How Do the Biggest Esports Games and Tournaments Work?
The biggest esports games follow a similar pattern to traditional sports. The difference is the fact that traditional ones are limited by space and time, while esports games are faster and more scalable because they’re on digital platforms.
Matches and tournaments are shown live to millions of fans around the world on sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook. For example, several esports tournaments in Dota 2, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike 2 are highly anticipated events during the year. Moreover, there’s a growing popularity of esports betting, as many bettors are getting interested in esports markets.
What makes competitive esports special is the fact that success doesn’t have anything to do with how tall, fast, or skinny a gamer is. Even though there’s valuable information about how good physical health can help an esports player do better, the physical aspect doesn’t matter that much. Esports organizations create a level playing field and include people from different cultures, genders, and locations. Thanks to this, the most popular esports will only grow in the future, and more people will partake in such games.
You can play online esports on your own or in a team in the style of a tournament. Each esports tournament has different types of video games based on how popular each game is and how many people watch it. Let’s take a look at different types of tournaments:
It has three different modes you can play in:
- Swiss: The number of rounds depends on how many people join. 바카라ers are matched with other players with similar scores or skill levels.
- Open or closed: Any team or player can join an open one, while only winners of qualifying events are allowed to join closed ones.
- Single or double elimination: If a player or a team loses once, they are out of the tournament. In a game with double elimination, each player or team must lose twice before they are out.
- Double round-robin: In this one, every team or player plays every other team or player twice.
Leading Esports Games
Not all video games are alike, and many factors have made top esports games popular. They might have a widespread appeal, can be easy to learn but hard to master, or they might be highly enjoyable. While the following list doesn’t include famous titles like Starcraft II, Super Smash Bros, and sports games like FIFA, it showcases the biggest multiplayer games with video game competitions. Let’s take a look at the top 10 esports games below:
Dota 2
It’s probably the biggest esports game. Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that fits the “easy to learn but hard to master” criterion. It’s also free to play. There are features like skins and aesthetical items that can be bought, but they don’t give any competitive advantage.
Dota 2 is a sequel to the Defense of the Ancients, which was quite popular in the 2000s. It has a huge esports scene, and it’s known for having the largest prize pools. For example, last year, The International tournament had a total prize pool of just under $19 million. It offers crisp graphics and gameplay that’s less mechanically focused and more tactical.
Essentially, this is a 5v5 game where you can select one out of more than 100 heroes and aim to destroy the other team’s base. Therefore, you’ll have two teams of five players, and you’ll fight to destroy the “Ancient” of the other team. There’s one map with three lanes, and players usually spread out over the map to protect their towers and try to destroy the opponents’.
Teams with top players from all over the world compete in Dota 2 esports leagues and tournaments. There’s a series of tournaments called Dota Pro Circuit, launched by the game’s creator. Thanks to the points you can get there, you can gain entry to The International, one of the world’s biggest esports events out there. However, 2023 was the last year that the Dota Pro Circuit was held, and teams will gain entry to the International by invitation, a practice that was done before the Dota Pro Circuit existed.
Fortnite
This is a battle royale, sandbox, and survival fighting game. Fortnite is an incredible mix of building and shooting that guarantees hours of fun. Epic Games developed it in 2017 when these types of games became popular. You’ll compete with 100 other players on a large map and the player that stays alive until the end wins. However, the catch is that the map gets smaller over time, so toward the end, you’ll have to face your enemies.
In contrast to other popular games, Fortnite puts a lot of emphasis on gathering resources and building structures. These could give you a place to hide or an advantage in the battle against other players.
It has three different modes you can play in:
- Fortnite Creative: This is a sandbox mode. You have creative control, which means you can build your own games, for example.
- Fortnite: Zero Build: In this mode, you play the same battle royale style as in the regular mode, but building functionality is disabled. This allows you to focus on finding and eliminating other players without having to think about resources and shelters.
- Fortnite Battle Royale: This is a type of game where players compete against each other. A maximum of 100 players try to be the last ones standing.
One of the greatest things about this online game is that it keeps things simple. It runs well on many platforms (iOS, PS4, and others). 바카라ers will love the fact that they are allowed to have their own playstyle. This means that they’ll be given tools to express it.
Counter-Strike 2
It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t played one of the Counter-Strike games already because of its popularity. This is a famous first-person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation that had one of the first esports competitions. It’s one of the best-known first-person shooter games out there, and it’s objective-based. This means that the point isn’t to kill your enemy but to achieve a certain goal.
After the first part came out in August 1999, Counter-Strike shocked the gaming industry by quickly becoming the most popular online PC action game in the world. You have two teams within the game—terrorists and counter-terrorists. A big difference between this game and other similar ones is the fact that you can’t rejoin the game right away after getting killed. You have to wait for the next round.
There are two scenarios—bomb defusing and hostage rescue. In the first one, the anti-terrorist goal is to stop the terrorists from setting up their bombs in the designated areas of the map and prevent them from going off. On the other hand, terrorists have the goal of setting the bomb and making it explode so they can win the round even if they all die. In the second one, the anti-terrorist team has to rescue one of the hostages and bring them to the hostage rescue zone.
Counter-Strike 2 is not that different from Global Offensive, but there are some changes nonetheless. The newest version of Counter-Strike has better graphics and more realistic details, affecting the tactics. That’s why highly-regarded coaches lead all the teams in professional competitions. All in all, CS2’s simple gameplay and serious atmosphere will appeal to many players, especially now that anyone can play it.
