Social distancing has had an impact on many things, including esports, since international players could not travel or be in the same room to compete last year. However, the year 2021 is going to be huge for esports fans, players and enthusiasts alike. As for the main events which are going to make the return of competitive esports grand in 2021, we have a short list of a select few for you today. The best part is that you can watch live esports events both included and excluded from this list, as long as you have a fast enough internet connection!
The FIFA eWorld Cup 2022
Football does not get bigger than the World Cup, and Virtual Football doesn’t get any bigger than the FIFA eWorld Cup. Co-created and sponsored primarily by Electronic Arts (EA) and FIFA itself, the event could be a little different this year, just like it was in 2020. Due to restrictions imposed to avoid potential health risks, there were 6 zonal champions of the FIFA eWorld Cup last year, but it remains to be seen whether the same format will be repeated in 2021 as well. In case the years feel confusing to you, know that eFootball events and games always carry the next year’s moniker with them for some reason!
League of Legends World Championship Series 2021
Looking past the fact that 2020’s League of Legends World Championship was to be held in Wuhan, China originally, it is going to be a huge event this year. It has since been rescheduled to Shenzhen, China for obvious reasons since 2020, but organisers are convinced that the LOL World Series 2021 with its $1 million prize pool is going to be much bigger than it was in 2020. Expect the tournament to start on the 1st of September, 2021.
The International 2021: DOTA 2
If you thought that the $1 million prize pool was big for an esports event, then think again. Defence of the Ancients 2: The International 2021 is expected to have a minimum prize pool of US$40 million+. The event will begin in August, which is just one month earlier than the League of Legends World Championship Series 2021 takes off in September. This year, it will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, but ticket info is not yet available.
In a year-on-year comparison between 2017 and 2018 in terms of total investments made into esports, it was observed that the difference was of 837%! The Esports industry saw roughly US$490 million invested into it 2017, while that amount went up to US$4.5 billion in 2018. By the end of 2021, esports as an industry will generate enough revenue to easily cross the US$1 billion mark, with some surveys pointing towards an estimated $1.8 billion in revenue (2021 – 22). Therefore, it would be safe to state that if you are interested in watching, playing, investing or participating in esport in any way, it can turn out to be big for you too.
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