The history of eSports goes back a long way, much further than you’d think. It all started before games were even played online, with people heading to venues to play retro titles such as Tetris, competing to see who could get the highest scores.

Today, eSports competitions are held in many countries, and most tournaments are hosted by game developers themselves. Although, there are plenty of organisations such as the Electronic Sports League (ESL) and FaceIT that also establish their own leagues for a variety of popular eSports titles.

International eSports Competitions

Today, eSports competitions are held in many countries. Until 2013, the most important event in the world of computer games was the international World Cyber Games tournament. Which was held annually from 2000 to 2013 and was considered analogous to the Olympic Games. 

The main sponsor was the company Samsung. In 2013, the eSports championship, which included competitions in several dozen eSports disciplines, ceased to exist. In 2017, the rights to hold the tournament were bought by the Korean company Smilegate, after which it announced the return of the WCG. 

However, at the moment, it is unknown in what format this return will take place. But, even without knowing that, there are plenty of events to look forward to this year. You may have seen us recently cover a number of DoTA2 tournaments to look forward to this year, as eSports looks to continue to grow its fanbase. And we’re back again now with a whole host of more tournaments that you should keep your eyes peeled for.

League of Legends World Championship

Among professional players, it is known as “Worlds” from the League of Legends World Championship. This is a competition between the leading teams in League of Legends. The championship has been held by the developer of the game, Riot Games, since 2011. Except for the first season, all the competitions are held in the fall, in September or October.

It has its own leaderboards. Since 2011, the team SK Telecom T1 has won the championship three times. Last season, the team dropped to second place, losing the title to the new champion, Samsung Galaxy. You’ll also find other top organisations out there such as Fnatic, who was crowned the winner of the first season.

The International

The largest annual championship to date is hosted by Valve, the developer of DoTA 2. The International was first held at Gamescom Cologne in 2011. In 2012, the tournament moved to Seattle, where it was held until 2017.

The International will next be held in the fall of 2022. The prize pool in 2021 was estimated to be around $40 million. There is a possibility that it will be even bigger this year due to events being abandoned due to COVID-19. From 2011-2016, 16 of the world’s top teams participated in the International Championship, rising to 18 in 2017.

Some teams receive direct invitations, while others are selected through regional qualifications. A Dota Pro Circuit point system was introduced after the 2017 International. Teams with the maximum number of points during the season are eligible to participate.

The FIFA World Cup

The ultimate championship in the FIFA series. It is held annually, and each time a new venue is chosen for the LAN final. In 2018, the final FIFA tournament was held from the second to the fourth of August in London. The esports events will feature the top 32 players representing their countries, with the winner receiving a title, a large cash prize, and a trip to the Best FIFA Football Award ceremony.

Online Leagues

Along with major international championships with million-dollar prizes, there are many semi-professional leagues. Competitions are held in the form of ladders and online cups.

One of the biggest eSports leagues is the ESL as we mentioned above. It is positioned as the organizer of professional leagues for all computer games. Amateurs and beginners can participate in the ESL Ladders and ESL Amateur Series, while professional players can enter the ESL Pro Series. 

The Most Significant Esports Events Of 2022

2020 was a devastating year for eSports, with almost all live esports events worldwide cancelled. However, in 2021, all the important eSports events were successfully held. And they will be returning in 2022. So as well as the ones already mentioned, here is the ultimate eSports tournaments list for 2022:

• 2022 BLAST Premier Global Final — BLAST Premier Global Final for CS:GO
• The PUBG Global Invitational 2022 hosted by PUBG Corporation.
• The 2022 IEM Season XVI Katowice World Championship is one of the largest events on the professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene. 
• The 2022 IEM Katowice XVI is a major Polish StarCraft 2 tournament.
• ESL Pro League 14, a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ESL — will take place in 2022.
• 2022 Peacekeeper Elite League S1-China’s top-level professional PUBG league.
• Epic Games hosts the Fortnite Champion Series: chapter 2: Season 6-Fortnite Champion Series, which has a prize pool of $704,200.
• 2022 One Esports Singapore Major-The first major Dota 2 in 2021 with an impressive prize pool.
• 2022 Dreamhack Masters Spring-Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
• 2022 Overwatch League-The Ultimate Professional Overwatch League
• 2022 Dota Pro Circuit S2: A two-season eSports tournament leading up to the International 10.
• 2022 Japan League — A Rainbow Six eSports event.
• 2022 King Pro League Spring — Kings of Glory.
• The Singapore 2022 Free Fire World Series is the most important and well-known Free Fire eSports competition.
• The Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI is a global tour of professional gaming around the world that was launched in 2006 by ESL.
• One Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational Jakarta — Dota 2 LAN tournament.

Where To Watch eSports

The most popular service where you can watch almost all eSports tournaments is Twitch.tv. The service is completely free; the only condition is that you have to periodically view ads. Broadcasts of some important matches can be watched on TV, with many broadcasters having opted in to broadcast events when traditional sports were brought to a halt during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

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