Esports tournaments take video games to the next level — think of it like a gamer’s version of an athletic championship. Professional players compete in world-class arenas or stream online to massive audiences, often with the backing of global brands and sponsorships.
From breaking news and in-depth match analysis to exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content, we bring you the stories that shape the esports scene.
Whether it’s a top player in a huge League of Legends or Dota 2 tournament, an up-and-coming team in the burgeoning fighting game scene, or a controversial CEO making sexually explicit comments, we’ll bring you the stories that make the headlines in esports.
Taking the World Stage
Despite still being in its early stages, esports have quickly risen to prominence and are now regarded as one of the most popular forms of entertainment around the globe. The competitions are backed by major video game companies and attract millions of viewers, with the biggest events boasting a prize pool that can reach $40 million or more.
The most popular games include multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter, fighting, card and real-time strategy (RTS) titles. Some tournaments are dedicated to specific titles, such as the annual League of Legends World Championship, the Dota 2 International tournament and the fighting game-specific Evolution Championship Series (EVO).
Leading the way in the field of esports are iconic teams such as T1 led by Faker, Fnatic with three major League of Legends titles to their name, and s1mple, who won multiple Counter-Strike championships for Team Secret. Those at the very top of their field have achieved legendary status and can earn multi-million dollar paychecks from their sponsorship deals with global brands such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Logitech.