Top 10 Best Gaming Championship Events
A list of the best esports events on a large scale.
The list is general and not separated into specific events (for example, League of Legends World Championship includes all League of Legends World Championships).
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League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship is an annual tournament organized by Riot Games, featuring top teams from regional leagues around the world competing for the title. Known for its elaborate opening ceremonies, it garners millions of viewers globally each year. The best teams on the planet battle it out for the Summoner's Cup and a massive multi-million dollar prize pool.
With Riot Games' creativity and resources, the League of Legends World Championship finals are indeed the best e-Sports event in history. They feature the best opening ceremonies and the best coverage for the game through Riot's own broadcast.
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The International
The International is an annual Dota 2 tournament hosted by Valve, with a prize pool funded largely through player purchases of in-game items. Since its debut in 2011, it has become one of the most lucrative events in esports. The winning team gets their names eternally inscribed on the back of the Aegis of Champions trophy.
Valve is doing an amazing job with the International. Although coverage might not always be as good as League of Legends' Worlds, the games are still fun to watch. Valve is also able to pull off a $10M+ prize pool, which is extraordinary.
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DreamHack
DreamHack is a digital festival and competitive gaming event originating in Sweden, now hosting tournaments and festivals worldwide. It is recognized as the largest LAN party and computer festival in terms of connected devices. These events feature massive Bring Your Own Computer areas where thousands of gamers play for days straight.
A truly magical land for any gamer is Dreamhack - in my opinion, the best multi e-Sport event in the world. They create the most amazing LAN parties as well as professional competition in various titles, and provide great broadcasts. Also, Dreamhack Bucharest is
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World Cyber Games
The World Cyber Games (WCG) is an international esports competition often referred to as the "Olympics of esports," featuring multiple game titles and nations competing against each other. Founded in 2000, WCG brings together players from around the world. Much like the traditional athletic games, top competitors at this event are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Although now out of business, the World Cyber Games will always be the legendary first large-scale international e-Sports event. They started in the year 2000, and in their golden age, the WCG was considered as the premier stage of any professional gamer.
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IeSF World Championship
The IeSF World Championship is an international esports event organized by the International Esports Federation, with national teams competing in various games. Established in 2009, it emphasizes the growth and unification of global esports. Based in South Korea, the federation currently boasts membership from well over one hundred different nations.
Being the only organization to host a country-based competition of large scale, the IeSF (International e-Sport Federation) was able to host some great tournaments in Korea and Romania. While the broadcast and coverage are its most obvious shortcoming, the IeSF still offers a very interesting tournament structure and great games, proving the nation-based competition CAN work.
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BlizzCon
BlizzCon is a gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment, featuring tournaments for Blizzard's games like StarCraft, Overwatch, and Hearthstone. It combines competitive gaming with panels, announcements, and fan gatherings. Fans who are unable to make the trip to California can watch the festivities online by purchasing a virtual ticket.
Blizzard is doing an amazing job hosting an e-Sports championship for their home titles (especially StarCraft) and the finals of the World Championship Series at BlizzCon. However, compared to the International or Riot Worlds, it doesn't really keep pace with Valve's and Riot's innovation in the field.
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Intel Extreme Masters
Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) is a series of international esports tournaments organized by ESL and sponsored by Intel, covering games like Counter-Strike 2 and StarCraft II. IEM events take place in cities worldwide, with Katowice, Poland, being a notable venue. It is currently the longest running global pro gaming tour in the world.
ESL is the best e-Sports company in the world, and they are proving it with IEM season after season, successfully selling out world-renowned stadiums and operating large scale multi-gaming events with Intel. However, coverage of the non-laugh out loud tournaments (StarCraft for instance) always felt like it's falling short compared to other competitions.
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Electronic Sports World Cup
The Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) is an international video game competition that brings together top players in games like Counter-Strike and FIFA. Founded in France, it serves as one of the earliest large-scale esports tournaments. To earn a spot in the finals, competitors generally have to win national qualifiers held in their home country.
The French-based ESWC has a long history and they successfully host a great international event in France. However, I'd like to see some more efforts on their part to step into the world stage. Also, it may be time to get more resources to the coverage field, where they are lacking.
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Major League Gaming
Major League Gaming (MLG) is a professional esports organization founded in 2002, hosting competitions for games like Call of Duty and Halo. Known for popularizing competitive gaming in North America, it was acquired by Activision Blizzard in 2016. The organization holds the distinction of being the first televised video game console gaming league in the United States.
MLG is the most dominant North American gaming league. It hosts excellent events with great broadcasting and coverage. However, MLG's shortcoming is that it is only based in America and never hosts events outside of America. Also, MLG's focus remained on Call of Duty and StarCraft, and unfortunately, they seem to have abandoned the more popular genre - MOBA in favor of less interesting game titles at this day and age.
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ESL One
ESL One is a premier esports tournament series by ESL, featuring games like Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. Known for its live stadium events, it attracts top teams and large audiences. The series has filled massive sports arenas in major cities such as New York, Frankfurt, and Cologne.
Just like IEM, ESL One is also a major large-scale e-Sports event operated by ESL. They have successfully hosted great tournaments for DOTA 2 (and smaller scaled for Counter Strike GO). However, I still consider it smaller in terms of prestige compared to the other events listed here.