Esports News Roundup – The Best Tournaments in August
The esports industry is still reeling after the disruption caused by the global pandemic, but the most important video game tournaments remain on track. In August, most of the competitions will be played over the Internet, including some flagship events for first-person shooters, multiplayer online battle arena and real-time strategy games. League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, Overwatch and CS:GO fans will have their hands full this month, with plenty of exciting matches to watch and bet on.
Valorant
FaZe Clan Invitational
FaZe Clan Invitational is the competition hosted by FaZe Clan starting on August 6 and it will have a guaranteed prize pool of $50,000. This tournament is part of the Ignition Series and it will feature 16 teams divided into four identical groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs and all the matches are played in a best-of-three format, except for the grand final.
Promo League Season 2
Promo League Season 2 is a smaller tournament dedicated to Riot Games’ latest installment, with only $5000 as prize pool. The league matches will be played in a round-robin format, with each team facing each other twice in best of one series. The top four contenders will advance to the playoffs for a single elimination bracket and from this point onward the matches will be played in a Bo3 system.
Dota 2
ESL One Thailand
ESL One Thailand is the most exciting tournament for Asian players is set to begin on August 20 and it will conclude on the final day of the month. It will feature a total of 12 teams, eight of them invited and the rest joining from closed qualifiers and based on their performance in the previous season. All matches are played in a best-of-three format except for the grand final, with 8 teams advancing from the groups.
OMEGA League
Omega League is only a pale consolation for those who are anxiously hoping to watch the best teams compete in the Dota 2 The International. Now that Valve announced the indefinite postponement of the flagship event, the Dota 2 OMEGA League will provide the much-needed distraction. Teams from all the main regions will compete and the tournament for each continent will have a $600,000 prize pool.
CSGO
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans have their fair share of exciting matches, with the DreamHack Open Summer starting on August 8. During the group stage, matches are played in a best-of-three format with four teams advancing to the playoffs. During this stage of the competition, the single-elimination bracket will determine the winners and the most successful teams will claim a share of the $90,000 prize pool.
ESL One Cologne
There will be no land-based ESL One Cologne 2020 because of the coronavirus crisis, but the matches will take place online. The tournament will begin on August 18 and it will involve teams from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania. The prize pool will remain the same and the level of competition is expected to be similar to what was showcased in 2019.
League of Legends
The regular seasons are about to end in all the important regions and LoL fans prepare for the playoffs. In Europe, Rogue and MAD Lions dominate the standings, but they will face serious competition from the likes of Fnatic and G2 Esports. These teams have always performed well in the playoffs and can greatly increase their level of play after rather disappointing regular seasons.
The names of the eight teams qualified for the playoffs are also known in China, with the top LPL squads waiting for the playoffs. FunPlus Phoenix and Team WE have barely qualified and they will need to play much better if they are to challenge Top Esports and Invictus Gaming. In South Korea, DragonX and Damwon Gaming exceeded expectations in the regular season, but GenG and T1 are perennial favorites.
League of Legends action is also intense in North America where Cloud9 is finally showing signs of weakness. After winning the season split in emphatic manner, they are struggling to defeat their main rivals and are likely to finish in the second place. Team Liquid have regained their composure and TSM are back in the spotlight as one of the most consistent teams.
Overwatch
Overwatch Summer Games
Overwatch Summer Games isn’t exactly a tournament, but rather a special event prepared by Blizzard for Overwatch fans. It starts on August 4 and concludes later this month, while providing players with the chance to try a new game mode and win casino the items. The Lucioball Remix is the highlight of the event, an improved version of another game mode that has enjoyed tremendous success. Active players who win consecutive games will unlock cosmetic items to celebrate their achievements.
