What is Esports?
Esports and esports tournaments are video game tournaments held to determine the best players or teams. It is used as a catch-all term for numerous types of video games played. It can cover sports games, puzzle games, first-person shooters, or really anything with competitiveness baked into it. Teams or individuals of professional players compete head to head in tournament-style brackets to decide who is the best for said event. With an increase in popularity in live-streaming, esports has also risen on a larger scale. Winning prize money or glory, esports has taken the world by storm and you too can host a successful esports event.
Do your Research
The first esports tournaments were decades ago, and they’re only getting better. Reading this article is a great first step, but there is no need to go in completely blind. Once you’ve decided what kind of tournament you’re going to run, you can look to other similar tournaments to take notes from. Either by attending them yourself or talking to people who have gone to them. Critical details and aspects of the tournament could be used to enhance your own. Whether you’re experiencing them as an organizer or a gamer, each perspective is an important side of the coin for a successful esports event.
COVID Restrictions
Depending on your area the COVID-19 restrictions on large events might affect your tournament. Before making concrete plans, be sure to check either the CDC updated guidelines on large gatherings or the Gov.Uk website on attractions and events. 2022 is seeing the rise of new variants and things are still uneasy, but depending on your size and location your tournament could be allowed to continue.
What to Consider
Although esports events are similar in nature, depending on what one wants to accomplish, they can and should be very different. There are multiple aspects to consider when having an esports event.
What is being accomplished through a specific event? The goal of esports at its core is to have fun and decide on the best player. However, they can also be used to:
- Debut a team or title.
- Cultivate a community.
- Celebrate a gaming achievement.
There is plenty of micro to macro steps that need to be taken to host an esports tournament or event. A more detailed breakdown can be found on our blog, but success can be found by having a fun time with the video game everyone is there to enjoy.
Organization
The most viewed and most popular esports events aren’t just because they are playing the most trendy game or the most money was pumped into it. Any well-organized event can be made enjoyable.
Your budget should be taken into account. Some tips can be found here, but the two main monetary factors that correlate with fun are the Venue and the Staff.
When picking the place for your esports event, a good venue can make or break it. These factors play into organizing a proper event but look at other examples of similar events to make sure you aren’t forgetting anything. Large tournaments like EVO are held in a convention centre in Vegas, so you know a place like that is used to hosting all types of gamers.
- Location – Is it close to hotels and places to eat?
- Accommodations – How much will be provided by the venue or not?
- Digital Power – Is the event able to stream well from where it is? Is there Wi-Fi for everyone or some?
- Equipment – Does the main stage provide the room and outlets for the games to be held?
- Hosting the event properly will also contribute to the general enjoyment of the tournament. Staffing isn’t simply having people on the ground. It involves large teams of people working in tandem with other teams to make the event work.
- The Face – Who is the face or faces of the event? Either who is commentating on the happenings or who is the main personnel?
- Organizers – Who’s in charge of making sure games are played on time and the teams know where they’re going?
- Sales – Are there people selling merch everywhere? Is there a place to get food, water, and whatever else your time of tournament needs?
- Volunteers – If your community is strong, you can have a group of volunteers to help with set up, clean up, and ticket checking.
Finalization
It’s vital that you start planning months in advance for any event. Setting up a website and socials for the event so people can ask questions directly or through emails shows that you’re putting in all the effort to make sure people attend your event. Involving the developers of the game and creating promotional videos all generate the hype that comes with hosting esports. If you stick to what works and follow this guide, you will have a successful esports tournament in 2022
