In golf you have the United States PGA and LPGA Tours. In tennis you have the ATP and WTA Tours. In track and field you have the Diamond League. The streaming esports equivalent to that is Twitch Rivals.
1 – What Is Twitch Rivals?
Twitch Rivals is a live competitive entertainment event that showcases some of the biggest streamers and most exciting games on Twitch. It’s about finding streamers you can connect with while you’re playing games. Every week, streamers square off in one of a kind competitive event across the best games – Fortnite, League of Legends, Apex Legends, PUBG, Rainbox Six Siege, Super Mario Maker 2, Magic the Gathering Arena, and more!
Twitch Rivals was established in 2019 at a video game streaming convention commonly referred to as TwitchCon – a flagship event in the gaming industry.
While the Covid-19 pandemic threw the whole planet off kilter in 2020, Twitch Rivals is one of the few competitive activities that emerged from the global changes unscathed, stronger even.
Twitch Rivals is constantly evolving as a concept, as new games and formats are being introduced over time. More events has also meant that there has been greater investment in the enterprise.
Commitments were made for millions of dollars in prize money towards the event in 2020 and there is every indication that this upwards trajectory will continue in 2021.
While there was no TwitCon in 2020, Twitch Rivals has flourished because its primary venue is online. Twitch Streamers are honestly in their element during these Covid times, and the packed event schedule is further evidence of this.
2 – When Is Twitch Rivals?
Twitch Rivals is a huge event with streams and playoffs all year. There are more than 100 events and more than 200 show days. Check the latest schedule for the latest information on upcoming events.
Twitch streamers hit the ground running in January 2021, when they took part in treamer Bowl II, which featured Fornite Playoffs as the main event on January 5. The winner of that event was Tocata who amassed 48 points.
It’s going to be a bumper schedule, that will also feature the first Counter Strike Global Offensive. It’s very exciting, so be sure to check the schedule so you don’t miss anything. You can also follow the event.
3 – What Time Is Twitch Rivals?
As of the time of this writing, the schedule typically includes tournaments on Wednesday and Friday. Again, check the schedule for the latest dates and time. Also, at the beginning of the season, there are more events scheduled.
The start time is based on the region in which the tournament takes place. When played in North America, the typical start time is 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. When played in Europe, the typical start time is 1 p.m. ET./10 a.m. PT.
4 – How Do I Watch Twitch Rivals?
The action is broadcast live on the official channel. Refer to the schedule, and tune in to watch the action!
In some cases, participants in the various tournaments will be streaming from their own channels. Check it out ahead of time. You may want to watch the action from the point of view of your favorite streamer, or watch the coverage on Twitch. Either way, you’ll be blown away by the action!
5 – What Are Common Twitch Rivals Games?
While the event continues to expand, there is a core group of games that remain at the core of the campaign.
We have already mentioned some of them in the above paragraphs but we thought it prudent to keep your abreast of what else you can expect beyond February 2021.
Fortnite
Fornite has been a part of the event right from the very beginning, and has since been a staple of the Twitch Rivals contests. The game itself was first released in 2017 and was developed by Epic Games.
Fornite is a Battle Royale, Sandbox and Survival game. The game is available on Windows, MacOS, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, XBox One, XBox X/S, iOS and Andriod.
League Of Legends
League of Legends also featured at the famous 2019 TwitchCon but the game itself was actually developed by Riot Games a full decade before that. When reference is made to League Of Legends in Twitch Rivals, we are talking about the Standard Gameplay. League Of Legends is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, available on Microsoft and MacOS.
Teamfight Tactics
This is actually the spawn of League Of Legends. First released in June of 2019 by Riot Games, it is also one of the gaming pioneers. It is an Auto Battler game that is available on Microsoft, MacOS, Android and iOS.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is the final one of the Fab Four which featured in the festivities at the first Twitch Rivals showdown in 2019. Apex Legends is available on Microsoft, Playstation 4, XBox One, iOS, Nintendo Switch and Android. If Fortnite were to have any meaningful competition in Twitch Rivals circles, this would be it.
The game was released in February of 2019, having been developed by Respawn Entertainment. The game is Battle Royale and First Person Shooter.
Call Of Duty: Warzone
This game was released in March of 2020 by Infinity Ward, Trayarch and Raven Software. It is a Battle Royale and First Person Shooter game. It is available on Microsoft, Playstation 4 and XBox One.
Valorant
This game is also the brainchild of Riot Games, released in June 2020. The game is First Person Shooter and available on Microsoft.
Minecraft
Developed by Mojang, this Sandbox Survival game was released in 2011. The game is available on Linux, OS X and Microsoft.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
The game is available on Playstation 3, XBox 360, Playstation Vita, Microsoft, XBox One and Playstation 4. The fighting game was released in 2011, following development by Capcom and Eighting. Both are Japanese.
Conclusion
Not every Twitch Rivals event is exactly the same, but there are a few common threads that have come to characterize the series.
The event will usually feature a group of professional players, competing for vast sums of money. Many events will also feature Streamers and attendees who have been invited to either compete or be a part of the proceedings.
If you wish to be involved in Twitch Rivals, you need to be either be a Twitch Partner or Affiliate. Even with that, the keyword remains INVITATION. There are qualification processes if you wish to take part in the event.
However, surviving that qualifying process does not come with any guarantees.
There are usually links available for you to track your qualification process. If you are curious, you can also follow Twitch Rivals on Twitter or other social media platforms to keep up on who is and isn’t competing. Read about Twitch Twitter and the awesome benefits of integrating your Twitch account.
It is not unusual to see several notable celebrities take part in the tournaments. Among the more prominent celebrities who have featured in past tournaments is American basketball player Grayson Allen.
It is also common for Twitch Rivals tournaments to kick off with a Draft campaign, spearheaded by team captains.
You really don’t want to miss the action, so subscribe to the channel and enjoy the games!
