Esports tournaments have gradually reached the size of global events that attract millions of viewers and the best players from all around the world. The global revenue of the esports market is estimated to reach more than $5.93 billion, but not everyone has a clear understanding of what these tournaments look like and how they work. Let’s dive into the world of esports tournaments, what format and rules they have, and which championships are the most popular nowadays.
Basic Facts About Esports Tournaments
Esports appeared in the distant 1970s when the first arcade game competitions started. In the 1990s, players could already join StarCraft and Counter-Strike tournaments, while the beginning of the new millennium brought about the appearance of professional leagues, which transformed into sizable international events. A more impressive rise of esports has happened thanks to such well-known games as League of Legends and Dota 2, which are unmatched leaders in modern esports betting at https://gg.bet/esports. GGBET is the first bookmaker to offer such betting in online format, without which it is now difficult to imagine the match line of any operator. But it is this betting site that is still the leader in terms of odds and markets for many professional games.
It is important to understand that every esports tournament features a variety of components. They begin with group stages to qualify for the playoffs and move ahead with the goal of reaching the final match. Every tournament should also have a prize pool, too.
General Rules Of Esports Tournaments
The average esports tournament has a range of traditional rules, which may differ in some cases. However, a standard procedure and rules include:
- Registration
- Checking rosters
- Possibility to concede a game at any time
- The number of pauses you can make during the game
- Respect for other participants
- Necessity to have your own equipment
- Determining the host and many others.
When it comes to the things that aren’t allowed during these tournaments, they are the use of glitches and betting. Some tournaments ban replays and game interruptions, pause the game, and damage equipment etc. Every tournament shares its rules with participants in advance for them to have a clear understanding of what to prepare for.
Common Formats Of Esports Tournaments
Not only does the number of players and games keep on growing in the esports industry, but also the variety of tournament types they can join and follow. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular format now.
Match Types
Such games as CSGO offer different maps, so teams should play a series of games on different maps to confirm who is the real winner. They can be of different types like:
- Best of 1 (BO1): a single game played in group and knockout stages.
- Best of 2 (BO2): a game type used in a group stage with a support of draw.
- Best of 3 (BO3): a game used at a knockout or group stage and that lasts from 1 to 3 hours on average.
- Best of 5 (BO5): the longest match type used at a knockout stage and grand final and that lasts from 2 to 5 hours on average.
Open And Closed
Tournaments can be open, which allows anyone to join them, and closed, when only a coordinator can choose who is allowed to compete.
Major tournaments for Dota 2 usually require an invitation, while the Pro Circuit doesn’t restrict the number of regions to qualify for it.
Group stages
Group stages can be of different shapes and sizes. They can be split into groups, randomized or seeded. Their goal is to play with each other and collect more points to move up the winner ladder.
One of the subtypes is Round Robin, when individuals and teams play with each other in a league format and get points depending on their success. In a Double round robin, teams play with each other twice.
Another popular approach is Swiss Seeding when teams are matched together by predetermined seeding or random in the first round. Winners of the first rounds will play with each other in the next round as well as losers. Later, they continue playing through the bracket based on the same score until they reach the limit set by organizer.
Playoffs And Knockout Stages
These stages start with a Single elimination bracket when teams are drawn into their place on the bracket on the basis of their seed. They will play out the fixtures for a winner to move to the next stage and remove a loser from the tournament.
The next stage is called Double elimination bracket, when 2 brackets are used to follow the teams’ progress on their move to a grand final. Participants enter the upper bracket stage at the very beginning and move to the grand final if they win or drop down to the second bracket if they lose. Those who lose in the lower bracket are excluded from the competition.
Most Popular Tournaments And Leagues
Esports features a variety of events every year, but there are some tournaments and leagues that stand out among others. The most well-known ones are the International for Dota 2 with an impressive prize pool and the League of Legends World Championship from Riot Games. Other popular examples are the Overwatch League (OWL), the Fortnite World Cup, and Valorant Champions Tour.
