The new regular seasons across a number of esports games have begun. Below are esports events that easily gather over 100 million unique viewers. In addition, these events have prizes worth millions of dollars and are often great motivators for professional and recreational players to continue playing their favorite games.
The International (Dota 2)
- Format: LAN
- Location: TBA
- Dates: TBA
This year’s edition is being referred to as The International 11 or TI11. It’s set to have $45 million in prize money based on early estimates. The number of teams participating in the last edition was 18. The teams that qualify for the event are drafted based on their Dota Pro Circuit performance, where they can earn DPC points. The best performers across all regions will be automatically entered into the main event.
LoL Worlds (League of Legends)
- Format: LAN
- Location: New York, Toronto, Mexico City, and San Francisco
- Time: TBA
League of Legends World Champions, or LoL Worlds for short, is the crowning event for the eponymous Multiplayer Online Battle Arena by Riot Games. The game is one of the most-watched titles on streaming platforms such as Twitch. Many professional LoL players are salaried professionals. They qualify for the Worlds by running through the regional leagues. There are 12 professional leagues, with one of the biggest being the LPL or the Tencent League of Legends Pro League in China.
FIFA 22 (PS4) 1on1 UEFA Champions League Challenge
- Format: Online
- Location: Online
- Dates: February 22, 2022
Hosted by ESL, the 1on1 UEFA Champions League Challenge is played on FIFA 22. It is a PlayStation 4 exclusive tournament. Despite this, it is one of the most significant esports events in the Middle East. The FIFA game franchise has a dedicated following in the region and this has made it possible to participate in some of the best and most competitive events.
To join, all players must be at least 16 years of age and sign up on the official page. Once this is done, players will be asked to follow the tournament instructions, including seeding and brackets that are published and updated in real time. To participate, players will need an ESL account as well as a PSN Account Game ID.
Overwatch League (Overwatch)
- Format: Online/Offline
- Location: Online/Offline
- Dates: March 2022
The Overwatch League is expected to start in March 2022. This is one of the most significant esports events hosted by Activision Blizzard, which was recently acquired by Microsoft, pending regulatory approvals. The Overwatch League is based on the big American leagues in design and execution.
