Mentioned in this article Games: League of Legends

While traditional sports have stuck to traditional game formats, esports organizers continue to experiment when it comes to tournament formats, seeking a balance between ultimate viewing experiences and fair outcomes. This can be a divisive topic for esports fans, as I found out last night when I had a conversation with Ben ‘Noxville’ Steenhuisen, a premier DotA statistician.

Ben is a huge fan of the double elimination bracket and has developed a statistical model to prove its superiority. In a recent Medium post, he argues that the quality of a tournament format is determined by how likely it is to reproduce its expected outcome. Better formats, such as double elimination, more accurately reflect how well the teams played: may the better team win. Double elimination tournaments are more likely to culminate in the two very best teams squaring off in the grand finale and allow less successful teams to duke it out for lower prize tiers. His reasoning is grounded in his frequent collaboration with esports clubs, which hope for a fair reward for their hard work and dedication on the battlefield. Consequently, teams, too, prefer tournaments with formats that more accurately reflect their capabilities.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Here lies the crux of the debate: teams and players may profit from different formats.[/perfectpullquote]

The alternative is the classic format pioneered by traditional sports like football and rugby: a group stage followed by a single elimination bracket, the knockout stage, a favorite among underdogs and the bane of the faint-hearted. When DotA’s Boston Major last December featured this single elimination format, the bracket allowed for Ad Finem to upset predictions and make it to the finals, which was a Cinderella story with incredible moments! Here lies the crux of the debate: teams and players may profit from different formats. While double elimination brackets are great for accurate results and determining the best teams both at the top and further down, single elimination increase the chances for exciting underdog victories. Moreover, even if the best teams do kick out our beloved underdogs, in knockout brackets every game is crucial for both teams and filled to the brim with excitement and desperate struggle. There is nothing quite like a finale of two undefeated teams facing each other for the first time.

League of Legends has provided an interesting compromise between both formats. During the season there are weekly games, which eventually culminate in the famous World Championship, a single-elimination tournament. As a result, teams have months to prove their skills and qualify, but once at the grand venue, every game counts, and favorites are quickly discharged, if careless. What I personally dislike about League’s format is its tendency to stagnate the metagame. The playing style and how to most effectively counter popular strategies evolves heavily during the gaps between tournaments in CS:GO and DotA, as teams can freely experiment and take a break from practicing the classics. These strategic developments then pay off during big tournaments, with money on the line and the risk of elimination at every team’s doorstep.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]But as viewers’ interest finances the scene, their experience should take priority.[/perfectpullquote]

Each format then brings pros and cons for specific groups. But as viewers’ interest finances the scene, their experience should take priority. In my opinion, League’s format simply sacrifices too much in terms of strategic development and variety, leaving tournaments as my preference. Here, of course, I can’t deny Steenhuisen’s arguments about the importance of fair outcomes and the significance of incremental progress for aspiring teams. However, I side with the audience, as viewers are quintessential for the growth of esports. After all, I am an esports fan and can’t help it: I prefer the drama of single elimination brackets.

Leonard Langenscheidt works as an EIR at BITKRAFT Esports Ventures. If you have an opinion you would like to share on TEO, feel free to get in touch with us.