How Many Esports Leagues Are There?

With esports becoming more and more popular, there are a growing number of leagues and tournaments for gamers to compete in. But just how many esports leagues are there? We take a look at the numbers.

Introduction

Esports is a form of competition that is facilitated by electronic systems, in particular video games; the input of players and teams as well as the output of the Esports system are mediated by human-computer interfaces. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. The most common video game genres associated with esports are real-time strategy, fighting, first-person shooter (FPS), and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Tournaments such as The International, the League of Legends World Championship, the Battle.net World Championship Series, and the Overwatch World Cup are among the most significant in terms of reputation and prize money. Although organized online and offline competitions have long been a part of video game culture, these were largely between amateurs until the late 2000s when participation by professional gamers and spectatorship in these events saw a large surge in popularity.

The Major Leagues

As the competitive gaming industry continues to grow, so too do the number of professional leagues and tournaments. This article will take a look at some of the biggest and most influential leagues in the esports world.

The Overwatch League

Blizzard’s Overwatch League is one of the biggest and most popular esports leagues in the world, featuring some of the best Overwatch teams from all over the globe. The league is split into two divisions, the Atlantic and Pacific, and each division is made up of six teams. The league runs from January to August, with playoffs taking place in September.

The Call of Duty League

The Call of Duty League (CDL) is an American professional esports league composed of 12 teams, representing cities across the United States, that compete in the first-person shooter video game series Call of Duty. The 2020 season is the inaugural season for the league.

The league is operated by Activision Blizzard and began play in January 2020. It is the first esports league to be run by a major professional sports league operator.

The CDL features a 5v5 match format on console (PS4 and XB1).

The League of Legends Championship Series

The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is the top level of professional League of Legends in North America (NA). The esports league is run by publisher Riot Games and features ten teams. Each season lasts ten weeks, and games are played Thursday through Sunday.

The LCS was founded in 2013 as the successor to the Riot Season 3 North American Championship Series, which was themselves the replacement for the IGN Pro League. The league initially featured 8 teams but this was increased to 10 in 2015. It is currently the only major esports league in North America that is franchised, meaning that all teams have a permanent spot in the LCS and do not need to worry about relegation.

The league has seen several changes over the years, such as switching to a best-of-three format from a best-of-two format in 2015, and most recently adopting a double round robin format for each split beginning in 2018. These changes were made in order to improve competitiveness and better resemble traditional sports leagues.

Riot Games has stated that their long-term goal for the LCS is to create an environment where players can become true professionals, with interest from non-endemic sponsors and consistent revenue streams coming from multiple sources.

The Hearthstone Grandmasters

Hearthstone Grandmasters is the second year of the Hearthstone Championship Tour. Last year saw 48 players from around the world compete in themed seasons leading to regional playoffs, culminating in a World Championship at BlizzCon. This year, we’re shaking things up and introducing a new esports league format that will see Hearthstone Grandmasters come to regions all over the world!

As in the first year of the Hearthstone Championship Tour, players will again earn points towards their yearly total by competing in Hearthstone Major tournaments, Last Call qualifier tournaments, and more. But this time around, at the end of each season, the top 200 point-earners globally will earn a spot in one of four regional playoffs—Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe (EU), Latin America (LAS), or North America (NA).

Players who manage to make it through the playoffs will secure a position in their region’s 32-player Grandmasters league for next season. From there, they’ll compete every week in a league format similar to other major esports leagues like Overwatch League or LCS—playing two best-of-three Standard matches against different opponents each week for a chance to win prize money and climb up the standings. At the end of each season, the top four players from each region will travel to an international live event where they’ll compete for glory and additional prizes.

The Rocket League Championship Series

The Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) is a semi-professional esports league that features the best Rocket League teams from North America, Europe, and Oceania. The RLCS has two seasons per year and each season culminates in a World Championship. The RLCS is produced by Psyonix, the developers of Rocket League, and Twitch, the exclusive broadcaster of the RLCS.

The Minor Leagues

Although not as well known as the major esports leagues, there are actually many minor esports leagues. These leagues typically host competitions for up-and-coming players or players who are not yet ready for the major leagues. The minor leagues can be a great way for players to get experience and practice in a competitive environment.

The North American League of Legends Championship Series

The North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) is the preeminent League of Legends esports league in North America. The NA LCS is comprised of 10 teams who face off against each other in a double round robin format. The top 6 teams at the end of the split advance to the playoffs where they compete for a chance to qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational.

The European League of Legends Championship Series

The European League of Legends Championship Series is the highest level of professional League of Legends in Europe. The championship is played in a best-of-5 format between the spring and summer split champions of each of the six regional leagues that compete in the European Regional League system.

The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Pro League

The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Pro League (CS:GO) is a professional esports league for the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The CS:GO Pro League is composed of 24 professional teams from around the world. These teams are divided into two divisions of 12 teams each, with each team playing in matches against other teams in their division.

The Pro LeagueSeason consists of two phases. The Regular Season is a round-robin format, in which each team plays every other team in its division twice over the course of 10 weeks. At the end of the Regular Season, the top six teams from each division advance to the Playoffs, a double-elimination bracket. The first phase of the playoffs is played online, while the second phase is played at a live event.

The Smite Pro League

The Smite Pro League is the professional Smite league. The SPL is hosted and organized by Hi-Rez Studios, developer of Smite. It is the successor to the old Smite World Championship Series.

The SPL is a global league. There are currently two SPL seasons per year. Each season has two splits (spring and fall), for a total of four splits per year. The top teams from each region (North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania) qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) and the World Championship at the end of the year.

The prize pool for each split is $150,000 USD. In addition, each region has its own circuit championship with a $25,000 USD prize pool. The winners of each circuit championship qualify for the MSI.

The Halo Championship Series

The Halo Championship Series, also known as HCS, is the official Halo esports series. The series began in 2014 with Halo 2: Anniversary and continued into 2015 with Halo 5: Guardians. HCS is managed by ESL in partnership with 343 Industries.[1]

HCS consists of two seasons per year, each featuring online and offline competition leading to a season finals. The top teams from around the world compete in the HCS Pro League which features a prize pool of $500,000 USD. In addition to the Pro League, HCS features an Open Circuit which gives amateur teams a chance to compete in offline events and earn points to qualify for the seasonal finals.[2]

The first season of the Halo Championship Series began on November 11, 2014 with Halo 2: Anniversary and ended on March 29, 2015 with the Halo World Championship. The second season began on May 31, 2015 with Halo 5: Guardians and is currently ongoing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no definite answer as to how many esports leagues are currently in existence. This is because the esports industry is ever-changing and growing, with new leagues popping up all the time. However, we can safely say that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of esports leagues spread across the globe. So whatever your game of choice may be, chances are there’s an esports league for you to join!