Even if professional gaming is not officially recognized as a sport, there is still a lot of hype. Esports competitions are becoming more popular and draw tens of thousands of spectators. But which esports competitions are the biggest? Where do they occur, too?
Five of the major esports competitions in the world have been discussed in more detail. As we explore the realm of electronic sports, join us!
Games that are most played at tournaments
On the market, there are many games. However, not all games are appropriate for the tournament structure. The three most well liked competitive games will be briefly described below:
CS: GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
The acronym CS: GO refers to the computer game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a member of the online tactical shooter subgenre. To control the map, two teams of five players compete against one another.
Bomb defusing is the most frequently used scenario, in which the “terrorists” are tasked with setting up and guarding a bombsite. The “counter-terrorists” must then disarm the explosives to thwart the terrorists.
The terrorists will understand the point if the bomb is put and set off. The teams switch roles after a specified number of rounds.
The first team to 16 points after 30 rounds of play between the two teams wins the set. The first team to two sets wins the game in a best-of-three situation. The first team to three groups wins the match and advances to the next round in a best-of-five scenario.
League of Legends
League of Legends, usually known as LoL, is a free multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA). In the real-time strategy game League of Legends, two teams face off against one another and attempt to capture each other’s bases on a map shaped like an arena.
5v5 maps are typically used for tournament play. The map is split in half, giving each team a region with the main building. Taking control of your opponent’s main structure is the game’s goal. A typical game lasts between 15 and 60 minutes.
Dota 2
The real-time strategy MOBA game Dota 2 was created by Valve. The game mechanics of League of Legends and Dota 2 are remarkably similar. The goal is to take over your opponent’s base in Dota 2.
Dota 2 is far more tactical and less focused on a single-game character, thanks to the abilities of the many playable heroes. DOTA is a reasonably varied game with over a hundred heroes available.
A multiplayer online combat arena (MOBA) game called Dota 2 was first made available in 2013. The International is an annual esports event where the best Dota 2 players worldwide compete. The prize pool for International 11, Dota’s 2022 tournament, which was held in Singapore, was a little under 19 million dollars.
Teams of five players compete in the game. Each round lasts between 15 and 60 minutes. Depending on the event, the scenario for the competition varies. A team must lose twice in a double knockout format to be eliminated.
1. ESL One
One of the top event organizers in Germany is the Electronic Sports League (ESL). The esports organization, with headquarters in Cologne, presently provides competitions and leagues in more than 50 specialized fields. The ESL ONE event, which is held in Germany, is one of its tournament formats.
CS: GO on ESL One
Esports is a significant focus in Cologne this summer. Teams from CS: will participate in the esports event ESL ONE Cologne in addition to the yearly Gamescom, the most critical event for computer and video games worldwide. To support their favorite teams in an environment reminiscent of the World Cup, 15,000 esports fans travel to the LANXESS Arena in Cologne for the esports tournament:
DOTA 2 ESL ONE
Like the first-person shooter Counterstrike, DOTA 2 has a sizable following in the esports community. Thousands of esports fans had already flocked to Frankfurt in previous years to support DOTA teams, but the tournament was held in Hamburg for the first time in 2017 instead of Frankfurt. 10,000 spectators came to the Hamburg Barclaycard Arena for the $1 million esports event in 2017:
2. ESL Extreme Masters by Intel (IEM)
The Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) is an association where the finest players worldwide participate. It was first contested in 2007. The World Championship, which takes place after the competition, is the season’s high point. The pompous final has been held in the Polish city of Katowice since 2014:
In contrast, the unlimited prize money in Spell 1 (2007) was a meager $160,000, with only two games being Counterstrike and WarCraft. It is uncertain whether the esports sector will experience the same rapid growth in the years to come.
3. Championship Series for League of Legends
The LCS only concentrates on League of Legends, although various games are featured in the ESL One and ESL Intel Extreme Masters Tournaments. Riot Games, who made the game, is in charge of organizing the competition. The grand finals are contested twice yearly because the tournament is split over the spring and summer.
Championship Series for League of Legends in Europe (EU LCS)
The League of Legends Championship Series in Europe has ten teams and a single objective: victory. Team Fnatic holds the record, without a doubt. The squad has won the grand finals seven times and is not only one of the first-born in the professional League of Legends scene (as of 2018). Most recently, they were successful in defeating FC Schalke 04’s esports team:
North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS)
The NA LCS, or North American League of Legends Competition Series, is the equivalent of the European LoL League. Here, the finals are dominated by esports legends Cloud 9 and Team Liquid.
4. The World League of Legends Championship
Riot Games organizes a world championship and a league for its MOBA game League of Legends. The League of Legends World Championship featured 24 teams from around the globe in 2018.
The World Cup enthralls players and fans all over the world. The event has so far taken place on three continents. There are frequently many World Cups held in various nations and cities.
While the reward fund for players in Sweden was initially $100,000 in 2011, the prize pool in China increased to $4.5 million in 2017.
But more than simply, the reward fund is growing. The number of viewers keeps increasing as well. In China, the soccer stadium was packed with spectators for the SK Telecom T1 and Samsung Galaxy championship match. Additionally, a live feed of the event attracted 40 million spectators.
5. The International
With 25.5 million dollars in prize money on the line for the Dota2 competition, The International is the world’s most financially endowed esports competition. The two last-place finishers each received $63,580, while Team OG, who took first place, received $11.2 million.
Although Valve, the game’s developer, organized the competition, most of the prize money came from the players. Most of the reward money was derived from their collective in-game purchases. In 2018, the promoters contributed just 1.6 million on their own.