Mobile games dominate upcoming world-level esports events list in 2023
It's been a busy end to the season for many esports disciplines, with the likes of League of Legends and Dota 2 crowning their world champions and creating new records — good and bad — along the way. The 2023 World Championship, for example, saw Faker and T1 clinch their fourth championship title seven years after their previous one, shattering the absolute mark for the most popular esports event ever along the way. Meanwhile, The International 2023 — with a significantly reduced prize pool — could not even make the top ten competitions of the year in terms of peak concurrent viewers, for the first time in series history.
As a result, fans have already run the gamut of emotions associated with success and failure as they look back upon the season. In the case of Dota 2 esports, 2023 might spell the end of an era and the start of another, if the Riyadh Masters' prize pool is any indication.
However, there's lots more to look forward to for fans in the coming six-odd weeks, with world championship events for prominent disciplines, including on mobiles, still to come. Esports Charts looks ahead to what tournaments are still running/to start in 2023 and when followers can expect these games' world champions to be crowned.
Trackmania World Championship (Oct 13 to Nov 26)
The highly followed Trackmania World Tour 2023 - World Championship is first. It began on October 13 in Montpellier, France, and is in its Final Stage, where eight sides will battle it out for the ultimate glory.
There is a Group Stage and then the Playoffs within this phase, and the winner will finally be crowned on November 26. The official also stated that the World Tour 2023 will be the last one to be produced by Ubisoft Nadeo, ending a decade-plus-long association.
- Prize pool: $26.7K
- Number of participating teams: 16
- PV of previous event: 50K
Brawl Stars World Finals 2023 (November 24 to November 26)
The following three events are all for games developed and organized by Supercell. The Brawl Stars World Finals 2023 will run from November 24 to 26 at the Elmia Exhibition and Convention Centre in Jönköping, Sweden. Twelve sides will battle it out for a prize pool of $750K, with the format including a Group Stage and a Playoffs.
Interestingly, fans can attend the festivities to 'watch epic matches in person, meet pro players and creators, enjoy fun side activities and, of course, everything else the gaming festival has to offer!' In-game rewards are also available to those watching from home, including a new rewards type, and to earn them, fans can watch and interact with the show live here.
- Prize pool: $750K
- Number of participating teams: 12
- PV of previous event: 394K
Clash Royale League 2023 World Finals (November 24 to November 26)
The Clash Royale League 2023 World Finals will run on the same dates as its cousin at the Messukeskus convention center in Helsinki, Finland, with the world's 16 best teams facing off for a prize purse of $900K. The format involves a double elimination round with a Bracket Reset for the Grand Finals, meaning the Loser Bracket champion has to win two Grand Finals in a row to emerge as the champion.
- Prize pool: $900K
- Number of participating teams: 16
- PV of previous event: 228K
Clash of Clans World Championship 2023 (Nov 24 to Nov 26)
Completing this trifecta is the Clash of Clans World Championship 2023, to be held at the same venue and on the same dates as its Clash Royale cousin. Consisting of the highest prize money of the trio at $1M, it will see the world's eight best sides duke it out in double-elimination matches.
- Prize pool: $1M
- Number of participating teams: 8
- PV of previous event: 65K
Free Fire World Series 2023 (Nov 10 to Nov 26)
Finally comes the discipline that was displaced as the most popular ever, with the Free Fire World Series 2023 having already taken flight on November 10 in Bangkok. It will run till November 26, with the Knockout phase having recently ended and the qualified sides gearing up for the Points Rush stage.
Fans saw a lot of Portuguese flavor across the first three days thanks to the participation of three sides from Brazil. However, things changed over the next two weekends, with Asian sides back on top of the overall table, so it remains to be seen who tops the viewership table in a few days.
- Prize pool: $1M
- Number of participating teams: 18
- PV of previous event: 354K
PUBG Global Championship 2023 (Nov 18 to Dec 3)
Another ongoing competition is the $3M PUBG Global Championship 2023, which kicked off on November 18 at the Central Ladprao in Bangkok and will last until December 3. It has seen tweaks in the format this year, with defending champion Natus Vincere not present to defend its title.
The Group Stage is currently underway, with the top eight from each group going to the Winners Bracket. The bottom eight sides from each pool, meanwhile, are placed in the Losers Bracket, which will commence a day after the pools phase.
- Prize pool: $2M
- Number of participating teams: 32
- PV of previous event: 185K
PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2023 (Nov 2 to Dec 10)
Sticking with mobile esports, we move to the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2023, which kicked off on November 2 at the Battle Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It will run till December 10, and the 50 best teams are already engaged in battle, with the prize purse totaling $3M.
The Group Stage has ended, with qualified sides now gearing up for the Survival Stage — a reduction from last year. The Grand Finals will take place at the Ülker Sports and Event Hall in Istanbul, Turkey, the first time the country is hosting such an important event in this discipline.
- Prize pool: $3M
- Number of participating teams: 50
- PV of previous event: 851K
M5 World Championship (Nov 23 to Dec 17)
Perhaps the most followed remaining event outside the two mentioned above is the M5 World Championship. It will crown the discipline's world champion for 2023, and in terms of details, it will introduce the Wildcard Stage this year, apart from a prize pool increase from $800K to $900K.
This is also the first time this Mobile Legends: Bang Bang competition will be held across two countries. It will be held from November 23 to December 17 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Manila, The Philippines, between 22 of the best teams from across the globe.
- Prize pool: $900K
- Number of participating teams: 22
- PV of previous event: 4.2M
Honor of Kings International Championship (Nov 29 to Dec 30)
Moving to another mobile esports event, the Honor of Kings International Championship, an amalgamation of the 2023 Honor of Kings & Arena of Valor seasons. It will be held from November 29 to December 30 across three Chinese cities — Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. It will be the first time this tournament sees the participation of AoV teams, with the three league winners being joined by three more in the Wildcard round.
It will be the first top-tier Honor of Kings Cup competition (or its variations) to use the double-elimination format. The KIC 2023 will also see the debut of the new tournament phone — the iQOO 12 — which made its world premiere on November 7.
- Prize pool: $9.5K
- Number of participating teams: 16
- PV of previous event: 9.8K
It has been quite an intriguing season for esports in general, and with so many more competitons to come/wrap up, viewers and fans seem spoiled for choice. What is for sure is that there is no shortage of action all year round, and with the strides made this year, they can expect bigger and better seasons, starting with 2024.
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