As COVID-19 continues to keep us quarantined, online esports tournaments are becoming an enticing prospect to skilled players looking to make the jump to professional.
Now that most of the world is quarantined inside, plenty of people are finding themselves with perhaps too much time on their hands and fewer activities to spend it on. So even if gamers don't think they have the skills right now, the time to improve is now here. And with competitive gaming offering a unique social experience, fostering relationships with team mates and building communication skills, it's a self-improvement activity with the added benefit of being fun!
So, if you're looking to get into esports, reach professional levels of play and have fun while you're doing it, these are the online esports tournaments to start with as beginners.
Allied Esports Online Tournaments
After the necessary closure of the HyperX Esports Arena, Allied Esports moved all local tournaments online. There are weekly tournaments for everything from Fortnite to Warzone, Teamfight Tactics to Rocket League, so check out the schedule to pick one you have a decent chance at. Most cash prizes are around $250, but Warzone ups the ante with $500 prize pools and up to $300 going to the team that makes it out on top. While tournaments are now open to everyone, Allied says that the organizers have had some language barrier issues with entrants outside of the U.S., so if you have a decent grasp of English you're all set. And kudos if you've gotten this far through this article without a decent grasp of English.
One of the premier online esports tournament platforms for CS:GO, PUBG and Dota 2 players, FACEIT will give you a more professional experience if you're ready to step up. The leagues are strictly organized and you need to download and install a client with anti-cheat measures to protect everyone and keep things fair. If you think you're good enough to get into some pick-up games (PUGs) and find a team, then FACEIT could be the standard you'll be getting used to as you climb the ladder towards pro tiers.
There are plenty of cups and community-organized leagues in Battlefy, which is a good middle ground between just starting out with local PUGs and moving into organized play. You can find online esports tournaments for FIFA, LoL, Hearthstone, Dota 2, and Overwatch alongside mobile titles like Clash Royale, Mobile Legends, Critical Ops, and Call of Duty Mobile.
This platform not only allows you to play in one of hundreds of tournaments currently being organized through it, but you can also easily set up your own. If you just want to make it a small private skirmish between your friends for bragging rights, that's totally possible, and a great way to get accustomed to formal competition in esports games.
If you think that esports is a young player's game, then you are as sorely mistaken as your lower back after getting out of bed at a funny angle. While older gamers might not have as much time to pour into honing their skills, and a marginally reduced reaction speed, anyone can enjoy the thrill of online esports tournaments. Check out the Rec Leagues at Lowkey.gg and you'll find legions of other adult gamers having a grand time competing against each other in LoL, Overwatch, TFT, Dota 2 and even Smash. Just make sure to do your wrist stretches first.
