How to Host an eSports Tournament

Competitive gaming has come a long way from the time of shady café tournaments and having drinks as the first prize. Now, we fill up stadiums and put millions of dollars on the line.  However, even with all these improvements, the average production quality isn't quite as good when it comes to the tournaments in Bangladesh; things always seem to take a turn for the worst. So what can be done to make an Esports tournament run efficiently? Let's take a look. 

Start planning ahead with the community.
This is a very important part of hosting any Esports tournament, especially if you are planning to feature multiple games. You need an expert on every major game that is popular and set up a meet. They can then give you feedback from their respective communities, based on which you can decide the games to feature. Doesn't matter how you reach out to them, be it Twitter, Facebook or even Steam; just get a hold of people who are neutral minded and willing to contribute without being biased towards their own agenda.  At the end of the day, the organizers need to realize that the Esports community consists of everyone who has the passion to see the competitive gaming scene blossom in a country still at its baby steps. 

Choose the right venue with enough space, assign it with a capable staff, and set an appropriate time.
In our country, most tournaments are regional. As a result you guys need to focus on choosing the right venue. Bear in mind that the timing is important since the gamers of our country can't play when they have exams. Next thing you need to focus on is the space; different games can require different amounts of space for the players. For example Counter Strike players require longer gaps between their teammates, so that they can efficiently flick their mouse around without getting tangled all over the place. After that you should focus on the spectators. Have a viewing area of sorts some distance away from the actual players. Next we have the staff - over everything else, they must possess enough knowledge about the technical aspects. Remember that just because someone plays a game, does not mean they have the knowledge necessary to run it efficiently at a tournament. Finally, as the organizers, you need to have a good understanding of how much time it can take, so you can put two and two together and create a schedule that can be followed accordingly.

Set up the systems beforehand and test them out.
This I simply can't stress enough about, so many tournaments in our country have gone to waste due to not having enough prep time with the computers that it is almost amusing. As the organizers you should put a lot of importance on setting up and testing the PCs before the event starts. Assuming that most organizers get their systems based on a set list of specifications, it should be fairly easy to grasp an idea about their performance. So go ahead and set a few of them up first, run the games for a good hour or so to see how they take it, make a report and submit it to the rest of the staff so they can understand what to expect. Speaking of games, make sure that all the PCs support all the games that are being played. Have the community expert of each title oversee the installations so no complications are faced once the event is live.

Maintain the schedule and keep a central core for information.
In Bangladeshi tournaments, too many times have gamers found themselves lost regarding their match timing and designated areas.

This happens because the organizers set up a schedule and act like it is a well-oiled machine that they will be running; when in reality, it is the HMS Titanic heading towards an iceberg. If you want the players to show up on time, you have to present yourself as someone in control. Show up on time, preferably before all the players do. Make them feel like that this event is under moderation and you have a grasp on everything. Finally, you need a central core setup that will supply all the information to the gamers; it doesn't have to be anything fancy but just enough to make everyone feel involved.

After reading all of that a lot of up-and-coming organizers might get a little weary, but hey, young warrior, remember that greatness does not come without effort. If you want to make your eSports tournament last on the minds of the players, you have to make it good enough to make it memorable for yourself. 

GL; HF

Spreading the hype for technology and gaming, one word at a time. If you don't mind brutal honestly and countless debates, follow me @AbirZenith or hit me up with an email at: [email protected]