How Do I Watch Esports?

A comprehensive guide on how to watch esports. Everything you need to know about where to find streams, what tournaments to follow, and what to look for in a good esports match.

Finding an Esports Tournament

While many esports require specific software or equipment, some popular games can be watched directly through Twitch.tv. You don’t need an account to watch, but signing up for one is free and gives you additional features like following your favorite players and chat.

Major Platforms that Host Esports Tournaments

The two most popular platforms for hosting and streaming esports tournaments are Twitch and YouTube. Both platforms offer a variety of ways to watch live streams of tournaments as well as recorded matches.

Twitch is the most popular platform for esports, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch live tournaments every year. Twitch offers a variety of features for viewers, including the ability to chat with other viewers, follow their favorite players and teams, and donate to support the tournament.

YouTube also offers a variety of ways to watch live and recorded esports matches. YouTube Gaming is a section of YouTube specifically dedicated to gaming, which includes a live stream of many major esports tournaments. In addition, many individual players and teams also have their own YouTube channels where they upload recorded matches and provide commentary.

Deciding What Game You Want to Watch

Now that you know what some of the most popular games are, it’s time to decide which one you want to watch. If you’re a fan of first-person shooters, you might enjoy watching CS:GO, Quake, or Halo tournaments. For those who are into multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBA), League of Legends and Dota 2 host some of the largest esports events in the world. And if you’re simply looking for something new and exciting, Rainbow Six: Siege, Overwatch, or Smash Bros. might be up your alley.

Once you’ve decided on a game, the next step is finding a tournament to watch. While there are smaller tournaments being hosted all the time, the biggest events usually take place a few times a year. The League of Legends World Championship happens every fall, while The International (Dota 2), BlizzCon (Overwatch), and the Halo World Championship occur once a year in the winter. Spring and summer are typically quieter in terms of major esports events, but there are still plenty of tournaments to choose from if you know where to look.

Following the Tournament

In order to watch the tournament, one must go to the event’s website and purchase a ticket. The ticket will give the customer a code that they will need to redeem in order to gain access to the event. The customer will also be able to purchase items from the event’s store and have them delivered to their seat.

Live Streams

A lot of the time, the best way to watch an esports tournament is to find a live stream of it online. This can be done through a number of websites and platforms, such as Twitch, Youtube Gaming, and Hitbox. Once you’ve found a live stream of the tournament you want to watch, simply sit back and enjoy!

Social Media

In this day and age, a lot of information is at our fingertips. Social media has made it easier than ever before to follow our favorite teams and players. For example, Twitch has a huge following with their live streams of video game matches. This can be a great way to watch some of the biggest events in the industry as they happen.

Organizations such as the Electronic Sports League (ESL) also have their own YouTube channels which regularly post tournament matches, sometimes even the day of the event. Other times, they may post highlights or full matches days or weeks after they occur. YouTube channels such as these are a great way to watch back old matches of your favorite games and players.

Esports Tournaments to Watch

While many traditional sports have been put on hold due to the pandemic, the world of esports has been thriving. There are many different tournaments being held online for spectators to watch. But with so many options, it can be difficult to know where to start. This guide will list some of the most popular esports tournaments to watch.

The International

The International is an annual Dota 2 esports tournament hosted by Valve Corporation, the game’s developer. The first tournament took place in Cologne, Germany in 2011, and was originally organized byDEF height=”0em”TOPics inside=”discreet” align=”left”>vendor_name> Electronics Sports World Cup. Sixteen teams from around the world competed for a $1 million prize pool. The event has since been held annually, with the prize pool for 2017’s tournament reaching over $24 million.

The League of Legends World Championship

The League of Legends World Championship is the annual professional League of Legends world championship tournament hosted by Riot Games and is the culmination of each season. Winners are awarded the Summoner’s Cup and a US$1 million grand prize. The tournament has been held annually since 2011 and is widely considered the most prestigous in all of esports.

In order to qualify for the tournament, teams must earn Circuit Points throughout the year by placing well in Leagues and Tournaments around the world. The top performing teams at the end of each split automatically qualify for Worlds, with other teams being decided through a series of Play-Ins and Group Stages.

The Play-Ins stage features twelve teams total that are split into two groups where they play a Round Robin format. The top two teams from each group then advance to the main Group Stage.

The Group Stage features sixteen teams total that are once again split into four groups where they play a Round Robin format. The top two teams from each group then advance to the Knockout Stage.

All matches in both the Play-Ins Stage and Group Stage are best-of-ones except for the very last match of each day, which is a best-of-three.

The Knockout Stage is a single elimination tournament featuring eight teams total, with all matches being best-of-threes except for the very last match, which is a best-of-five.

The League of Legends World Championship is truly a spectacle to behold,with millions of dollars on the line and some ofthe best competitive play in all of esports on display. Be sure notto miss it!

The Overwatch League

The Overwatch League is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. It’s overseen by Publisher Blizzard Entertainment and launched in January 2018.

The Overwatch League (OWL) is a professional esports league for the video game Overwatch, produced by its developer Blizzard Entertainment. The Overwatch League aims to follow the model of traditional North American professional sports, using a set of permanent, city-based teams and regular season play, rather than thePromotional Tournament system of other esports leagues. Franchises for the league were sold for reported prices between US$20 million and $35 million.

The league is the first major global esports league to be city-based instead of region-based, following Cloud9’s announcement they would field a London spot during the inaugural season. All franchised teams are owned by Esports Ventures LLC, an organization composed of several parent companies including Comcast Spectacor and Robert Kraft’s Kraft Sports Group.