The 2021 exit doors are here! It hasn’t been the best of years, according to any measures, so here’s hoping 2022 will exceed everyone’s expectations and finally give us something appropriate! We’re not just referring to 2022 esports betting here, but the whole year in general.
I swear, it’s as if there wasn’t a single good occurrence since 2019 – what’s happening?
Jokes aside, as the title suggests we’re here to give you guys an introduction to next year’s betting lines. More precisely, we’ll be guiding you through the most notable events, already scheduled ones and those that are yet to be announced.
The year 2021 saw the return of numerous LAN spectacles, but COVID measures still didn’t allow the pragmatic esports scene to breathe to its fullest. 2021 esports betting scene ought to be superior in this department, with numerous already scheduled events and a whole heap of AAA stuff still waiting for official announcements.
If you’re worried you might not have stuff to bet on next year, well this piece can be your esports betting bible of sorts!
2022 Esports Betting Expectations – Biggest Events
Let’s not beat around the bushes here, boys and girls! Let’s head straight into the biggest events of the year so you know what and where you’ll be able to bet on!
IEM XVI Katowice
Year in and year out, Intel Extreme Katowice acts as the series’ world championship. 2022 will be no different – IEM XVI Katowice spectacle is scheduled to start just a day after Valentine’s. The event will feature 24 teams fighting for the grandest of stages at the mesmerizing Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. It’s the epicenter of esports in the region, no doubt about it.
With $1 million in prize money and 24 top-notch sides, IEM XVI Katowice is guaranteed to be pure fun from start to finish.
Of course, this event is going to be one of the biggest 2022 esports betting campaigns in general. Intel Extreme Masters events, especially WCs, always get special coverage, and I expect the tradition to continue with this one.
Natus Vincere are the heavy favorites even months before the kickoff. But, the CSGO scene is dark and full of terrors – jokes aside, the scene is as unpredictable as ever and if you’re going to be betting on the futures, I advise you to wait a month or so just to get a taste of what some of these newly revamped rosters will behave like.
ESL Pro League Season 15
The second big CSGO tournament next year – the fifteenth season of ESL Pro League. The action starts on March 9th, shortly after the end of IEM XVI Katowice, and it’s going to feature 24 teams in a yet to be announced city.
Okay, one more early Christmas present! ? The #ESLProLeague Season 15 line-up! ?
24 teams from all over the place going to battle it out over several weeks of CS:GO action!
Who do you have as your favourite? ? Let us know! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/cyuMkEjtJc
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) December 23, 2021
Unfortunately, we don’t even know if this event is going to be LAN or online. Fingers crossed it’s a LAN, as the prize pool of over $820,000 would suggest, but we still have no concrete information about this.
The event starts on March 9th and runs through April 10th. Yep, a full month of CSGO extravaganza, featuring one of the most complex formats known to mankind. Yes, I am exaggerating a bit, but if you’ve been following CSGO esports for a while, you probably know just how overcomplicated these ESL Pro League events are.
The bo5 grand finals are going to decide the $175,000 grand prize winner. It’s going to be all but a straightforward clash, perfectly poised for CSGO betting enthusiasts across the globe. If you are one of them, make sure you don’t miss out on what’s bound to be one of the grandest occasions of 2022!
IEM XVII Events
We aren’t done with CSGO events just yet! Yep, as mentioned earlier, a whole heap of CSGO stuff has already been announced. Among that heap are two exquisite IEM Season XVII events which are set to kick off shortly after the Season XVI Katowice World Championship.
Dallas is the first event, scheduled for kick off on May 31st. It’s going to last through June 5th and deliver 16 top-notch teams and $250,000 in prize money. We’re looking at another important LAN event here, even though the prize pool might not suggest so.
Cologne is the second IEM XVII event. It starts on July 5th and will run through July 17th, delivering 24 teams and $1 million of fighting money. That’s more like it, huh?
As for the 2022 CSGO Major(s), chances are an IEM event will serve as a Major this year. Unfortunately, we still don’t know anything more about it/them. We don’t even know how many Majors will 2022 have for us, one or two. However, I’m sure we’ll get our answers in a month or so.
FIFA Global Series
2022 esports betting is going to offer lots of FIFA betting lines. Over the last two years, the FIFA franchise has been one of the fastest-growing markets out there. With the likes of eWorld Cup and eNations Cup, alongside numerous other virtual leagues, FIFA is not just climbing up the esports ladder but up the esports betting hierarchy too.
As for next year, we already had the first major cancelation – FIFA 22 Global Series ToTY Cup was scheduled for January 21st but had to be canceled. On the bright side, FIFA 22 Global Series ToTS Cup is going to be held according to initial announcements. April 29th is the big date – there will be $500,000 in prize pool and only the best FIFA 22 players will battle it out against each other in London, UK.
