In case you haven't noticed, esports are massive. Long gone are the days of professional video games being a small niche. Now, fans travel from all over the world to see massive esports events in huge arenas.
In 2020, there are some incredible esports events coming up. No matter what kind of game you enjoy, there's something for you to look forward to. If you enjoy watching the best gamers compete for large sums of money, these events are exactly what you need.
1. The International
When it comes to esports events with giant prize pools, it doesn't get bigger than Dota 2's The International. Last year's event paid out $34,330,068 in cash to players, and that pool has gone up every year. That means we could see an even larger prize pool when the event airs on August 18-23 in Stockholm.
2. League of Legends World Championship
The world of MOBAs has two big games. The first is the aforementioned Dota 2 and the other is Riot's League of Legends. While LoL's prize pools tend to be smaller than Dota's (Valve crowdsources the prize pool), you could argue that League's championship event is just as big, if not bigger, than Dota 2's. This year's event is scheduled to take place in Shanghai, so it should be a big one.
3. EVO
When it comes to fighting games, there's no event quite like EVO. Rather than focusing on a single game, EVO brings players together from all of the top games in the genre. The event always takes place in Las Vegas, and this year's competition is scheduled to take place on July 31-August 2. Games featured include Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dragonball FighterZ, and plenty of others.
4. Capcom Cup
If the fighting game you care about is Street Fighter, then the Capcom Cup is the event for you. The event will feature 40 of the best Street Fighter players going at it. Capcom hasn't announced exact dates, but it has announced that the event is going to take place in Paris, which is quite exciting for players and fans alike.
5. Overwatch League Grand Final
Overwatch is one of the most beloved shooters, and the hero format makes for fantastic viewing for spectators. And for fans of the game, there's no bigger even than the Overwatch League Grand Final. The Overwatch League plays out more like a traditional sporting league, and the Grand Finals is when the long season comes to a close. The regular season is scheduled to end August 9, so we'd expect the playoffs to begin shortly after.
6. Rocket League Championship
The Rocket League Championship is scheduled to take place on April 24-26 from Garland, Texas. If you're a fan of the intense car-soccer action of Rocket League, this is the event you need to watch.
7. CS:GO ESL One Rio Major 2020
Counterstrike: Global Offensive is one of the most intense shooters out there, and this year its big event is ESL One Rio Major 2020. It takes place May 11-May 24. As you can probably gather from the name, it takes place in Rio de Janeiro. This is the 16th Major Championship for CS:GO and it will feature an impressive $1,000,000 prize pool.
8. Hearthstone World Championship
In terms of digital collectible card games, it doesn't get much bigger than Hearthstone. And the Hearthstone World Championship is the main event each year where the best players come together to compete for large sums of money. There will be a series of Masters events, culminating with the Hearthstone Grandmasters tour.
9. Fortnite World Cup
Is there a bigger game than Fortnite? Everyone from young kids to professional gamers are dropping in to play the battle royale game, and its World Cup has quickly become one of the biggest esports events each year. Unfortunately, we don't have many details about the event this year, but we know it'll be a big one.
10. Call of Duty League Championship Weekend
Call of Duty is one of the most popular shooters for players, but it never seemed to reach the same level of popularity in terms of esports. Like Overwatch, Call of Duty uses a league structure that's similar to traditional sports. The Championship Weekend doesn't have an announced date and location yet, but we do know the final announced event for the season at the end of June.