Major esports events of 2023 you probably missed
The esports industry isn’t confined to just League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2; it encompasses dozens of unique titles, some entirely dissimilar. Esports Charts has compiled the most unusual tournaments of 2023 that you might have missed, from the Osu! World Championship to endurance racing.
Monster Strike Grand Prix 2023 Japan
To those unaware, Monster Strike is a multiplayer mobile title released in 2013, it combines puzzle, shooter, and Action/RPG elements. The game features vibrant animation, which may be disturbing to Western audiences, but in Japan, the game has a huge following. In October, the country hosted the Grand Prix Japan 2023, which drew over 545K Peak Viewers. For comparison, that’s more than what was seen at the LCK Regional Finals 2023.
Ascension Tournament 2023
Ascension 2023 became the most popular tournament of the year in Trackmania. This arcade racing simulator stands out from any other esports discipline, and it has a very loyal audience in Europe — primarily in France. In October, the popular French streamer ZeratoR hosted the Ascension Tournament 2023, attracting over 93K concurrent viewers.
Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2023
If you’re a manga fan, you’ve probably heard of the Yu-Gi-Oh. It has been around for almost 30 years, encompassing anime, TV series, movies, and, of course, games. The Yu-Gi-Oh storyline revolves around a card game that enjoys immense popularity in the future world. It’s no wonder that Konami has released dozens of games based on Yu-Gi-Oh for various platforms. One of the most popular versions is Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, which hosts international competitions. Last year, the World Championship had 50K Peak Viewers.
NBA 2K League: 2023 Playoffs
Sports simulators in esports are not just limited to soccer. Unfairly little attention is given to NBA 2K. The basketball simulator is hugely popular in North America, and its tournaments stand out from soccer tournaments with interesting formats. For example, NBA 2K League: 2023 participants competed in teams of five, with each player controlling an individual character on the court.
Brawlhalla World Championship 2023
Brawlhalla sometimes gets overshadowed by more well-known titles like Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat. However, Brawlhalla is more reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., with a large number of popular characters from various universes. Here you’ll find the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Master Chief, Daryl from “The Walking Dead,” and even SpongeBob SquarePants — choose any hero and head into battle on the arena. Brawlhalla tournaments are held every year and attract tens of thousands of viewers: the recent Brawlhalla World Championship brought together over 40,000 concurrent viewers.