Esport
Top 5 titles for your next esport brand competition in 2022
In search for an esport title for your next tournament? Look no further!
Let’s talk game choices.
Choosing a game for your next tournament doesn’t have to be painful. Here’s how.
The first example which comes to mind is one of our own projects: Hrvatski Telekom e-Liga. Covid-19 had just hit and we were met with a project we cannot turn down. There was one barrier in the way.
Which game do we choose? We’ve had good and bad arguments for each title but finally made our decision to go with FIFA21. The game is popular, familiar to everyone, and easy to watch because it’s literally just football.
Additionally, since the pandemic hit, football fans needed more matches to watch, but couldn’t. 2 birds with 1 stone, right? The title we chose was not just for gamers, we wanted to reach a wider audience. FIFA21 was a perfect fit.
But let’s say you don’t want to focus on football, you need something different to involve more players and teams. Let’s take a look at some of the options which might fit your brand and vision:
The contenders:
- CS:GO - The titan of esports
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the most popular FPS title there is. Whether you’re a casual gamer, an esports fanatic or you have a kid at home who games, you’ve heard of CS:GO. With an all-time peak of 1.3 million concurrent players and an average of 600k players a day it’s safe to say CS:GO has its audience. The community is strong and the esports scene is even stronger with a few yearly tournaments which surpass $1mil prize pool, and a bunch of smaller tournaments where non-professional teams can try to take a piece of the esports glory. This 2012 title is loved by most and is always amazing to watch. Pair up the strongest teams in your region with some great casters and you’ll have yourselves a show to remember.
- VALORANT - A brand-safe CS:GO alternative?
The newest addition to the roster, VALORANT is the latest Riot Games title which directly compares to CS:GO. Riot took the best of CS:GO, colored it up, and made it faster. Appealing to younger audiences, because it’s a cartoon-style shooter, this might be the brand-safe title you’re seeking. Since it’s just 1 year old, VALORANT still hasn’t developed the esports scene it wants, but with regional qualifiers and a World Championship at the end of it all, it’s going in the right direction. Maybe this is the right time to help the up-and-coming VALORANT’s esport scene and include it in your next tournament?
- League of Legends - Alexa, play 2Pac - All Eyez On Me
Leauge of Legends is another one of Riot’s titles on the list, but with a good reason. This popular MOBA game from 2009 is one of the most popular esport titles with fans all around the world. Each year brings a new World Championship which gathers an average of 20-30 million watching the grand finals. The game is also never dull. With 158 playable characters, no one game can end the same which results in a lot of content to cover. Worried about finding enough players for your tournament? Worry not because the game averaged 100mil players per day in 2021. Time to pair up teams for the next big 5v5 team fight in your next competition.
- Rocket League - RC cars on steroids
I know I promised no more football, but I guarantee this one is different. How? It’s played with RC cars! Take a virtual football stadium, close it off so it has walls and a ceiling, rev up the engines of little toy cars, give them a ball 3x their size and you have yourself a Rocket League match. This 3v3 esport title is fast-paced, colorful, and a bunch of fun. The premise is simple, Orange team vs Blue team on the pitch, and whoever scores the most goals wins. Combine it with the fact that the cars can fly it never gets boring. Rocket League has a dedicated community, devoted fans and it’s just waiting to be in your next tournament lineup! Best thing is, it recently went F2P (free-to-play) and the player numbers have rocketed! Get it? Rocket. Okay nevermind…
- PUBG: Battlegrounds - The one true king of Battle Royals
I bash PUBG. A lot. Saying it’s a dead game never gets old, especially to provoke the friends that are still playing it. But why is it on this list then? Because I’ve never been more wrong. Not only is it not a dead game, but millions of fans also watch the best 64 player skirmishes every year. Since it’s a Battle Royale game, just like that one Fortnite game your kid plays on the living room TV, it has a unique way to include up to 16 teams of 4 in one single game. It has a really steep learning curve but is really easy to get into watching after only seeing a couple of games. The game gets another plus for never gaming the same outcome. Different maps, different zones where players can move, and different loot all add up to the fun of spectating the game. When are we landing boys?
What’s the verdict?
What if you don’t like any of the games I’ve listed? There really is a huge spectrum of games you can choose from. From card games like Hearthstone and even Yu-Gi-Oh!, to racing games like F1 2021 and Gran Turismo, you really have a pool to choose from. Never be scared of new games or research about the existing ones. Twitch, a live streaming service, is a great place to start. Their esport category is filled with official tournament broadcasts and even players playing the said tournaments.
“You’ve just made a list and haven’t even said which one game you would recommend.” - you say! Well, we have experience with each of these games in at least one of our projects, so choosing only one game would be kind of biased. Honestly, even we couldn't decide which game to put on one of our projects so we ended up putting 4 out of these 5. In the end, both the community and our team found the format quite fun. If you’re not sure about your choice or are considering a game you’re not familiar with, feel free to ask us in the comments or email us for your project - we’d be glad to help. In fact, we probably have a dedicated fan of the game you’re considering in the office!
