Open New Betting Frontiers with Starcraft II

First launched in 2010, Starcraft II is a science fiction video game that quickly amassed an impressive following and transformed it into a thriving e-sport. With around 2 million active monthly players, Blizzard’s real-time strategy game is entertainment and a great wagering opportunity. In this guide to Starcraft 2 betting, we’ll cover the basic rules, delve deeper into the main bet types, and discuss the main factors that help predict the winner.

Starcraft II Basic Rules

Although the game has a steep learning curve, the basics are pretty simple: choose your faction — Terran (humans), Zerg (aliens), or Protoss (ancient wizards) — gather resources (minerals, gas), erect and defend units, explore the map, and wreck the opponent’s main base. In essence, it’s a one-vs.-one game focusing on strategy, resource gathering, and lightning-fast decision-making. Although there are professional teams with multiple players, they perform on an individual basis, while the winner is determined by the overall team score.

StarCraft II Largest Betting Events

Over the years, the game has spawned a large amount of regional and international events, with the most prestigious ones including:

• ESL Pro Tour. The annual competition is a series of premier events held in different regions, culminating with ESL Katowice, one of the most prestigious StarCraft II tournaments.
• Esports World Cup. The largest e-sports and gambling festival features numerous tournaments held for eight weeks. Hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the tournament was founded in 2022 and was previously known as Gamers8 Festival.
• GSL. Founded in 2010, The Global StarCraft II League is an annual tournament held in South Korea. Blizzard Entertainment was actively involved in the tournament in the past.

Main Bet Types

Before rushing headlong into the esports betting Starcraft 2 markets, here’s a quick look at some of the most common bets you’re likely to encounter:

• Match Winner/Moneyline. Predict which player destroys the enemy’s home base first in an individual match. Starcraft 2 betting odds depend on the team’s skills and previous performances.
• Map Winner. Place a bet on a player who is the most likely to win each individual map player in a match.
• Total Maps. Predict the total number of maps that will be contested by both teams.
• Outright Winner. Wager on the overall winner of the entire tournament.
• Props. Bet on in-game specific outcomes, like the number of collected resources, produced units, or kills.

If you’re new to betting on StarCraft 2, start with simpler bets, like moneyline, that give you higher chances of success. As your knowledge of the game and professional scene grows, consider wagering on an outright winner or in-game-specific bets.

How to Predict an Outcome

To correctly predict the outcome of an individual match or the entire tournament, you need to pay attention to several crucial factors, including:

• Player’s Performance. Take note of the player’s specialization, as some may narrow their expertise to a single race, and check the recent history, especially in higher-tier tournaments, as stress is a significant performance-impacting factor.
• Strategy and Style. Analyze how players approach different game stages. Some may be more defensive and macro-oriented (concentrating on unit production), while others take a more aggressive approach and rush headlong to wreak havoc on the enemy’s home base.
• Head-to-Head. StarCraft II's professional community is close-knit, so chances are that many players have already locked horns during previous tournaments. If player A consistently outperforms player B, chances are that the pattern will repeat in the future.
• Map Preferences. The map plays a huge role and often can determine the outcome. Controlling resource-rich areas gives the player a significant advantage.

Keep in mind that although matches are one-on-one, the player’s team plays a huge role, too. They act as coaches who help develop strategies and analyze the opponent’s weaknesses and strengths.