February is almost upon us, and it will assuredly continue the exciting year for eSports that 2017 is shaping up to be. Since it is a relatively shorter month, there aren't as many tournaments as there were in January, but that doesn't mean there is any shortage of action.
Several major tournaments across four different eSports titles will be happening in February. Here is a sample of the most notable tournaments with the biggest prize pools that you should keep an eye on.
Dota 2
Star Ladder i-League Season 3 Finals
Date: Feb. 23 – 26
Prize Pool: $300,000 USD
Where to Watch: Twitch.tv/starladder1
Official Site
The Star Ladder Dota 2 tournaments are among the largest such tournaments without the words "major" or "international" in the title, with an impressive prize pool of $300,000 still not even approaching the $3 million major tournaments or the ~$20 million annual International.
The best part about this one is that you can just hop in at the most exciting time. The season has been going on since early December in group play and the finals start at Feb. 23, so every match counts, and it counts for big money.
League of Legends
IEM Katowice
Date: Feb. 25 – 26
Prize Pool: $150,000 USD
Where to Watch: Twitch.tv/esl_lol
Official Site
The IEM (Intel Extreme Masters) League of Legends will be held at the Katowice arena in Poland, so your odds of viewing the tournament in person are likely slim. That being said, this one is sure to pack a punch, as it's another tournament that will start and end on the dates above, upping the ante even more.
Although this tournament is slightly smaller, in terms of prize pool, then their Championship Series in January, it's not by much, and I'm guessing $150,000 isn't anything to sneeze at.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
World League at MLG Atlanta
Date: Feb. 10 – 12
Prize Pool: $200,000 USD
Where to Watch: MLG.tv
Official Site
MLG Tournaments have long become an event of only one or two titles at a time, as opposed to the more eclectic days of old, but Call of Duty players don't mind. They just had a tournament almost all to themselves in December, and they'll have another one come March.
In the mean time, the prize pool has doubled since December, raising the stakes even higher and giving both fans and players more reason to watch and play.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
ESL Pro League Season 5
Date: Feb. 7 – May 18
Prize Pool: $1,00,000 USD
Where to Watch: Twitch.tv/proleaguecsgo
Official Site
This one is bound to be a bit of a slog, being a 12-week tournament and the finals won't even happen until June, but it's significant for a few main reasons. For one, the prize pool has been doubled each season of pro league this year, making it a $2 million total for Season 5 and Season 6 (which starts in August).
Secondly, this is the tournament that sparked the whole controversy between CS:GO players and the Professional eSports Association, as the PEA tried to stop their players from competing in the EPL. This led to the PEA ceasing all Counter-Strike: GO tournament operations before they even began. So, if nothing else, watching the EPL Pro League will give you a chance to see what all the fuss was about.
