Playing video games used to be seen as a sedentary and isolating activity. Video games were for disaffected young men who were unable to connect with the world or function comfortably. The world of gaming has grown a lot from this point and is now far more inclusive.
Part of that growth comes from the rise of esports since these got more people excited about the games. As esports have now been taken more seriously by mainstream audiences, betting on esports has become a major facet of the sports betting industry too.
Tournaments are the most important part of the esports season and are the favorite events to bet on. They are also where all the big prize money is. This article will look at some of the top tournaments for this year.
What Are the Biggest Esports Tournaments of 2022?
What counts as a big tournament has a very personal element to it. If you only play League of Legends or Dota 2, then those tournaments are going to matter a lot more to you than a FIFA or CS:GO tournament. There are some factors though that make a tournament a big deal.
The criteria that we’ve considered to determine which tournaments are the biggest are the hype surrounding the event, the prize money totals and the size of the audience.
Where to Bet on Esports Tournaments
Betting on esports is similar to betting on Fantasy Football — you might be able to do it at most sportsbooks, but finding a specialized sportsbook is important. Sportsbooks that cater to esports offer the best selections of odds for the widest range of esports events. Finding these sportsbooks is easiest when you consult a betting guide that can point you to the best odds and the sportsbooks with the leading bonuses and promotions.
League of Legends World Championship
League of Legends is one of the most popular video games in the world and its world championship is huge. This year’s tournament will be the 12th running one. In that time, it has grown from eight teams to 22. Hosted by Riot Games, the studio behind the game, the LoL World Championship is held at rotating locations. Last year, it was held in Reykjavik and this year it’s going to take place in Mexico City, New York City, Atlanta and San Francisco.
CS:GO PGL Major Championship
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a multiplayer first-person shooter. Despite being released a decade ago, it still has a massive following. This year’s PGL Major Championship was held in Antwerp. Teams qualify through a series of regional tournaments. At the 2022 Tournament, FaZe Clan made history as the first international team to win.
Dota 2 Pro Circuit
If we’re comparing esports tournaments to traditional sport tournaments, the Dota 2 Pro Circuit most closely resembles the PGA Tour. The Dota 2 Pro Circuit is made up of a series of Major and Minor events and each one yields points. There are regional leagues that feed into the main tournament and the prize pools go up to $500,000 for a single event.
FIFA eChampions League
The only mainstream sports game that made it onto our list, FIFA has been one of the leading games in the genre since it was originally released. The eChampions League is a single-player tournament. Major esports teams generally put forward one or two of their top players to compete. This year, the tournament was won by nicolas99fc from Guild Esports. The prize for first place was $75,000.
StarCraft II Legacy of the Void Tournaments
StarCraft II was one of the very first games to be taken seriously as esports were coming into existence. StarCraft II is a sci-fi strategy game. Instead of being a single event, the StarCraft II season is a series of major tournaments that are held between January and August.
More Esports
There are several other very popular esports games. Player Unknown’s Battleground (PUBG) is a battle royale game with a huge following, while Fortnite has a slightly younger audience in general, but attracts many elite players and teams.
Esports Tournaments FAQs
All around the world! This is one of the coolest facts about esports — their world champions or world series do actually include people from all over the world.
The legal betting age in most countries is 18 years old. In some, however, it is 21.
Yes, you can. It’s as simple as making an account with an online bookie and getting started.
