How to Run Better Gaming Tournaments

The playbook for tournament organizers. Everything from first event to full league.

announcement15 Mar 2026

Getting Started with Rivals: Your First Tournament

A step-by-step guide to joining your first Dota 2 tournament on Rivals. From account creation to your first payout — everything you need to know.

#getting-started#dota-2#tutorial

explainer14 Mar 2026

How Entry Fees and Prize Pools Work on Rivals

A transparent breakdown of how entry fees become prize pools, how organizer fees work, and how every dollar is tracked and distributed on the Rivals platform.

#payments#prize-pool#transparency

listicle13 Mar 2026

Top 10 Dota 2 Heroes for Beginners in 2026

The best Dota 2 heroes for new players in 2026. Simple mechanics, forgiving playstyles, and high impact — these 10 heroes will help you win more games while learning the fundamentals.

#dota-2#beginner#hero-guide

listicle12 Mar 2026

Best CS2 Tournament Settings and Strategies for 2026

Optimize your CS2 competitive experience with the best settings, crosshair configs, and tournament strategies for 2026. Covers sensitivity, resolution, keybinds, and team communication.

#cs2#settings#strategy

announcement10 Mar 2026

Rivals Platform Update: New Features in March 2026

What's new on Rivals in March 2026: multilingual support across 10 languages, expanded guide library, new Discord bot features, and community voting for the next game integration.

#update#announcement#features

explainer18 Mar 2026

How to Host an Esports Tournament in 2026: Complete Guide

Everything you need to host a successful esports tournament in 2026 — from choosing a format and platform to collecting entry fees, running brackets, and paying out winners.

#esports#tournament-hosting#organizer

listicle17 Mar 2026

Best Esports Tournament Platforms in 2026: Complete Comparison

A detailed comparison of the top esports tournament platforms in 2026 — Rivals, Battlefy, Challengermode, Start.gg, and FACEIT. Strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and which is best for your use case.

#tournament-platform#comparison#battlefy

explainer16 Mar 2026

What is an Esports Middleman Service? How Prize Pool Escrow Works

Learn how esports escrow and middleman services protect players and organizers. Understand why prize pool security matters and how platforms like Rivals automate the entire process.

#middleman#escrow#prize-pool

explainer11 Mar 2026

Tournament Bracket Types Explained: Single Elim, Double Elim, Swiss, Round Robin

Understand the four main tournament bracket formats — single elimination, double elimination, Swiss, and round robin. Learn when to use each, their pros and cons, and how they work in practice.

#bracket#tournament-format#swiss

explainer9 Mar 2026

How to Run a Dota 2 Tournament on Discord — Step by Step

A step-by-step guide to running a Dota 2 tournament entirely through Discord using the Rivals bot. From server setup to automated payouts — no spreadsheets required.

#dota-2#discord#tournament

Go live in your server

Rivals integrates directly into your Discord server. Create tournaments, collect entry fees, and pay winners — your community never has to leave.

Deploy to Discord Sign Up on Web