Electronic sports Besides by their vast number of competitions, organized by both the game developers themselves and by companies dedicated especially to that. It is, therefore, a little difficult for the viewer to distinguish between those with the greatest weight, both economically and prestige.

Here you have, classified according to each video game, the main competitions to follow as well as their dates, the territories they occupy, and their essential characteristics. Likewise, although they are not of the same importance internationally, we will emphasize the most essential Spanish leagues and championships.

Of course, there are many other competitions of importance, in titles such as Heroes of the Storm, Call of Duty, Smite, Vainglory, Rainbow Six, or Paladins, for example. However, the list would be endless, and we have decided to focus on some of the titles with the most eye-catching competitions.

1. League of Legends

The League of Legends World Championship is an annual event held all over the world— each edition is in a country or continent in which the best clubs in each league face each other to proclaim themselves the best team of the year. This year’s Edition will be in China. It takes place during October and takes place over several weeks, during which the first phase of groups are held and, subsequently, playoffs consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals, and, finally, a great final. This year, as a novelty, a previous round is included in which the weakest teams in the main leagues face the strongest champions.

Of course, the regional leagues organized by Riot itself are also of great importance, with the Korean LCK being the highest level and the LCS, whose finals are held this weekend in Paris, the main one at the European level. In Spain, the most important regular competition is the Superliga Orange, of which two seasons are played in the same calendar year and which has, since the beginning of 2017, a second division. Also, there are other punctual tournaments such as the ESL Masters, which are held entirely on the same weekend.

2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

The Counter-Strike: Global Offensive circuit is based on a wide variety of tournaments in which teams from around the world face each other and in which it is more common to see surprises. It is therefore difficult to point out which are, in particular, the most important. However, there is a category of tournaments called Majors that are characterized by the support of Valve, the developer of the game, and awarding large sums of money in prizes. ESL One and DreamHack are common in this tournament category.

On the other hand, regular leagues have also gained popularity in recent years. The ELEAGUE or the ECS is the major in this sense. In Spain, the ESL Masters has been particularly prominent this year, which, unlike its League of Legends variant, does consist of a regular phase. The game video game company also organized its own CS: GO competition. Starting next month, the Superliga Orange will also bet on this video game, supporting the most popular shooting game in electronic sports.

3. DOTA 2

It’s impossible to talk about DOTA 2 without mentioning the International. This tournament, which brings together the best teams in the world, is characterized by giving the highest prize pool of all electronic sports that amounted, in its edition of this month, to almost twenty-five million dollars. It is held every August in the United States, although in recent years it has begun to assess the possibility of it being dispensed in other countries.

For the 2017/2018 season, Valve has announced that it will move to a Majors system consisting of eleven tournaments held throughout the year by third parties in which the company will contribute half a million dollars for the prize pool. At least the same amount must be added by the organizing company.

4. Hearthstone

Blizzard’s card game also has a very particular tournament configuration, with many spread around the world and of varying importance. It is worth noting. However, the Hearthstone Championship Tour, organized by the game developer herself and has stopped all over the world. Also, it takes advantage of other relevant tournaments to award points to the best players and to qualify for the HCT regional finals. Finally, the BlizzCon will host the world championship.

This year the Hearthstone Global Games have been played, in which fans voted for their favorite players to represent their country in a tournament by selections. At the Spanish level, there are some regular leagues, such as the ESL Masters, in which eight players competed for the title of Champions. On national soil, the DreamHack Valencia tournament was also played, with several foreign players and a huge prize pool.

5. Overwatch

The case of Overwatch is quite particular, as Blizzard’s limitations on awards have stalled the growth of competitions organized by third parties. The Overwatch League stands out, although it has not yet begun. This league, which is expected to start at the beginning of next year, has been reported repeatedly for the high investment it has demanded to enter. In addition, it has required clubs to use new brands to identify with the city they are hosting.