Top 6 games to watch this weekend in esports

July 29, 2021

by Brian Bencomo

Don’t know what to watch this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Here are five of the most compelling games happening this weekend across VALORANT, League of Legends and Call of Duty.

Version1 vs. T1 -- Thursday, 3 p.m. ET

NA VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 3 Challengers 2 closed qualifier

Which team is the better 1? This might be the most competitive upper bracket opening match, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see whichever team loses this matchup make a lower bracket run. Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro will be back from his suspension for Version1, and the team will surely be motivated to reach Challengers Playoffs for another shot at Masters.

VCT schedule:

Thursday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET
Friday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET
Saturday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET
Sunday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET

Streams on https://www.twitch.tv/nerdstreet

Toronto Ultra vs. Los Angeles Thieves -- Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Call of Duty League Major V

The Toronto Ultra vs. LA Thieves match to end Friday's CDL action is particularly intriguing. The Ultra have been one of the best teams not named FaZe this season, and Thieves have been doing a lot better lately since Johnathon “John” Perez joined their starting roster.

CDL Schedule:

Thursday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET
Friday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET
Saturday: Starts at 1:30 p.m. ET
Sunday: Starts at 3 p.m. ET

Streams on https://www.youtube.com/CODLeague

TBD vs. TBD -- Friday, 3 p.m. ET

NA VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 3 Challengers 2 closed qualifier

Of the two upper bracket semifinals, the one to watch will be the one involving two of the following four teams: Kansas City Pioneers, Luminosity Gaming, Rise and FaZe Clan. None of these teams reached Challengers Finals during Stage 2, but whoever wins this semi will assure themselves a spot at Challengers Playoffs. FaZe and LG were both very good during Stage 1 and are looking to redeem themselves this stage, while the Kansas City Pioneers and Rise are two emerging orgs that are looking to make a name for themselves against some of the top-tier teams in NA.

Streams on https://www.twitch.tv/nerdstreet

100 Thieves vs. TSM -- Friday, 6 p.m. ET

League of Legends Championship Series Summer Split

The first game of the final week of the LCS Summer Split should be a banger. 100 Thieves and TSM will battle for first place, and the winner will also solidify their grip on one of the top two spots in the standings, which will guarantee a first-round bye during the LCS Championship. They have split four meetings this year, so this game could go either way.

LCS schedule:

Friday: Starts at 6 p.m. ET
Saturday: Starts at 5 p.m. ET
Sunday: Starts at 4 p.m. ET

Streams on twitch.tv/lcs

OpTic Chicago vs. TBD -- Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Call of Duty League Major V

OpTic Chicago will face either the Toronto Ultra or Los Angeles Thieves. If the Thieves manage to beat the Ultra, it’ll be a real treat to see two of the most iconic COD brands and vocal fan bases facing off on Friday.

Streams on https://www.youtube.com/CODLeague

Dignitas vs. TSM -- Sunday, 4 p.m. ET

League of Legends Championship Series Summer Split

This matchup will be one of the most important Sunday games given Dignitas’ place in the standings. Dignitas hold a one game edge over Immortals for the sixth spot in the LCS standings. They need to hold on to that spot, otherwise they would drop into the lower bracket for the LCS Championship. Meanwhile, TSM might still be looking to lock in one of the top two spots in the standings, which would guarantee them a first-round bye in the LCS Championship. It won’t be easy for TSM though, as they have struggled against Dignitas this year.

Streams on twitch.tv/lcs

Lead image credit: Riot