These days, StarCraft 2 tournaments have seen a slight drop in popularity, but there are still developments being made. For more than a decade, StarCraft 2 has been at the forefront of the esports industry, boasting some hugely valuable tournaments.
As we move into 2025, Blizzard is pulling back from SC2 as fewer esports tournaments are being confirmed. Let’s break down the 2025 schedule for the most notable StarCraft 2 tournaments.
ESL Pro Tour – No More Events
For those unaware, the ESL Pro Tour was the home of Tier 1 SC2 Tournaments for five years, ranking the best StarCraft 2 players. Specifically, ESL confirmed that they will no longer be ing the ESL Pro Tour.
Accordingly, regional competitions and international tournaments by ESL no longer exist for StarCraft – a serious blow to competitive StarCraft II.
To reiterate, ESL Pro Tour Points and the famous IEM Katowice World Championship international tournament are no more.
SC2 – Korea as the Top Region
Historically, South Korea has been the home of competitive StarCraft. Moreover, through the EPL, Korea has enjoyed GSL tournaments hosted by AfreecaTV.
However, with some advertising changes as AfreecaTV rebrands to SOOP TV, the Korean community is not sure what to expect. Regardless of the particular, out of all the regions we’re confident that Korea has the best chance of surviving the downfall of StarCraft II.
Korea is without a doubt worth considering for StarCraft II betting as it’s the top regional StarCraft 2 tournament. Regardless, ESL Pro Tour points are on the line and this is the particular format for this region.
Esports World Cup – A Headlining Tournament
Considering the dissolution of the EPT, the Esports World Cup is the headlining StarCraft betting tournament for StarCraft II esports in 2025.
Specifically, the tournament returns to the scene and likely will feature details similar to EWC 2024:
- Prize Pool – $1,050,000
- Players – 18
- Format – 1v1, Group Stage and Playoffs
While Esports World Cup betting is clearly the best betting opportunity, we’re curious to see how players are invited to the tournament. Last year EPT seeding from standings and events were used – but that’s no longer possible.
StarCraft 2 Tournaments – Third-Party Events
With ESL out of the picture, the bulk of StarCraft 2 tournaments will be third-party events.
Here are some examples of events which will likely take place this year:
- HomeStory Cup
- TeamLiquid StarLeague
- World Team League
Overall, it seems like StarCraft 2 esports is looking to grow this coming season.
Correspondingly, opportunities for StarCraft betting are only improving.
