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Esports is a global phenomenon that has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the last five years. It has become not only a field in which athletes compete in a similar set-up to traditional sports, but also a spectator entertainment with exciting betting opportunities.
It boasts outstanding engagement among pro athletes and fans, and can bridge the content gap present in traditional sports. With the first half of the year behind us, the professional tournament circuits are getting closer to their finals.
Specialist esports odds feed and risk management supplier Oddin.gg has now compiled a guide to the must-see finals tournaments for the rest of 2023 that are set to keep in-arena crowds and bettors around the world enthralled.
Dota2
TI 2023, Location: Seattle, Washington, USA; Venue: Climate Pledge Arena; Start Date: 2023-10-29; End Date: 2023-10-29
The competitive scene of Dota2 is as complex as the game itself. The professional scene is focused around The Dota Pro Circuit that consists of three tours of Major tournaments and Regional Leagues from North America, South America, Southeast Asia, China, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.
The International 2023 marks the end of the current Dota Pro Circuit season, with the action set to take place in Seattle, Washington this October. Teams will be invited based on a points system derived from official sponsored Regional Leagues and Majors.
The tournament boasts the biggest prize pool in the world – a status it has held for more than a decade – and more than $20m will be on offer! The finals combine top-level performances with a rich accompanying programme and an expected crowd of 18,000 fans on-site cheering for their banners.
It’s also an event for online fans, with the peak viewership having exceeded 1.7 million. The game publisher is still accepting RFPs for streaming rights.
At Oddin.gg, we are excited about this event simultaneously as esports fans and service providers: the betting volumes are always outstanding during The International.
CS:GO and CS2
Counter Strike is considered to be the GOAT of esports, keeping its popularity since 1999! There are of course updates to the game, with Counter Strike: Global Offensive establishing itself as the original’s successor. We are all eagerly waiting for another major update, named simply Counter Strike 2. It hasn’t been launched yet, though, so let’s focus first on the CS:GO events.
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2023, Location:, Cologne, Germany, USA; Venue: Lanxes Arena; Start Date: 2023-08-04; End Date: 2023-08-06
Europe’s biggest CS:GO esports tournament is happening just as you read this, but you can still catch the finals happening on the first weekend of August. The Cathedral of Counter-Strike will host battles of 24 teams, competing for $1m in prize money and one of the most prestigious titles in esports: The EPT Championship winners.
Hussar Cup 2023, Location: Chorzów, Poland; Venue: Silesian Stadium; Start Date: 2023-08-30; End Date: 2023-09-03
Counter Strike 2 is a highly-anticipated esports title, a successor of the most traditional and famed Counter Strike and CS:GO. In early autumn, CS2 will be battle-tested in a CS2 event called the Hussar Cup 2023, with a monumental prize pool of $1,000,000.
It should welcome teams from across the world, some qualified, some invited. This will be the world’s first and biggest CS2 event + EXPO zone with conferences, discussion panels and technology and gaming fairs. The organizers want to attract more than 50,000 attendees.
League of Legends
LoL Worlds 2023, Location: Seoul & Busan, South Korea; Venue: Sky Dome; Start Date: 2023-10-10; End Date: 2023-11-19
Worlds 2023 – The League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) is returning to South Korea in a brand new format with 22 teams in a 3-stage competition. Worlds will kick off in Seoul, move to Busan, and return to Seoul to the Sky Dome. The venue shows how important the event is, as the Gocheok Sky Dome is the largest indoor venue in the country, able to host over 16,000 spectators.
Korea is synonymous with excellence in esports and gaming. This event, thanks to the passionate community of fans who are cheering for the Korean athletes who rank among the world’s best, is Oddin.gg’s favourite in Asia. Attending this event is like submerging into the creativity and dynamics of gaming: fun, excitement, cosplay, merchandising…
We expect this to be the most complex, and one of the best, esport experiences in 2023. We are also looking forward to an outstanding amount of markets and betting volume. In addition, what makes this event globally unique is a connection to a traditional sports event: The World Final has been scheduled later than usual to support the 19th Asian Games being held September 23-October 8 in Hangzhou, China! League of Legends and six other esports titles will be featured as medal events for the first time ever.
Valorant
Valorant Champions 2023, Location: LA, USA; Venue: KIA Forum; Start Date: 2023-08-06; End Date: 2023-08-26
Valorant Champions 2023 will see 4 teams from the Pacific, Americas, EMEA and China compete in Los Angeles, United States for the title. In case you would like to engage a competitive Japanese audience, this is the game title to turn your focus to. Surprisingly, despite Japan being dominant in console gaming for decades, FPS title Valorant leads viewership in the franchised Asian-Pacific region.
However, this event will for sure attract the global fanbase of the game, with highly engaging streams – the game’s publisher is preparing incentives and vast promotion of the official live streams of the tournament. We expect several million spectators – in 2022, the final event of the Champions Tour saw just over 1.5m peak viewers.
Atmosphere, fun, and programme
DreamHack Winter 2023, Location: Elmia, Jönköping, Sweden; Venue: lmia Congress & Concert Hall; Start Date: 2023-11-24; End Date: 2023-11-26
A fun gaming festival and esports event that brings casual gaming enthusiasts with esports fans together under one roof. It offers a dynamic mix of esports tournaments, interactive gaming experiences and exciting activities for attendees. If you want to match your gaming skills with other players, this is the place to do it: attendees are invited to compete in various esports competitions, watch top-tier players in action, and engage with the gaming community.
Beyond esports, DreamHack features an expo showcasing the latest gaming technology, merchandise, and industry innovations. It’s one of the most fun events on any year’s schedule.
BLAST Premier: World Final 2023, Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; Venue: Etihad Arena; Start Date: 2023-12-13; End Date: 2023-12-17
The BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 is one of the CS:GO biggest tournaments and in our opinion has the best atmosphere in the esport world. If you want to feel how esport fans are cheering for their favourite team, head to Abu Dhabi just before Christmas when the Etihad Arena will welcome 18,000 CS:GO fans. The tournament is connected to the BLAST.tv streaming service and its community.
In the realm of gaming and esports, there are numerous massive events that draw in gamers and enthusiasts worldwide. From the renowned European Gamescom to the incredible Tokyo Games Show, several Chinese events such as ChinaJoy, not to mention the atmospheric Brasil Game Show that surpassed 300,000 visitors as the first gaming event ever.
However, as our focus lies in the professional gaming segment, esports, we have carefully curated a selection of relevant events.
Looking ahead, the second half of the year promises an exhilarating line-up of esports tournaments that will mesmerise fans globally. Attending these events in person offers not just entertainment but also provides professional insights into the esports and gaming community, allowing one to witness how competitive gaming shapes contemporary culture.
The Oddin.gg team eagerly anticipates being part of these listed tournaments and meeting fellow enthusiasts. We can’t wait to see you there!
