How do you create a fair seeding system for your esports event?

1 Why is seeding important?

Seeding is important for several reasons. First, it helps to avoid early match-ups between the strongest contenders, which could eliminate some of the best players or teams before they reach the later stages of the tournament. Second, it ensures that the brackets or groups are evenly distributed, so that no one has an unfair advantage or disadvantage based on their opponents. Third, it creates more interest and excitement for the viewers and the participants, as they can anticipate and follow the progress of their favorite players or teams throughout the event.

2 How to seed based on results?

One of the most common and straightforward ways to seed an esports event is based on the results of previous tournaments or competitions. This method relies on objective and measurable data, such as points, wins, losses, rankings, or ratings, to determine the relative strength of each participant. For example, if you are organizing a Dota 2 event, you could seed the teams based on their Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points, which reflect their performance in the official regional leagues and majors. Alternatively, you could use a third-party ranking system, such as GosuGamers or Liquipedia, which aggregate the results of various events and assign a rating to each team.

3 How to seed based on skill?

Another way to seed an esports event is based on the skill level of the participants, rather than their results. This method is more subjective and flexible, as it allows you to consider other factors, such as individual talent, team synergy, playstyle, form, or potential, that may not be reflected in the results. For example, if you are organizing a Smash Bros. event, you could seed the players based on their reputation, popularity, or achievements in the scene, rather than their tournament placings. Alternatively, you could use a peer review system, where the players themselves vote or rank each other based on their skill.

4 How to seed based on randomization?

A third way to seed an esports event is based on randomization, where the participants are assigned ranks or positions by chance, rather than by any criteria. This method is the most simple and fair, as it eliminates any bias or preference that may influence the seeding. However, it also introduces more uncertainty and variability, as it may create uneven or unpredictable match-ups that could affect the outcome of the tournament. For example, if you are organizing a Hearthstone event, you could seed the players by drawing cards from a deck, rather than by their ladder rank or win rate.

5 How to seed based on hybrid models?

A final way to seed an esports event is based on hybrid models, where you combine two or more of the previous methods to create a more balanced and comprehensive seeding system. This method is the most complex and nuanced, as it requires you to weigh the pros and cons of each method and find the optimal balance between them. For example, if you are organizing a CS:GO event, you could seed the teams based on a combination of their ESL World Ranking, their recent results in other events, and their performance in a pre-tournament qualifier.

6 How to apply seeding to your event?

To apply seeding to your esports event, you need to follow some basic steps. First, you need to decide which method or model of seeding suits your event best, based on the game, the format, the participants, and the goals of the event. Second, you need to collect and analyze the data or information that you will use to seed the participants, such as their results, skill, or randomization. Third, you need to assign the ranks or positions to the participants, according to the seeding method or model that you chose. Fourth, you need to communicate and display the seeding to the participants and the viewers, so that they can understand and follow the tournament.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?