Six mobile games that will have huge esports events in 2021

A large selection of gaming phones and tablets have already circulated the market. What’s more, the introduction of 5G internet has made it possible to play games at a competitive speed with cellular data, allowing gamers to play more effectively without wi-fi.

Games on this platform also show no signs of slowing down. New games are releasing while some existing ones continue improving. Here are six mobile games that could have huge esports scenes in 2021.

League of Legends: Wild Rift

To be fair, Riot Games’ Wild Rift had a rough start. It was delayed multiple times. When it did see released, it was only present in some countries instead of being available worldwide. Some see this as a poor practice.

However, there is no denying that Wild Rift came out with nice gameplay for those people who got it. Riot Games is also consistent in providing news and updates regarding the game, including its release dates for other regions and new Champions. The game began in Asia and slowly moved towards the West. It will eventually reach the Americas in the early half of 2021.

Riot Games is not only known for designing one of the most competitive games in the world, but Also for being competitive in business. There are already tournaments being held such as the SEA Pentaboom Showdown on December 12.

Legends of Runeterra

Legends of Runeterra (LoR) is another mobile game from Riot Games, but this time it’s a collectible card game (CCG). Unlike Wild Rift, this one had a nice reception from the moment it was released in the early half of 2020. It has begun adding features in December that allows the app to better handle tournaments.

The game is generally commended for the system of how cards are bought. Most CCGs rely on randomness when rewarding players with cards. Random numbers generators are always a big part of card games. Usually, this is only appreciated in gambling places like in Bitcasino. This mechanic is less appreciated in strategy games. Riot lets every card be unlockable by purchasing them with earnable points called ‘shards’ and tickets called ‘wildcards’.

Legends of Runeterra has established that they will have a publisher-backed seasonal tournament soon after the full release of its third expansion.

Hearthstone

Blizzard’s Hearthstone is synonymous with the phrase ‘mobile CCG’ for good reason. It’s one of the most polished mobile card games ever. It retains its status as the industry leader even as other card games have entered the mainstream. None have lasted as long and performed as strongly as Hearthstone.

Hearthstone introduced Hearthstone Masters, which is a new format for the game’s esports scene. It has three tiers which are named ‘Master Qualifiers,’ ‘Master Tour,’ and ‘Grandmasters.’ The first one is the stage where the players prove themselves as deserving of the title of ‘Masters.’

The Master Tour is the battle between the game’s masters where each tournament has a prize pool of $250,000. Players earn points to be a part of the Grandmaster tier where each tournament has a prize pool of $500,000. The Master Tour takes place in late 2020 while the Grandmaster events happen in the second quarter of 2021.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Montoon’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is perhaps the most successful mobile MOBA in the industry. Most of its bad reputation came from its alleged copying of game mechanics from other MOBAs. However, its popularity did prove that the mobile platform can be a place for a competitive action game of this type.

It has been around the market for years but is only just about to host its second international esports event in 2021. It is called the M2 Championship, and it will be held in Singapore. The prize pool is only $300,000, which is small considering the game’s huge reach.

Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor from Tencent is currently one of the biggest contenders for the biggest mobile MOBA against Mobile Legends. It is bolder when it comes to the competitive esports scene. They only hold tournaments in Asia and Southeast Asia, but they are funding these events like a proper esport with larger prize pools.

AoV has two international world championships, the AoV International Championship (AIC) and the AoV World Cup (AWC). Both events were able to occur in 2020 despite some restrictions and team withdrawals.

The other biggest esports game on the mobile platform is yet another product from Tencent. They handle both continental and global events and offer some of the biggest prize pools in the industry of mobile esports. The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile Global Championship has a staggering prize pool of $2,000,000 and it is held in Dubai from November 2020 to January 2021.