Summary
- Esports fans and viewers can look forward to five major esports tournaments to watch in this month of July.
- There’s plenty of action almost every week, with tournaments across different titles only being a few days apart.
- Fans are expected to tune in to MSI 2025 and EWC 2025, both promising more than a week of competition.
We’ve barely gotten over June’s VCT Toronto Masters and BLAST Austin Major, yet July is here with more exciting events. Want the intense 5v5 MOBA action of LoL and DOTA 2 or the FPS battles in CS2 and VALORANT? This month’s got gamers covered. We’ll witness some of the biggest esports events including the huge multi-game tournament of EWC 2025 soon. With that said, here are the best esports events to watch in July.
Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2025 – League of Legends
Schedule: July 1 – 12, 2025
Venue: Vancouver, Canada
Prize Pool: $2M USD
League of Legends fans are in for a treat as the MSI 2025 Bracket Stage kicks off immediately in July. This second and final stage brings together 8 elite teams in a double-elimination, best-of-five format with Fearless Draft rules. The tournament includes powerhouses like Gen.G, T1, G2 Esports, and Bilibili Gaming, making every round a potential classic.
As part of Riot’s global ecosystem, MSI is always one of the Best Esports Events to Watch in July, especially with Worlds seeding on the line.
VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) China Stage 2 – VALORANT
Schedule: July 3 – August 3, 2025
Venue: Shanghai, China
Prize Pool: $2.25M USD
Another Riot Games title holds an intense competition, albeit this is a regional tournament. Nevertheless, VALORANT Champions Tour: China Stage 2 brings high-intensity battles between 12 of China’s best teams.
Contenders like EDward Gaming, BLG, FPX, and Wolves Esports will go through a Bo3 round-robin, followed by a double-elimination playoff. This tournament determines which two teams can secure their spot at the Champions tournament in Paris.
Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 – Multi-game
Schedule: July 8 – August 24, 2025
Venue: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Prize Pool: $70M USD
This mega-tournament is a no-brainer pick for the best esports events to watch in July. The Esports World Cup is the biggest esports event this summer, featuring over 25 titles. That includes the most popular ones, like DOTA 2, VALORANT, Mobile Legends, League of Legends, and Fighting Games like Fatal Fury.
Each game runs its own championship format, and top orgs compete for points in a global Club Championship worth $27 million alone. This huge event stretches well until late August, so fans would always have something to look forward to.
IESF European Esports Championship – DOTA 2
Schedule: July 9 – 13, 2025
Venue: Pristina, Kosovo
Prize Pool: approx. $17,580 USD
This tier-two Dota 2 event features 12 national teams. These include Romania, Belarus, and host nation Kosovo, competing in group stages and double-elimination playoffs. With a modest prize pool (€15,000) and rising regional talent, it’s a great chance to discover new players and nations on the come-up.
This tournament is a solid pick for fans of grassroots and international Dota.
FISSURE Playground #1 – Counter-Strike 2
Schedule: July 15 – 20, 2025
Venue: Belgrade, Serbia
Prize Pool: $450,000 prize pool
Counter-Strike 2 fans shouldn’t miss FISSURE Playground #1. This A-tier LAN event features top squads like Virtus.pro, Complexity, and GamerLegion. The format includes four GSL-style groups and a single-elimination playoff, with a $150,000 grand prize for first place.
It’s one of the Best Esports Events to Watch in July for CS2 viewers hungry for competitive action before the Major cycle resumes. Well, you may even think of it as an appetizer for IEM Cologne.
IEM Cologne 2025 – Counter-Strike 2
Schedule: July 23 – August 3, 2025
Venue: Cologne, Germany
Prize Pool: $1.25M USD
Well, speak of the devil. One of the most prestigious tournaments in Counter-Strike history, IEM Cologne 2025 is back this July, promising top-tier CS2 action. 24 of the world’s top squads will battle it out at the LANXESS Arena, known as the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike.
Big rivalries drive the narrative for this event, as well as the race to stop a dominant threat. Team Vitality, who just won seven CS2 tournaments in a row are looking unstoppable. Will they finally fall on CS2’s “hallowed ground”? With ESL Pro Tour points on the line, this event is easily one of the best esports events to watch in July.
Conclusion
From global spectacles like the Esports World Cup to regionals like the VCT China League, July offers no shortage of elite esports tournaments. Whether you’re a fan of League, VALORANT, Dota 2, or CS2, this month has something worth watching nearly every week.
So mark your calendars and tune in—these are truly the best esports Events to Watch in July.
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