The Biggest Esports Tournaments to Watch This Year

Esports are seriously on the rise, thanks to flashy competitions, celebrity gamers and the behemoths of tournaments. As such, 2025 will be filled with events for the die-hard and casual fan alike — from long-standing franchises like Dota 2 and League of Legends to seemingly-newcomers like VALORANT. Huge crowds (real and online) gather at these tournaments, often with a lot of esports bets on the side to spice things up a bit further.

Key Tournaments and Games

Counter-Strike 2

The calendar for this game is packed with events, IEM Katowice being just one of them. It run from January 29 to February 9 in Katowice, Poland. This flagship tournament boasts a $1,000,000 prize pool. Other big Counter-Strike 2 events include PGL Bucharest, BLAST Rivals Spring, IEM Spring, PGL Astana in Kazakhstan (May 10-18), Intel Extreme Masters Dallas in the US (May 19-25), and IEM Cologne in Germany (July 23 – August 3).

Dota 2

The International, as the world-recognized Dota 2 esports event, retains the tradition of the most intense rivalries. The 2025 edition will be held in the Fall, and its location is still to be revealed. The expected prize pool is over USD 15 million. Also, we can expect other major Dota 2 tournaments, including BLAST Slam III (May 5-11) and DreamLeague Season 26 (May 12-25).

League of Legends

The League of Legends World Championship appeals to a massive audience. The first 2025 Stand, in Seoul, South Korea (March 10 – 16), features a brand-new format, the so-called ‘Fearless Draft’. The Mid-Season Invitational 2025 will be held in Canada (June 27 – July 12).

VALORANT: VCT 2025

Masters Toronto takes place in Canada (June 7-22). In July and August, several VCT 2025 Stage 2 tournaments will take place in different regions.

Betting on Esports

As esports have become more mainstream, so has the opportunity to place bets on them, just like traditional sports betting. Various esports betting sites cover major competitions, and different types of betting options are available. With outright bets, you can bet in advance on the tournament winner. You must have several selections in a system bet for it to win, although the returns you can make are substantial.

Tips to Enhance Your Esports Betting

If you want to bet on e-sports, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Use expert analysis and esports betting tips to inform your decisions.
• Specialize in large tournaments such as The International in Dota 2, League of Legends World Championships, and Esports World Cup — these get more attention from bookmakers and allow for better odds.
• Explore different betting markets with better values for your betting.

From diverse tournaments to thrilling matches, 2025 is set to engage esports enthusiasts and bettors.

Final Thoughts

An exciting year of esports is in store, driven by growth in the mobile gaming sector, the ongoing success of Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends (just to name a few), and the recent rise of VALORANT. Esports betting, particularly related to big tournaments, is on the rise, creating further fan engagement opportunities. 2025 will be a landmark year, truly establishing esports in the mainstream with events such as the Esports World Cup and the Olympics Esports Games hosted in Saudi Arabia.