Attention, online sports fans. Your time has finally come. Below you will find at least six esports events that appear to be online and otherwise this year. Now, some of the events, they might have to be recalculated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I recommend that you do some research to make sure they are still happening.
1) The Fornite WorldCup Fortnite is one of the more popular games in the world. That explains the many Fortnite clubs happening in the schools, doesn’t it? Now you add in the World Cup component, and you have a major headliner. The prize pool for last year’s World Cup brought in about $100 million. That is how much of a big deal this online event is. We have no idea what this year’s winning pool will be, but it could be the size of last year’s pool. Epic Games is the company that puts it together. The other thing you should know is that this thing is merit-based. That means the company does not sell teams and franchises. Just an “FYI” for you. As of this right now, the final dates have yet to be announced. That is why you are encouraged to get updated online.
2) The International How many of you are familiar with DOTA 2? This world championship is put together by them. It is one of the top online events people look forward to every year. It draws a major crowd(we are talking sellout numbers). Last year’s prize was about $30 million-plus. Players got upward of $15 million or more. Do you know who Valve Corporation is? You should if you follow sporting events online. That is the company that puts this together. The dates have yet to come forth(as of January). It might be a good idea to find some updates(especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In most cases, the pandemic should not affect an online event. Online events are encouraged for the most part right now. You never know though.
3) The League of Legends World Championship This tournament will happen in China. It is hosted by Riot Games. Now, due to the COVID pandemic, this one might have been cancelled. I do not know. There will be 24 teams from more than 14 countries competing. The qualification rounds have already begun. These are preliminary rounds before the real event. Once again, check the site for information. The pandemic might have forced the event to reschedule. That sometimes happens to online events.
4) BlizzCon Yeah, man. The event suggests just how the name sounds. It is hosted by Blizzard Entertainment. The esport falls into the top five of the most anticipated online sporting events for the year. Now, this is an older event(since it first began in 2005). The event sells out rather quickly. In most cases, this event draws more than 40,000 people every year, not including the spectators. This one has many online games to choose from including Overwatch and World of WarCfraft(which is one of the ultimate fan favourites).
5) The CapCom Cup The online sporting event started in 2013. There are between 16-32 people competing. The main goal is to compete hard in the small rounds to make it to the final one. The smaller rounds were(supposedly) held in March. The larger event was held on July 4-5th. Once again, the pandemic might have changed that. I did not hear what happened, so I encourage you to check online.
6) The Overwatch World Cup This is handled by Blizzard Entertainment. It also might sounds familiar to those who are engaged with Overwatch. Hundreds of thousands of gamers flock to this event. There are only five teams that compete. Potential candidates compete in at least 19 cities to see who makes it to the final five.
7) The Evolution Championship Series This one is often called “Evo”. This one is going to be held this month and August in Nevada. Check your listings to make sure COVID has not changed those plans. You also might want to check on the health precautions put in place, if it still is happening. The event will feature multiple street-fighting games including Super Smash Bros and Street Fighter V.
8) The Rocket League Championship This event is hosted by Rocket League(hence the name) and it hosts different gamers from different countries. All games leading up to the finals are played online. The final games are played for a live audience of thousands. The prize money could be as high as last year, $1 million. Since the final round is played in front of a live crowd, you are encouraged to double-check if it is happening. The game might have either been rescheduled for later or, there are health precautions in place due to COVID.