Understanding esports: how to follow LoL, Valorant and Rocket League
Regional leagues, international circuits, tournament formats: the keys to making sense of esports competition.
Updated June 6, 2026
League of Legends: an ecosystem of regional leagues
The competitive League of Legends scene is organised around major regional leagues — in Europe, North America, Korea, China and elsewhere — whose top teams then qualify for international events that bring all regions together. Each league generally follows a multi-phase format across the season, with a regular season followed by playoffs. Understanding this region-based organisation makes it much easier to follow a team's journey, from the local scene all the way to the international stage.
Valorant: an international circuit with staged tournaments
Valorant's competitive circuit is built around a system of partnered leagues split across major geographic regions, complemented by international tournaments held at several points throughout the year. The top teams from each region then face off at global events that crown the season's champions. This staged format makes it possible to follow a storyline over time, through regular milestones rather than a single yearly competition.
Rocket League: regional leagues with varied formats
Rocket League is also organised around regional leagues, with qualifying phases leading to cross-region showdowns at major tournaments. The game stands out for its fast match formats and brisk competitive pace, which makes it an accessible discipline for newcomers to esports who don't want to follow very long matches.
How to read a league standings table
A league table generally shows each team's wins and losses for the current phase, as well as its rank, which determines qualification for the following stages. It's worth looking not just at a team's position, but also at its recent form (consecutive wins, the strength of the opponents it has faced) to better anticipate how the competition will unfold.
Follow the competitions on Nexus Gaming
Our esports section gathers up-to-date standings for the main League of Legends, Valorant and Rocket League leagues, along with information on teams, ongoing stages and qualification scenarios. Check out our coverage on the Esports page.