What are the best known E-Sports and how are they played?

🔸Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

10 players: 5 Terrorists / 5 Counter-Terrorists
Terrorists’ goal: Plant the bomb in order for it to explode or kill all Counter-Terrorists
Counter-Terrorists’ goal: Prevent bomb planting by killing all the Terrorists or defuse the planted bomb

Each map consists of 30 rounds, with the competing teams switching sides after 15 rounds. The first team to win 16 rounds gets the victory. In the event of a 15-15 tie, there will be overtime which will be decided in 6 rounds with teams playing three games on each side. A team wins when at least 4 out of the 6 overtime rounds have been won. In case of a consecutive tie, new overtime will be played until there is a winner.

The game pits two teams against each other: the “Terrorists” and the “Counter-Terrorists”. Both sides are tasked with eliminating the other, while also completing separate objectives. The “Terrorists” are tasked with planting a bomb in one of the two designated areas, while the “Counter-Terrorists” need to prevent the bomb from detonating. Once the bomb has been planted, there is a 40-second window before it explodes, during which time the “Counter-Terrorist” team can defuse it. If the bomb goes off or the “Counter-Terrorist” side is eliminated, the “Terrorist” side wins. If the “Counter-Terrorists” defuse a planted bomb or prevent the bomb from being planted within the time limit, the “Counter-Terrorists” win.

Main Markets

Match winner: The team which will win 2 maps in a best of 3 match, or 3 maps in a best of 5 match
Map winner: The team which will win 16 rounds in the map
Total maps: The total number of maps played in the match
Pistol round winner in Map: The team which will win the rounds which are played only with pistols (1st and 16th round of each map).

🔸League of Legends (LoL)

10 players: 5 players at each team
Players’ roles: Βottom, Mid, Top, Jungle, Support
Goal: Destroy the other team’s base

Ten players are split into two teams of five and battle it out on a map called Summoner’s Rift.The ultimate goal of LoL is to destroy the other team’s base but the enemies will do everything they can to prevent it. Each base has a series of towers, inhibitors and waves of minions that constantly spawn. Inhibitors are structures that are behind the initial towers inside a base. If an inhibitor is destroyed, upgraded minions, called Super Minions, will spawn until an inhibitor respawns after a few minutes. The two teams continually grow in power and collide and eventually, one team is able to get the upper hand and make a final push for a victory.

Each team constantly tries to achieve objectives in the map like slaying dragons, the Rift Herald and the Baron. The four elemental dragons, also known as elemental drakes, grant team-wide buffs to all players of the team that “kills” them. The Rift Herald is a monster that resides in the Baron pit for the first 20 minutes of the game, before Baron appears. The last monster you’ll need to know about is the Baron. It can often be the site of a “final battle” at the end of a close game and the winning team can use it to get a big enough lead to secure a victory. Baron grants a buff that is given to all living members of the team that slayed the Baron.

Main Markets

Match winner: The team which will win 2 maps in a best of 3 match, or 3 maps in a best of 5 match
Map winner: The team which will destroy the other team’s base
Total maps: The total number of maps played in the match

🔸 Dota 2
10 players: 5 players at each team
Players’ roles: Carry, Mid, Offlane, Support/Roam, Hard support
Goal: Destroy the enemy’s Ancient building

Dota 2 is a team-oriented game pitting two teams of five players against each other. One team wins the game by destroying the enemy's Ancient building before their enemies destroy theirs. The Ancient is the largest building and is centrally located in each team's main base. Each player controls a unique Hero out of a big pool. Aside from the Ancient, there are other kinds of buildings like Towers and Barracks. Three towers are placed along each of the three "lanes" of Dota map, with two outside the base and one defending the Barracks.

Each of the three lanes has a melee and ranged barracks. When you destroy an enemy barracks, it actually makes your creeps in that lane stronger. Each team constantly tries to get a better advantage than the opposing team and this can happen by securing key objectives like slaying the Roshan. Roshan is in the middle of the map and the team that “kills” him can use the valuable items (such as the Aegis of the Immortal, Cheese and Restoration Orb) he has to secure victory.

Main markets

Winner: The team that wins 2 maps in a match of 3, or 3 maps in a match of 5.

Map Winner: The team that will destroy the other team's "Ancient".

Total Maps: The total number of maps played in the match.