In search of a compromise: what match formats are used in esports and why

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Two key elements stand out in any major esports tournament: entertainment and competition. The entertainment side is all about captivating the audience: from stage design and the hosts' performance to analysts' commentary between matches and seamless integration of advertising; it's essentially the whole showbiz package, aimed at engaging viewers. On the other hand, the competitive aspect focuses on ensuring a fair contest to determine the winner.

Despite some esports titles having been around for over 20 years, one might assume that organizers would have honed the tournament format to perfection by now. Surprisingly, the quest for the ideal format persists, leading to ongoing experimentation. This continuous search keeps competitions fresh, injecting them with novelty and intrigue.

In the early years of esports, tournament formats were largely borrowed from traditional sports. Formats such as the Olympic, round-robin, Swiss, and seeding based on rankings were adapted from sports like football, hockey, basketball, athletics, chess, billiards, and more. However, esports introduces its own unique elements, with various random factors that can sway the outcome. Factors like map selection, hero choices, bans, or the appearance of powerful in-game items can significantly impact the game.

Series in esports can vary in length, consisting of either a single game or multiple games. For instance, a best-of-1 series entails just one game, while a best-of-3 series requires a team to win two matches, and so forth. Longer series tend to yield more objective results, as the outcome of a best-of-1 match can be heavily influenced by chance, whereas longer series help to minimize the randomness. Nevertheless, finding a balance is crucial, as not all teams are comfortable with playing multiple extended series in a single day, and overly prolonged tournaments risk losing audience engagement.

Popular Match Formats in Different Games

Each year, the number of million-dollar tournaments continues to rise steadily in esports, especially in Dota 2. While there was just one such tournament in 2021, the number had grown to six by 2023. In terms of this metric, Valve's MOBA has outpaced Counter-Strike. Right now, these two titles lead in the number of matches played, and it is within these titles that organizers frequently experiment with formats.

To gauge the prevailing series formats in esports, let's analyze matches from all million-dollar tournaments over the past four and a half years (from 2020 to May 2024). At present, the most popular series format in esports is the best-of-3. Over the last years, 1,771 such matches were played in million-dollar tournaments across various titles, constituting approximately 57% of the total.

The best-of-3 serves as a sort of golden mean between the risky best-of-1 and the extended best-of-5. It finds widespread use in most tournaments for classic team-based games like Counter-Strike and Dota 2. In Valorant, the prevalence of such series reaches an impressive 94%.

The second most popular series format is the best-of-1, commonly used in the early phases of tournaments, where teams can afford to make some mistakes. These series are notably prevalent in the League of Legends World Championships, where teams engage in Swiss-system or round-robin formats during the group stages. Best-of-1 series make up 79% of the total matches in million-dollar tournaments for League of Legends. While previously, best-of-1 series were also played in the early rounds of playoffs across some titles, this practice has been gradually waning over time due to criticism from both teams and viewers.

Best-of-2 offers a unique possibility of a draw in the series. Typically, these series are utilized in large groups where participants compete in a round-robin format. This approach enables organizers to sustain excitement until the final days of the stage. Best-of-2 series are frequently featured in The International tournaments, with Dota 2 leading in their usage, accounting for 29% of matches.

Best-of-5 series are frequently employed in mobile gaming titles like Arena of Valor, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Call of Duty Mobile. In contrast, it's been noted historically that these series are predominantly featured in tournaments for Call of Duty and Overwatch within PC gaming titles. This tendency could be linked to the franchise factor, where leagues prioritize delivering an engaging show. In most other PC gaming titles, best-of-5 series are typically reserved for grand finals. For example, in Dota 2 Majors, Valorant Masters tournaments, and League of Legends World Championships.

Meanwhile, longer best-of-7 series are mainly seen in mobile esports, where matches tend to be shorter. The highest proportion of best-of-7 matches occurs in tournaments for Arena of Valor and Honor of Kings, accounting for 24% and 18%, respectively.

Best-of-9 series are rare in million-dollar tournaments, with only one such occurrence in recent years. This took place during the grand finals of the Call of Duty League Championship 2023, where the New York Subliners secured a decisive victory over the Toronto Ultra with a score of 5:0.

Selecting the optimal format is a challenging endeavor. Shorter series may lack objectivity and could diminish the tournament's prestige in the eyes of viewers. Conversely, an overly long series can prove inconvenient for both participants and spectators. Additionally, there are financial considerations and other factors that may not be immediately obvious. Organizers must ensure the tournament adheres to the allocated venue rental time, anticipate potential technical issues or replays, and account for hourly payments to staff and commentators. Furthermore, if the tournament extends late into the night, arrangements must be made for public transportation or metro availability. A proficient organizer distinguishes themselves by carefully considering all these factors.

In subsequent discussions, we will explore how various series formats influence viewership statistics across different titles, with a particular focus on tournaments for Counter-Strike.