Even longtime fans of World of Warcraft might not know that the world’s most popular MMORPG has its roots in esports. The original Warcraft real-time strategy series laid the groundwork for both StarCraft and Dota, two of the world’s most popular esports. Warcraft 3 itself had a thriving competitive scene, the spirit of which is still kept alive in modern World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft betting is the act of placing wagers on professional World of Warcraft matches. These bets can take many forms, including player-versus-player matches and player-versus-environment clears or speedruns. All of these bet types operate within World of Warcraft, so there’s plenty of ways to stay entertained with WoW betting. Continue reading to learn how World of Warcraft esports works, how to place WoW esports bets, and the best WoW esports betting sites.
The Best WoW Esports Betting Sites
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If you’re already familiar with WoW esports betting and want to hop right into the sportsbook, check out our comprehensive reviews of the most popular betting sites. World of Warcraft is a popular game, but only the most innovative betting sites have it featured in their sportsbooks.
If you want to focus on World of Warcraft and other esports, GG.Bet Esports is the best site for dedicated gaming bets. If you’re going to mix esports in with your traditional sports betting (or the other way around), Betway might be more your style. They boast one of the largest sportsbooks on the net and a massive digital casino.
Keep in mind that available WoW tournaments, betting markets and odds will vary from site to site. For more information on the best WoW betting sites, check out our esports betting sites reviews.
How Are World of Warcraft Esports Played?
World of Warcraft is best known for its team-based battles against computer-controlled monsters. However, between the game’s massive player base and a huge amount of content, competition was bound to spring up. There are multiple forms of World of Warcraft esports, and different WoW betting markets exist for each type.
- One popular WoW esport is player-versus-player, or PvP for short.
- PvP events see teams of players square off against each other, usually in a double-elimination bracket.
- These events are typically played in teams of three, and WoW esports matches are played best-of-five.
In PvP, players choose from 12 different classes, which are further separated into different builds, giving WoW esports a similar variety and feel to MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2. Once all six players load in, both teams poke and test each other with spells before a slight mistake from either side triggers an explosive team fight.
The other side of World of Warcraft betting is based on player-versus environment, also known as PvE. World of Warcraft’s core gameplay revolves around groups of players forming Guilds to take down powerful computer-controlled monsters. The level of skill and coordination for extremely high-level content can rival or exceed other team-based esports like Counter-Strike or Overwatch.
The highest difficulty of WoW PvE is called Mythic, and being the first Guild to clear Mythic level content is very prestigious. These “Raidraces” can take weeks or even months for the best Guilds to complete just once. A Raidracing guild consists of 20 active players who must all optimize their builds across multiple characters and coordinate with each other. Mythic content is so difficult that First Clears can take weeks or even months to achieve. For WoW esports, both First Clear and First Three Clears are supported.
See also: The Best Guilds in WoW
Betting on World of Warcraft
There are a few more things to know about WoW betting before heading into the sportsbooks. Due to WoW’s esports being broken into both PvP and PvE events, WoW esports betting sites offer different betting markets and rules for each mode.
- PvP: For PvP World of Warcraft betting, the most popular markets are the standard matchup bet, outrights, and fight duration. Outrights let you pick which team will win an entire event before it begins, bringing high betting odds and big rewards. Fight duration covers both the time of individual fights and how rounds a match will feature. Make sure to double-check your WoW betting site’s markets before placing your WoW PvP bets.
- PvE: For PvE, the most coveted betting market is First Clear. First Clear bets let you pick which Guild will be the first to complete a new Mythic Raid. Some sites offer options for First Three, helping lower the odds. Speedrunning Mythic Raids is a full-time job for many of WoW’s best guilds, and the competition is fierce. Due to the difficulty and length of Mythic Raidracing, you’ll see teams discover new strategies and team compositions as they work closer to the First Clear.
WoW Esports Tournaments
New Mythic PvE content arrives about a week after a new Raid is released, which happens every six months. The best players in WOW and top Guilds will immediately begin prepping for the mythic Raid. They often livestream their attempts on their Twitch channels, so you can check on your World of Warcraft bet at any time. Remember that these bets will take a while to reach their conclusion.
PvP events are much more similar to other esports. Teams qualify for events by competing in open brackets or through invitation. The biggest yearly event for PvP World of Warcraft betting is the Arena World Championship, which is hosted by World of Warcraft’s developers and features the biggest prize pools in WoW.
