One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
The Dota Pro Circuit is in full flow. The next big tournament in this seasonal circuit is the PGL Arlington Major. Texas is the location, Esports Stadium Arlington is the venue of choice, and seventeen brilliant Dota 2 teams will be eyeing their chances here.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
RTS esports might not be as popular as their MOBA or FPS counterparts, but they’re still enjoying a lot of views. There’s quite a bit of esports action too, scattered across the calendar and several well-known franchises like Starcraft, Warcraft, and Age of Empires.
Betting on RTS esports can be done on numerous online bookmakers. The bets aren’t as diverse and complex as those you’d find for FPS or MOBA games, but there are match-winners and outrights, what more do you need?
If you’re struggling to find tangible information about RTS betting online, then you’re at the right place. No matter what you’re looking for, our online RTS betting guide will help you out.
For starters, let’s take a look at esports betting websites that often feature RTS betting lines:
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Let’s start off with the basics – what is an RTS? Or, better yet, what does RTS mean?
RTS means real-time strategy. It represents strategy games without incremental turn-based progression. Instead, players bide their tactics and strategy in real-time, simultaneously. They create structures, gather resources, control armies, and position themselves, all in real-time.
What makes RTS different from conventional turn-based strategy games? Well, it all comes down to the pressure of having to make quick decisions. You have to do everything you do in turn-based games but with the pressure of time on your shoulders. The longer you take to make certain decisions, the longer you take to orchestrate attacks and build your army, the lower chances you’ll have of winning the fight.
This extra pressure makes RTS games that much more interesting (from the viewers’ perspective, at least) and puts them in front of their turn-based counterparts. Plus, the history of both Starcraft and Warcraft is second to none.
They’re not just interesting to watch but interesting to play too. Games like Starcraft (both Brood War and II), as well as the new Warcraft 3 edition, have been rather popular in the gameplay department. They still represent old-school RTS, but have pinches of modern aspects sprinkled along the surface.
As for the betting side of the deal, RTS betting lines are typically not as diverse and numerous as their FPS and MOBA counterparts. But, the popularity is still there, not just during the biggest RTS events but all year long!
Here, we’ll be focusing on the esports aspects of real-time strategy games because focusing on the genre alone would take way too much space in this article. So, let’s begin!
Starcraft II, which was released back in July 2010, went on to become the end-all and be-all of RTS esports. It managed to singlehandedly push RTS games back into the spotlight and kickstart the esports scene even before the likes of League of Legends and Dota 2.
Starcraft II took control of the entire RTS genre. With two big campaign sequels and a largely popular esports ecosystem, Blizzard’s marvelous RTS franchise was on top of its game. But, seemingly without a reason, the status quo collapsed halfway through the last decade.
Of course, the reason became evident shortly after – the rapidly growing popularity of MOBA games! To put it in the simplest terms possible, there wasn’t enough room for Starcraft 2, League of Legends, and Dota 2. MOBA games had a ton of strategic elements too, and they kept stealing SC2’s player base until there was practically none left.
Fast-forward to the last half a year or so and we’re finally seeing slower MOBA growth coupled with a slight increase in RTS popularity once again. With new games coming out, mainly Age of Empires IV, an important agreement signed, and old franchises getting modernized (Warcraft III: Reforged), it’s become evident that new life is coming into RTS esports.
What is that important agreement we mentioned earlier? Well, for those of you not in the know – ESL and Dreamhack signed a massive $4.6 million agreement with Blizzard Entertainment. Through this strategic agreement/partnership, ESL Pro Tour will feature tournaments in both Starcraft II and Warcraft III that will spread across four continents and whose world finals will be held under the IEM Katowice banner.
Introducing the #ESLProTour for StarCraft II and Warcraft III: Reforged. Together with @Blizzard_Ent and @DreamHack, we're creating a new path for players of all levels to achieve greatness. Discover our vision at https://t.co/I6324omNZc! pic.twitter.com/b5D1JufsA8 — ESL (@ESL) January 7, 2020
Introducing the #ESLProTour for StarCraft II and Warcraft III: Reforged. Together with @Blizzard_Ent and @DreamHack, we're creating a new path for players of all levels to achieve greatness.
Discover our vision at https://t.co/I6324omNZc! pic.twitter.com/b5D1JufsA8
— ESL (@ESL) January 7, 2020
The agreement aims to rejuvenate the once-great RTS esports scene and give Blizzard’s games a fighting chance in the chaotic world of esports. Not only will it create opportunities for the biggest teams but give aspiring SCII and WCIII players something to dream about as they continue improving their gameplay and developing their esports careers.
“We feel extremely honored to establish a new home for RTS esports fans and be responsible for two of the most prestigious esports titles of all time,” said Sebastian Weishaar, CPO at ESL.
Let’s focus on the four most popular RTS esports games people love to watch, play, and bet on!
Starcraft 2 is definitely the first name on this list. Blizzard’s strategical masterpiece is still going strong, even though the base game got released almost twelve years ago. It’s still the go-to place for fans of true RTS game design. It’s tedious, it’s fast-paced, and it requires tremendous mechanical skills, tactical wits, and experience.
Warcraft 3 had tremendous success in the esports scene, which is quite surprising considering it’s 20 years old. Warcraft III: Reforged, though, was supposed to continue in its footsteps. However, the game was met with fierce criticism for not being a true successor to the original.
Warcraft III: Reforged is NOW LIVE! ⚔️ https://t.co/klm4uyj0gs pic.twitter.com/EuWvw9ewoU — Warcraft III: Reforged (@Warcraft3) January 28, 2020
Warcraft III: Reforged is NOW LIVE!
