zones and volumetric fire from flamethrowers—elements that would later become staples in gaming.
Halo says goodbye
Competing for the title of Game of the Year in 2000 was Bungie’s Halo, initially touted as a PC-exclusive title. The anticipation surrounding Halo was palpable, with early reports hinting at innovative gameplay mechanics. However, as history would reveal, Bungie was quietly designing the game for console controls from the outset. The absence of character classes in both single-player and multiplayer modes was intended to promote teamwork and communication, a noble goal that would have been even more beneficial had it been realized in practice.
As summer approached, the gaming landscape saw a familiar lull, with the only notable release being the avant-garde adventure game The Longest Journey, which garnered a modest 79% in reviews. Meanwhile, the hardware section of PC Gamer UK delved into the emerging wireless technology known as Bluetooth, which was beginning to gain traction in the market. Although Bluetooth had been around since 1998, its mainstream adoption was just on the horizon, promising to eliminate the clutter of wires that often plagued PC setups. However, the notion of relying on Bluetooth for competitive gaming would have likely raised eyebrows among the likes of Haleem and Roy.
This retrospective glimpse into the past reveals several truths: June has always been a quieter month for major game releases, Valve’s name alone can generate significant hype, and the early claims surrounding Halo were less than forthright. Ultimately, the discussions about violent video games and their impact on society remain as relevant today as they were a quarter-century ago.
