A tournament is a competitive event in which players or teams play games against each other to determine the winner. These events are organized by governing bodies and offer the chance to win prizes for the top competitors. They are a great way to test your skills against others and can help you become a better gamer. If you’re new to esports, it’s important to understand the basics of how tournaments work before participating in one.
There are many different kinds of tournaments. The most common are the locals, also known as weeklies. These are smaller events that often start out as groups of friends getting together to add structure to friendly competitions. They’re typically held at card shops, bars, community centers, or universities and are relatively inexpensive to enter. This is where most new players go to get a taste of the competitive scene and hone their skills before moving on to bigger and more prominent events.
The next step up in size are the monthlies, which are held on a monthly basis. These are more structured than locals and usually have a theme or prize for the top competitors. They’re also a bit more expensive than locals, but they have the added bonus of providing a good opportunity to test your skills against a wide variety of opponents from outside of your core community.
Finally, there are the nationals and internationals, which are huge events that often feature multiple different games. These are the tournaments that most people think of when they hear the term “esports.” These are essentially conventions for competitive gamers, with large rooms in hotel ballrooms or convention centers filled with rows of competitive setups and thousands of fans. The prize pools are larger than those of the monthlies and weeklies, but the competition is equally as stiff.
If the number of competitors is larger than a tournament format allows, there may be several tournaments with similar formats but different sets of matches. This is especially common in sports that allow only a limited number of competing teams or players, such as team sports, racket sports, combat sports, and some card games and board games.
A tournament can be played either in a round-robin or a single-elimination format. A round-robin tournament is a series of matches with all of the competing pairs playing each other once. The winner of each match is awarded points, and the top-ranked pair at the end of the round wins the tournament.
The year 2024 promises to be another exciting year for esports, with a diverse range of games that promise to thrill and challenge players. From tactical showdowns in Rainbow Six Siege to high-octane races in Rocket League, there’s sure to be something for every type of esports fan. Check out the upcoming tournaments below and don’t forget to tune in for all the action!