Most awaited esports events in 2023
The year 2023 is a great time for esports. With a lot of tournaments happening this year, it’s safe to say that fans are excited to watch and witness the industry bloom even more.
If you’re a regular player, punter, or a fan of any esports tournaments, you have many scenes to look forward to. The 2023 esports scene will undoubtedly have amazing highlights, cool replays, and surprising twists that will make anyone watching feel the excitement unfold.
Which tournaments are highly anticipated this year and when will they take place for you to start sports betting Japan? Below are the the esports competitions in 2023:
Quick guide to how esports works
Just like sports, the esports scene has a series of competitions to reach a small group of teams who are considered as the best. Sometimes, they go from 30-50 teams down to six and eventually to only two teams vying for a championship.
What’s unique about esports is that losers in a bracket can still have a chance to fight back by going through a loser’s bracket round. This allows the competition to be more balanced as games tend to last quicker than actual sports like basketball or football.
To give you an example, the famous game Dota 2 has a Dota Pro Circuit League where they accumulate points for every win they get. As teams garner more points, they can be qualified to play at The International where they can claim the Aegis.
Since the teams can lose and still have a chance for redemption through a loser’s bracket round, they have to win every single game of that part of the competition which is incredibly difficult to do. This is one of the most awaited parts of the tournament, especially when a crowd favourite fails to secure a spot immediately.
Dota 2’s The International 12
The International (TI) is Dota 2’s most prestigious annual tournament headed by Valve. Since it has one of the largest prize pools, a lot are trying their luck to take it home resulting in intense matches. All of the legendary teams that have been to the tournament made spectacular plays that made the game even more popular than it already is.
What’s great about TI is that every team that gets invited to play has the same chances to win it all. If a player misplays even so slightly, it can turn the tides over to the opposing team. This is why TI has a lot of memorable moments throughout its history, and 2023 is not looking like it’s going to lose any steam.
Recap of TI11: Tundra Esports winning the Aegis
TI11 was a wonderful sight to behold. Teams like PSG.LGD, OG, and Team Secret all made amazing runs during the tournament. However, only one team reigned supreme, and it’s a squad that nobody quite expected to reach the finals in the first place.
Tundra Esports were crowned the ultimate champions by the end of the tournament. Their opponent, Team Secret, looked to snag the Aegis but fell way off when they were swept by the Western European team.
What made TI11 so special is Tundra didn’t rely too much on team fights and just stuck with the objectives of the game to secure their wins. Of course, they had a lot of help from Leon ‘Nine’ Kirilin, Neta ‘33’ Shapira, and Oliver ‘skiter’ Lepko who all played cores during the game.
They split pushes alongside their supports that made the game far easier than what everyone thought would be a challenging series.
What to expect in the 2023 TI12?
If you’re looking forward to TI12 in 2023, then expect a lot more competition as the old team from OG in TI8 returns like Sebastien ‘Ceb’ Debs and Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein formed a new squad nicknamed ‘Old G’ to make pay homage to their past roster.
Also, BOOM Esports and Team Secret are still going to be contenders for next season alongside the juggernaut squad of PSG.LGD. There’s no shortage of fun and exciting matchups as Dota 2 slowly edges towards the TI.
League of Legends Worlds Championship 2023
Also known as the Worlds, it is undoubtedly League of Legends’ (LoL) most prominent esports scene ever headed by Riot Games. With a lot of great teams and players joining the fray, it’s hard to imagine a game in the tournament without roaring fans in arenas cheering for their favourite squads.
South Korea will host the Worlds Championship
What makes the 2023 Worlds more special is the fact that it will be held in South Korea. While that may not sound too exciting at first, you still have to consider the fact that South Korea is one of the main countries who love LoL out of any other nations in the world.
This means that fan attendance will be at the maximum capacity as the grand event will be held in a place where LoL is loved by a lot of people. The 2023 Worlds will mark the third time South Korea has hosted the prestigious tournament.
DRX winning the tournament against T1
At the start of the year, DRX was not considered by many as one of the top favourites. Instead, that title belonged to T1 who were dominating during the qualifying stages of the competition.
However, DRX overcame the impossible odds and became the first ever play-in qualifier squad to win the Worlds. Not only did they reign victorious, but they also beat T1 in shocking fashion where they played all five gruelling games to secure the title.
They showed great resilience throughout the final games and were without a doubt the team to beat during the 2022 season. The MVP by the end of the match was Hwang ‘Kingen’ Seong-hoon who carried every game that secured DRX’s championship.
What to expect in the 2023 Worlds
Just like the 2022 Worlds, the 2023 championship will definitely have surprising turns that will shock fans. DRX being the heavy underdogs will come into the following year as one of the top squads to make it out of the tournament.
Of course, you can’t count out T1, MAD Lions, and Saigon Buffalo making it all the way through as their rosters are still packed with immense talent. Regardless of what happens, expect a show that will be remembered forever in League history.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive Majors Championships 2023
Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) creators, Valve, decided to make the 2023 Majors a little different this time. Instead of focusing on a sole Majors tournament, they decided to have two instead.
Ever since the launch of Counter Strike ver. 1.6’s needed upgrade, the first-person shooter (FPS) market has surged for the past couple of years. With 2023 having a lot of shooter esports like Valorant and Overwatch 2, CS:GO is looking to raise the standards even further which is a treat for both fans and players.
BLAST Paris Major 2023
During the 2022 CS:GO season, the PGL Majors was held in Antwerp and Rio de Janeiro that helped make the game reach its highest viewership since its early days. The year also witnessed some of the greatest plays that led to unforgettable moments which will still be talked about in the future.
As 2022 waned, news about BLAST Premier hosting the following Majors surfaced as Valve plans to make the 2023 season a little different. To give you a bit of perspective, BLAST is a circuit of esports events that are committed to hosting and organising the most elite esports competitions in the world. Now that it has been made official, BLAST will undoubtedly give fans and players what they hoped for which is a memorable Majors experience for all.
Which teams can you expect to be the most competitive?
As the CS:GO esports scene continues, more teams are getting even more competitive with a better lineup of players who have immense talent when playing. To give you an example, Outsiders were the team who dominated in the Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2022 Majors.
The best part about this team is they were considered as heavy underdogs coming into the competition. There are also other teams who are candidates for the title like the classic squad of Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan. What sets them apart is their experience and familiarity with their opponents that make them a formidable team to face.
The 2023 esports scene will certainly make a huge impression on the market for years to come. As more games and organisations set the tournaments on the big stage, the more people will be keen on watching betting in them at sites like Sportsbet that will make the industry surge even more!