Overwatch
This is a team-based first-person shooter, and it’s quite simple and easy to learn. It’s often described as a hero shooter as well. It’s a worldwide known game from Blizzard Entertainment, especially popular in Asia. Overwatch can be described as more cartoony than other shooters. It’s highly enjoyable and has over 3,000 professional players. Since it’s a MOBA, you can choose between many different characters.
Just like Fortnite, it has different game modes. They include competitive, arcade, and quickplay. You can check its backstory out by watching some of the animated shorts published by Blizzard. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have a typical story mode and that it’s more focused on multiplayer modes.
The game is also well-optimized and pleasing to the eye, and it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter any bigger issues. What’s more, you might be able to play it on some older PCs as well!
Rocket League
Rocket League is a popular video game developed and published by Psyonix. It was first released in 2015 and quickly became a sensation in the esports world, thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics that combine soccer with high-speed car racing. The game features various game modes, including 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4, and can be played online with players worldwide.
This game has also become one of the most popular esports games, with various tournaments and competitions held regularly worldwide. Its competitive scene features some of the most skilled esports players in the world, with teams and players battling for substantial prize pools. In 2021, the total prize pool for esports competitions exceeded $4 million, with the largest event being the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) World Championship.
In Rocket League, players control rocket-powered cars and try to score goals by hitting a giant ball into the opposing team’s goal. The game requires a combination of strategy, skill, and teamwork, making it an exciting and challenging game to play and watch. With its fast-paced action and intense matches, Rocket League has become a favorite among both casual and professional gamers and is only expected to grow in popularity.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
In the gaming world, Call of Duty is a famous franchise. This particular esports title features a realistic and modern setting and is regarded as one of the biggest video games.
What people seem to love the most about Modern Warfare is its Gunfight 2v2 mode. This means that the goal is to kill the opposing team in 40 seconds. It makes playing perfect for adrenaline junkies.
It also has one of the better single-player campaigns. The cinematic sequences will please you if you love a good story. They are incredibly realistic, and the missions are designed nicely. This game is very different from the previous ones. What you’ll find is a single-player campaign that shows life during the global war on terrorism. Thematically, it’s hard to swallow, so if you dislike these kinds of things, you might opt for something cartoonish and fun like Fortnite or Overwatch.
League of Legends
It’s hard not to know this one! A multiplayer online battle arena and a real-time strategy game, League of Legends was developed by Riot Games, and it was one of the first MOBAs out there. It has a smaller prize money pool than Dota 2, but it’s loved more by less serious players. It’s free to play, so give it a go if you haven’t already.
You have two teams within the game, and they compete against each other. The goal is to get ahead of the other team by destroying their goals as a group. You need to destroy their towers and nexus, similar to the way the gameplay in Dota works.
League of Legends is often shown in a better light than Heroes of the Storm and Dota 2. It has a big and energetic community. Regarding competitions, the main one is theLeague of Legends Championship hosted by Riot Games, in which teams can get multi-million-dollar prize money awarded. Understandably so, these competitions are often the highlight of esports news sections.
Valorant
Developed by Riot Games, Valorant is a prominent game in the world of esports. This first-person shooter game blends the precision and tactics of classic shooters with unique character abilities, creating a strategic and skill-intensive battlefield.
In Valorant, players are split into two teams—attackers and defenders—with the primary objective being to either plant or defuse a bomb, known as the Spike, or to eliminate the opposing team. Each character, known as an “Agent,” brings a distinct set of abilities, adding layers of strategy and team dynamics to the game.
Valorant has quickly risen to fame in the competitive gaming scene, hosting major tournaments like the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). The VCT is a global, year-long competition featuring the world’s best teams battling for supremacy, culminating in the highly-anticipated Valorant Champions event, where the ultimate winner is crowned.
Hearthstone
This is one more free-to-play title on our list. This digital collectible card PC game was released in 2014 by Blizzard Entertainment. It might not be the first one of its kind released for PC, but it’s the one that made the genre popular in the digital space.
Hearthstone’s popularity inspired many copycats in the card game industry. Of course, they’ll never manage to be as good as the original. One of its best qualities is the fact that it’s simple enough to engage new players. Still, it provides a level of complexity that’s sure to keep the regular ones interested.
It’s turn-based, between two players and with 30 cards. Every card can change the outcome of a match. There is a good reason why it’s so popular, so why not check it out?!
Arena of Valor
This is one of the first mobile multiplayer battle arena games. It’s published by Tencent Games even though TiMi Studios developed it. The main philosophy is similar to Dota and League of Legends in terms of gameplay.
There are two teams, while the battlefield has three lanes. Your goal is to destroy the opponent’s core. There are multiple game modes as well. The 3D graphics are amazing, and the characters are quite detailed and well-designed.
The music is one of the things that make this game stand out. It really adds to the entire atmosphere and makes the whole experience unique.
It’s a perfect game to play with friends as you cooperate to take the win in this multiplayer battle arena. No wonder it’s one of the most downloaded mobile games today.
Popularity of Esports Games to Surge Forward
After covering some of the biggest esports games, we’ve come to the end of our article. What’s the future of global esports going to look like? The games will likely become even more organized in the future and grow in popularity. It’s also likely that the future is mobile since the mobile esports scene is ever-expanding.
In 2023, the top esports games were battle royales and MOBA games. There are also many annual tournaments in which thousands of fans cheer on the best professional esports teams out there. There’s no doubt that esports will be a crucial part of the sports scene going forward.