⚔️ https://t.co/klm4uyj0gs pic.twitter.com/EuWvw9ewoU
— Warcraft III: Reforged (@Warcraft3) January 28, 2020
Inadequate UI, poor 3D modeling solutions, bleak textures, and features that are in some cases miles below the original. The worst of all – Warcraft 3: Reforged replaced the original game meaning everyone who wants to play WCIII has to play Reforged.
Warcraft 3: Reforged is a long way from becoming a game people love to play, watch, and bet on. Updates and hotfixes will improve the situation, no doubt about it, but we still don’t know how much longer we’ll have to wait.
What about Starcraft Brood War? Even though we’re talking about an ancient game, it still has an active fanbase and a very lively esports scene. New tournaments come and go, with the majority of its esports ecosystem based in the birthplace of RTS esports, South Korea.
By far the newest game on this list, a game that’s been released just a few months ago – Age of Empires IV! The long-awaited return of the AoE series, the fourth installment captivated lots of streamers, professional players and old-school RTS enthusiasts, and is slowly building its way to a healthy esports scene.
⚔️ Make history your story: Age of Empires IV is now available on the Microsoft Store, Steam, and with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate members! https://t.co/HM3Yao1uPD #AgeofEmpiresIV #Age4Ward pic.twitter.com/0wA7XmragL — AgeOfEmpires (@AgeOfEmpires) October 28, 2021
⚔️ Make history your story: Age of Empires IV is now available on the Microsoft Store, Steam, and with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate members! https://t.co/HM3Yao1uPD #AgeofEmpiresIV #Age4Ward pic.twitter.com/0wA7XmragL
— AgeOfEmpires (@AgeOfEmpires) October 28, 2021
There’s a long way to go, though! We’ve seen several notable AoE4 esports events already, but the organizers will have to arrange something much bigger if they want to attract sponsorships and betting coverage.
So far so good, though! AoE 4 definitely has the potential to make it as an RTS esport! It’s graphically pleasing, well-balanced, interesting to watch, and most importantly – it’s addicting gameplay-wise! The perfect mixture of all the key ingredients is there, which is why it’s going to have a very bright future.
The process of betting on RTS esports is identical to betting on any other esports genre out there:
The world of RTS esports is still fragile. Even with games like Starcraft and Warcraft which have been around for more than a decade, we still don’t know the exact shape and size of their biggest events. Things aren’t as tangible as they are when it comes to esports like League of Legends, Dota 2, and CSGO. But, still, if you’re interested in online RTS betting, these two events ought to have you covered:
IEM Katowice, year in and year out, features the best of what the esports world has to offer. No matter the circumstances, no matter the main games, Intel Extreme Masters events in Katowice Poland are always on a whole new level. Here’s a clip of Katowice’s latest winner, Joona “Serral” Sotala:
The one title that kept eluding him time and time again – @ENCE_Serral becomes the second player in SC2's history to win both BlizzCon and IEM Katowice (after Rogue)!#IEM pic.twitter.com/bnrnk37m8O — ESL StarCraft 2 (@ESLSC2) February 27, 2022
The one title that kept eluding him time and time again – @ENCE_Serral becomes the second player in SC2's history to win both BlizzCon and IEM Katowice (after Rogue)!#IEM pic.twitter.com/bnrnk37m8O
— ESL StarCraft 2 (@ESLSC2) February 27, 2022
They’re not just important for CSGO esports scene but for betting on RTS esports too. Strategy games, more precisely Starcraft 2, have been an incremental part of IEM Katowice for several years now. Even though most people tune in and join the live action to see CSGO action, a small number of strategy enthusiasts are always there for Starcraft 2!
Last but not least – the AoE4 N4C! Organized by GamerLegion’s Nili_AoE, this tournament is scheduled for early March and is going to feature $100,000 in prize money. It’s not the biggest pot in the history of esports, but it’s massive for a game as fresh as Age of Empires IV.
Most importantly, N4C will put AoE4 on the radar of RTS betting sites. Big events like this one always get proper coverage and now that the game’s professional scene has begun forming, it’s only a matter of time before we see tangible betting coverage. A new kid is on the block, that’s for sure!
The legality of betting on RTS, just like betting on every other esports genre, doesn’t have one single answer. Instead, it depends on several factors, including your country of residence, the game/event you wish to bet on, and the online betting platform you’ll be using to place your wager.
Not all countries in the world see esports betting as legal. If you’re unsure of your country’s stance towards betting on RTS esports, it’s best to double-check and potentially avoid a hefty fine.
RTS stands for real-time strategy and it is a subgenre of strategy games. As the name suggests, it focuses on real-time instead of turn-based gameplay.
At the moment, the most popular RTS games are Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, and Age of Empires 4. If you’re looking for just one name, then it’s definitely Starcraft 2.
As mentioned earlier, RTS games are fast-paced, focused on resource gathering, villager/workforce distribution and battles. Grand strategy games encompass more aspects of running a country, enforcing policies, building infrastructure and defeating your opponents in more ways than by simply winning battles and wars.
As for popularity, the most popular grand strategy games are Crusader Kings series, Total War series, and Hearts of Iron IV.
The legality of online RTS esports betting depends on several factors. The two primary factors include:
So yeah, when talking about whether or not betting on RTS esports is legal, it mainly depends on where you live and which bookies you’re going to use. That said, there’s no single answer we can give here. Instead, you’ll have to find the answers on your own and only use online esports bookmakers that have valid betting licenses recognized by your country of residence.