In search for an esport title for your next tournament? Look no further!
Let’s talk game choices.
Choosing a game for your next tournament doesn’t have to be painful. Here’s how.
The first example which comes to mind is one of our own projects: Hrvatski Telekom e-Liga. Covid-19 had just hit and we were met with a project we cannot turn down. There was one barrier in the way.
Which game do we choose? We’ve had good and bad arguments for each title but finally made our decision to go with FIFA21. The game is popular, familiar to everyone, and easy to watch because it’s literally just football.
Additionally, since the pandemic hit, football fans needed more matches to watch, but couldn’t. 2 birds with 1 stone, right? The title we chose was not just for gamers, we wanted to reach a wider audience. FIFA21 was a perfect fit.
But let’s say you don’t want to focus on football, you need something different to involve more players and teams. Let’s take a look at some of the options which might fit your brand and vision:
The contenders:
- CS:GO - The titan of esports
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the most popular FPS title there is. Whether you’re a casual gamer, an esports fanatic or you have a kid at home who games, you’ve heard of CS:GO. With an all-time peak of 1.3 million concurrent players and an average of 600k players a day it’s safe to say CS:GO has its audience. The community is strong and the esports scene is even stronger with a few yearly tournaments which surpass $1mil prize pool, and a bunch of smaller tournaments where non-professional teams can try to take a piece of the esports glory. This 2012 title is loved by most and is always amazing to watch. Pair up the strongest teams in your region with some great casters and you’ll have yourselves a show to remember.
- VALORANT - A brand-safe CS:GO alternative?
The newest addition to the roster, VALORANT is the latest Riot Games title which directly compares to CS:GO. Riot took the best of CS:GO, colored it up, and made it faster. Appealing to younger audiences, because it’s a cartoon-style shooter, this might be the brand-safe title you’re seeking. Since it’s just 1 year old, VALORANT still hasn’t developed the esports scene it wants, but with regional qualifiers and a World Championship at the end of it all, it’s going in the right direction. Maybe this is the right time to help the up-and-coming VALORANT’s esport scene and include it in your next tournament?
- League of Legends - Alexa, play 2Pac - All Eyez On Me
Leauge of Legends is another one of Riot’s titles on the list, but with a good reason. This popular MOBA game from 2009 is one of the most popular esport titles with fans all around the world. Each year brings a new World Championship which gathers an average of 20-30 million watching the grand finals. The game is also never dull. With 158 playable characters, no one game can end the same which results in a lot of content to cover. Worried about finding enough players for your tournament? Worry not because the game averaged 100mil players per day in 2021. Time to pair up teams for the next big 5v5 team fight in your next competition.
- Rocket League - RC cars on steroids
I know I promised no more football, but I guarantee this one is different. How? It’s played with RC cars! Take a virtual football stadium, close it off so it has walls and a ceiling, rev up the engines of little toy cars, give them a ball 3x their size and you have yourself a Rocket League match. This 3v3 esport title is fast-paced, colorful, and a bunch of fun. The premise is simple, Orange team vs Blue team on the pitch, and whoever scores the most goals wins. Combine it with the fact that the cars can fly it never gets boring. Rocket League has a dedicated community, devoted fans and it’s just waiting to be in your next tournament lineup! Best thing is, it recently went F2P (free-to-play) and the player numbers have rocketed! Get it? Rocket. Okay nevermind…
- PUBG: Battlegrounds - The one true king of Battle Royals
I bash PUBG. A lot. Saying it’s a dead game never gets old, especially to provoke the friends that are still playing it. But why is it on this list then? Because I’ve never been more wrong. Not only is it not a dead game, but millions of fans also watch the best 64 player skirmishes every year. Since it’s a Battle Royale game, just like that one Fortnite game your kid plays on the living room TV, it has a unique way to include up to 16 teams of 4 in one single game. It has a really steep learning curve but is really easy to get into watching after only seeing a couple of games. The game gets another plus for never gaming the same outcome. Different maps, different zones where players can move, and different loot all add up to the fun of spectating the game. When are we landing boys?
What’s the verdict?
What if you don’t like any of the games I’ve listed? There really is a huge spectrum of games you can choose from. From card games like Hearthstone and even Yu-Gi-Oh!, to racing games like F1 2021 and Gran Turismo, you really have a pool to choose from. Never be scared of new games or research about the existing ones. Twitch, a live streaming service, is a great place to start. Their esport category is filled with official tournament broadcasts and even players playing the said tournaments.
“You’ve just made a list and haven’t even said which one game you would recommend.” - you say! Well, we have experience with each of these games in at least one of our projects, so choosing only one game would be kind of biased. Honestly, even we couldn't decide which game to put on one of our projects so we ended up putting 4 out of these 5. In the end, both the community and our team found the format quite fun. If you’re not sure about your choice or are considering a game you’re not familiar with, feel free to ask us in the comments or email us for your project - we’d be glad to help. In fact, we probably have a dedicated fan of the game you’re considering in the office!
