Not only does the United States get its share of video gaming tournaments, Europe has a fine selection as well. Although, video gaming isn’t as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Europe has plenty of gaming tournaments to visit. Just as the U.S., each tournament features tons of different competitive games, cash prizes, and huge stadiums where tons of people gather. If you haven’t traveled outside of the States, maybe one of these tournaments will encourage a new travel idea. These are the top video gaming tournaments in Europe:

1. DreamHack
DreamHack is a Swedish digital festival, the largest in the world. It’s a local area network gathering with live concerts and competitions in digital art and eSports. The event consists of several events across Sweden including Stokholm and Jonkoping. DreamHack is such a big event that its founders have been recognized by the town of Jonkoping for their contributions to the local economy. Twice a year, the Elmia Exhibition Centre is taken over for three straight days by gamers who compete in a vast variety of games. In addition to MOBAs and fighting games, DreamHack is one of the most prestigious events in the Counter-Strike community.

Next event: June 17th- 20th in Jonkoping, Sweden.

© Andrew Bell

2. Electronic Sports World Cup
The Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) is an international professional gaming championship, where challengers from around the world gather in Europe to represent their country in their favorite game. One of the longest-running events in eSports, the ESWC first debuted in 2003 as an outgrowth of smaller LAN parties and events in Paris. The event started out primarily focusing on first-person shooters and has expanded over the years including more and more genres. One of the most unique games in the competition is Trackmania, a popular racing series that produces a special build exclusively for the event. The developers even release the game in advance so the pros can practice for the tournament. ESWC Winter 2017 took place February 17th-19th in the Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles in Paris, France.

© Yannick Croissant

3. Call of Duty World League
Most people who knows even a little bit about video games have heard of Call of Duty. The Call of Duty World League first began in January 2016 with the latest game Black Ops 3 and has continued on until this very day. The event features both pro and amateur divisions so anyone who wants to join in can have a chance at the prize pool. In Europe, the European Gaming League organizes the event and sets up where each tournament takes place.

Next event: June 24th – 25th in Sheffield, UK at Ponds Forge Int. Sports Centre.

© Adam Avitable

4. Halo World Championship Series
The Halo Championship Series is a professional Halo league sponsored by Microsoft and 343 Industries. Founded in 2014, the Halo Championship Series was a major step forward for Halo eSports. With the launch of the Halo: Master Chief Collection for Xbox One, Microsoft announced a new way to bring about competitive Halo to the world through this new series of events. The tournament has expanded with the release of the latest in the Halo series, Halo 5, and has increased the collective prize pool from $1 million to $2 million, thanks to Halo 5’s crowd funding. The event just took place in London on February 17th-19th.

© Minjii

5. Intel Extreme Masters
The Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) are a series of international eSports tournaments held in countries around the world. Being a product of the European Gaming League, the Intel sponsored tournament saw room for expansion providing funds for a worldwide tournament, naming it the Intel Extreme Masters. The IEM established a format of smaller events, leading to a large final event held at Germany’s CeBit. These events, sponsored by Intel, include events in StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Quake Live, League of Legends and Hearthstone. The IEM has existed for over ten seasons, starting in 2007.

Next event: February 25th – March 5th in Katowice, Poland.

© Piotr Drabik

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Cover photo © Artubr