# Watch a Live Esports Event

Part of the Competitive Gaming Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/index.md)

*6. Leadership and Service*

> **6b.** Attend or view a live-streamed esports event online, such as a professional tournament, collegiate match, or school-level competition. Take notes on how the broadcast team presents the event, how players communicate, and how the audience interacts digitally. Share with your counselor what you learned about the structure and presentation of online esports competition. **Watch a Live Esports Event**

This option is about watching like an analyst, not just a fan. Major tournaments for games like *League of Legends*, *Valorant*, and *Counter-Strike* stream live and free on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, and collegiate or scholastic leagues (including some run through PlayVS, which you may have seen back in Req 1c) often stream smaller events too.

**What to Watch For** — Take notes on all four categories

- [ ] **Broadcast production**: How many camera angles or views does the broadcast use? Are there replays, instant analysis, or graphics overlays?
- [ ] **Commentary team**: How do the shoutcasters and analysts explain what's happening to viewers who might not follow every detail?
- [ ] **Player communication**: Even without hearing team voice comms directly, can you infer how players are coordinating from their in-game movements and reactions?
- [ ] **Audience interaction**: How does the chat, social media, or in-venue crowd respond in real time? Does the broadcast acknowledge or react to the audience at all?

> **Be Prepared! If You Can't Find a Live Event**
>
> - **Step one**: Check tournament organizer channels and official game publisher channels for scheduled broadcasts.
> - **Step two**: Look for collegiate or scholastic league streams — these run more frequently than major international tournaments and are usually easier to catch live.
> - **Step three**: If nothing is live when you're ready to complete this requirement, a full VOD (video-on-demand) replay of a recent event works too, as long as you can still observe the broadcast structure and any archived chat activity.

## What to Bring

There's no official resource link for this option. Bring your notes from the broadcast — organized by the four categories above — to your counselor conversation, along with the name of the event, the game, and roughly when it took place.

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- Previous: [Teach Digital Citizenship](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/req6a/index.md)
- Next: [Attend an Esports Event](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/req6c/index.md)