Following numerous thrilling competitions in the first half of 2019, the eSports community is eagerly awaiting the major championships which will close off yet another successful year. The industry, which is today worth over $1 billion (from competition's rewards to eSports betting) continues to grow and attract new fans, fresh talent, and eager backers. Have a look at the upcoming competitions set to take place later this year and reserve your seat to one of the world's most entertaining events.

2019 League of Legends World Championship

Between October 2nd and November 10th, all eyes will be directed at the global LoL World Championship. Held across three European cities, namely Berlin, Madrid, Paris, this will be the ninth edition of the competition, which is supported by Riot Games. Fans will tune in to watch a total of 24 different teams who hail from 13 regions around the world, battling it out for supreme champion.

While twelve teams automatically qualified for the finals, another twelve teams will compete in play-in rounds. These play-ins are split into two rounds, with each round eliminating four teams. By the time the League of Legends World Championship gets to the group stage, 16 teams will be competing. At this stage, teams are split into groups of four, however, no two teams from the same region are placed in the same group. A double round-robin eliminates two of the four teams in each group. Those placing first and second move on to the knockout stage.

The competition continues to progress until the finals are held on November 10 at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris. Although the prize pool for this year has not yet been announced, in 2018 this reached a staggering $6.45 million. Invictus Gaming won the eighth edition, scooping over $2.4 million in prizes. The runner up was Fnatic, which bagged a very respectable $870,750.  Almost 2 million viewers caught the live streaming action, with peak times registering over 200,000.

HCS 2019 Halo World Championship

The Halo Championship Series, better known as HCS, is one of the major Halo eSport competitions in the world. Sponsored by Microsoft and 343 Industries, the championship is ruled by the Electronic Sports League. Although the competition has existed in some form since 2015, this will mark only the second edition since its name changed to HCS 2018 Halo World Championships.

Based on team results in regional qualifiers, 16 teams are invited to the World Championship, which is held in North America. These teams are split between different regions. Four are invited from Europe, following the Gfinity London competition. Similarly, two teams from Oceania are invited following the results of ESL Sydney whilst one team from Latin America is invited following the Gamelta Mexico City tournament.

The 16 teams are split into groups of four which compete in a round-robin format based on a best out of five result. Teams which place first and second in their group move on to the Championship Bracket, which has a double-elimination format based on best out of seven.

The prize pool for the HCS 2019 Halo World Championships has yet to be announced, however, the previous edition awarded a $1 million pool. The winners of that edition, Splyce, received half the prize pool, while the runners up, TOX Gaming, got $200,000. Even though the tournament is not yet a global phenomenon, its popularity is rising, with almost 100,000 viewers tuning in at peak times.

2019 Overwatch World Cup

Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of the popular first-person shooter game, Overwatch, will once again organise the World Cup in November 2019. The two-day competition will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center during BlizzCon. This will be the fourth edition of this evolving tournament.

Following preliminary rounds held before the major event, group stages will kick off on November 1st. Ten teams will compete in two round-robin formats, split into two teams. The top team from each group will automatically qualify for the semis, while two runners-up from either group will battle it out in the quarterfinals. The final will be made of the two teams which survive the elimination playoffs.

Unlike other equally popular eSports competitions, the winners of the 2019 Overwatch World Cup do not receive mega prizes. In fact, all participants receive the same $16,000 prize, no matter their eventual standings. The coveted prize in this competition is the gold medal which is reserved for the winning team. A silver medal is awarded to the team which loses the final, while a bronze medal is given for third place.

The Overwatch World Cup is different from the Overwatch League since although most teams are often the same, in the World Cup they are representing their country, not organisation. The fact that there is no ultimate cash prize allows the players to be more creative, offering some truly stunning gameplays and strategies.

2019 Blast Pro Series Global Final

The Blast Pro Series Global Final is a Counter-Strike:Global Offensive tournament which welcomes teams from around the world. The two-day event is organised by RFRSH Entertainment, a Danish eSports organisation. Starting on the 13th December, the locations of the 2019 Blast Pro Series Global Final have not yet been announced.

This event has a reputation for surprises, welcoming seven of the best CS:GO teams in the world to challenge each other during six live events across six international locations. Following an elimination round, the remaining four teams will go through a double-elimination round. Only one match will be held at a time, giving fans the opportunity to watch every single moment of the thrilling action.

The winner of the 2019 Blast Pro Series Global Final will walk away with a cool $350,000. The total prize pool for the event is $500,000. The remaining three players each get a portion of the balance. The Global Final is part of the Blast Pro Series season, which altogether awards a total $2 million prize pool throughout the year.

2019 Masters Tour Bucharest

The third and final Hearthstone Masters Tour for 2019 will be held in Bucharest between the 18th and 20th October. PGL Studios will welcome over 300 competitors on location, in what promises to be one of the largest Hearthstone competitions, with a prize pool of $500,000.

The teams which will participate in the 2019 Masters Tour Bucharest are a mix of winners and top performers in a variety of regional leagues.  Hearthstone Grandmasters get an automatic invite, and the majority of them are expected to be present in October. Amongst them, the home-grown Bucharest Grandmaster, Dima "Rdu" Radu will be attending, which is sure to spark significant excitement from Romanian fans who will join the three-day event.

Bucharest played host to one of the largest Hearthstone events in 2014 and remains a popular base for the game. Registration for the event has not yet opened, and will only be available two weeks before the event. It is, therefore, too early to know who will be there, but whichever teams make it will offer fans an unforgettable experience. PGL Studios will be updating their website with the latest news on the event and also offering snippets of the action if you are unable to watch it live.