Despite all setbacks, 2020 wasn’t that bad of a year for esports! Most events had to be switched from LAN to online environments, which wasn’t that bad considering the entire sports world was put to a halt. Those that remained LAN couldn’t have a live audience present in the venue, which was another major problem for such a passionate and electric community. Most importantly, though, only a few top-tier events were canceled and moved/rescheduled for 2021. The most notable canceled specimens are Dota 2 The International and CSGO Major Championships… but they’re bound to lead the charge next year, not only in terms of lucrativeness but the sheer size and production quality too!

Everything should go according to plans this year! We already have plenty of notable esports events in January 2021, which is exactly what we’ll be focusing on today.

Typically, the first month doesn’t really have that much notable action. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a fine event (or two) to watch and talk about… but most of the time, the biggest events and seasonal circuits start sometime in February and March. Esports events in January 2021 don’t have any time to waste. They’re kicking things off with full speed, bringing forth a ton of excitement for eager esports fans all over the world.

Let’s check out the biggest esports competitions scheduled to start in January 2021!

As stated earlier, the 2020 CSGO Major Championship had to be canceled due to health risks. Valve and ESL tried their best to somehow make it happen but ultimately had to admit their defeat and reschedule it for 2021. 

Luckily, esports events in January 2021 won’t lack CSGO action! There’s a massive event set to start on January 20^th. BLAST Premier Global Finals is the name; it features $1 million in prize money and brings forward eight top-tier teams that proved their worth last year.

We’re looking at a LAN event here, meaning CSGO bookmakers will be all over it with plenty of specials and futures. BLAST Premier Global Finals ought to be a fine introduction to a spectacular 2021 competitive CSGO season.

Another year, another Dota Pro Circuit! It’s another year of format experimentation. This time around, Dota Pro Circuit will feature just two Majors. There will be no Minors; Regional Leagues have entered the chat, bringing forth upper and lower divisions bound to provide fiery contest! 2021 will feature two seasons, each finalized by a Major. The Majors will now have eighteen teams and feature $500,000 in prize money and 2700 DPC points.

The first Regional Leagues start on January 18^th and represent the first step of Dota 2’s competitive ladder in 2021! The changes are welcome – hopefully, they’ll build plenty of hype ahead of the International 2021!

Competitive League of Legends is back too. Dota 2 isn’t the only title that’s set to introduce massive changes to its competitive format – LoL is moving in the same direction too. Well, certain parts of its competitive ecosystem, to be more precise.

LCS’s biggest addition is the so-called LCS Lock-In event, a tree-week-long competition that’ll reward the winning team with $150,000 in prize money. There’s a ton of additional changes in how the NA circuit works – more information can be found on the official 2021 LCS Season Update article.

Moving on with important esports events in January 2021, Rainbow Six is back too! European League 2020 Finals are scheduled to start in just a couple of days, presenting us with another competitive season of Rainbow Six. This tactical first-person shooter still has a relatively huge player base as well as a healthy viewership. There’s a lot of work to do for Ubisoft and third-party event organizers, but I’m sure 2021 will be an awesome year for R6 esports!

Last but not least – Rocket League Championship Series. Epic Games has been making all the right moves for their competitive soccer/racing game! We’re expecting the start of the third Regional event of the game’s tenth season.

• The action in Europe starts on January 9^th and runs through January 17^th.
• The action in North America starts on January 23^rd and runs through January 31^st.
• The action in Oceania starts on January 10^th and runs through January 17^th.
• The action in South America starts on January 9^th and runs through January 23^rd.

Looks like January 2021 will be an awesome month for Rocket League esports fans!

Esports events in January have a certain charm! There’s plenty of stuff to talk about, that’s for sure! However, from the looks of things, February 2021 will be bringing in even bigger names. Stay tuned for more information!

Until next time…