In addition to that, new seasons of eChampions League and other football leagues from all over the world are set to kick off without any major issues. We’re looking at another successful year of FIFA esports, that we can tell you right away!
Valorant Champions Tour 2022
The inaugural season of Valorant Champions Tour has just finished, and we’re already starting to write about the next one. Unfortunately, we don’t know much information about it. The second season of VCT is expected to start sometime in February with the First Stage Challengers.
The only date that has been confirmed is February 11th. That’s when the NA event starts and is set to run all the way through March 27th. EMEA and Korea have also been announced, but all we know is that they’re starting sometime in February. We don’t have any concrete dates yet, though they shouldn’t be too far apart from the NA event.
League of Legends Regional Championships
We already know a great deal of things surrounding the all-new season of League of Legends esports. All of the game’s regional Spring championships start in January. The key dates for the biggest events are as follows:
- LEC Spring 2022
- LCS Lock-In 2022
- LPL Spring 2022
- LCK Spring 2022
As for the Mid-Season Invitational and League of Legends World Championship, we don’t know much in terms of dates at the moment. But, that’s bound to change in the foreseeable months so make sure you stay tuned! What we do know is the location of the Worlds. It’s going to be held in Mexico City, New York, Toronto, and San Francisco.
Remember, the MSI is always scheduled in between the Spring and Summer Splits (so late April, early May most likely), while LoL World Championship is the final event of the season, typically held in October.
2021/22 DPC
2021/22 Dota Pro Circuit doesn’t have that many structural changes. The biggest one is the introduction of an additional stage. Yep, last season had two, but the 2021/22 DPC will have three stages. Yes, this means we’ll have not two but three DPC Majors to look forward to.
Of course, the first tour is already in full flow. In fact, here are the key dates we already know:
- 1st Qualifier
- 1st League
- 1st Major
- 2nd Qualifier
- 2nd League
- 2nd Major
- 3rd Qualifier
- 3rd League
- 3rd Major
Unfortunately, we don’t yet know the exact dates of the long-anticipated The International 2022. We’re certain it’s going to be announced in the coming months, though, so stay tuned!
A Lot More Esports Events Await in 2022
These are just the events we know the dates for… we’re talking about the very tip of the iceberg here. Esports industry has a lot more to offer, especially if you’re interested in 2022 esports betting. Next year has all the makings of a special, with the likes of CSGO Majors, Dota 2 The Internationals, LoL Worlds, and many other finally returning in a single calendar year.
New seasons of FIFA leagues, new Call of Duty season… and let’s not forget about the likes of Rocket League and Overwatch. While we don’t know exact dates just yet, these events are bound to be scheduled soon and with them, numerous betting lines as well.
That said, don’t sweat it during the last few days of 2021! 2022 esports betting campaign is going to be packed with quality content; that we can confirm without a pinch of hesitation!
Three Reasons Why You Should Bet on Esports in 2022
We aren’t done with this piece just yet! 2022 esports betting year promises great things – we’ve told you that earlier.
But, what exactly will it bring to the table? Why should you care? Or, better yet – why should you bet on esports in 2022?
Here are three key reasons:
The Return of LANs
Yes, I know some LAN events returned last year. However, with everything that’s been announced thus far (unless we see a massive wave of cancellations, that is), 2022 is bound to have more LANs than ever. LAN events drastically improve the competitiveness and eliminate lag as a deciding factor. As such, LAN events always have much better betting presence, meaning 2022 esports betting campaign might just be the most lucrative one yet.
More Specials Than Ever Before
Year in and year out, the quantity of available esports specials keeps on increasing. We’re bound to see the same tradition continue next year. With even more bookmakers joining the esports betting ecosystem, competition is likely to force them to improve their specialty markets.
While the biggest changes ought to be in top-tier games like CSGO, Dota2, and League of Legends, we expect more specials than ever in games like Valorant, Rainbow Six, and Call of Duty too. FIFA is a rapidly growing esports betting title too – I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on to have a stellar specials’ market in 2022 as well.
Something for Everyone
Last but not least, 2022 ought to have something for everyone! Fans of CSGO, fans of Dota 2, fans of LoL and Valorant – they always have a fair share of stuff to bet on. 2022, however, is bound to represent other esports betting markets too. As the whole industry continues to grow, we’re bound to see not just superior specials’ coverage, but superior event coverage too.
With those words, we’re all done with our 2022 esports betting expectations. All that is left now is to wait for the first big 2022 esports events to start.
And, I almost forgot – Happy New Year everyone!
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