Your guide to PlayStation Tournaments and esports

Whether you dream of battling to the top of the world rankings, want to take your first steps into the gaming arena, or prefer to watch at a safe distance, PlayStation Tournaments has you covered.

What is PlayStation Tournaments?

PlayStation Tournaments brings competitive gaming to PS5 and PS4 in a series of organised contests that you can join direct from your console. It's an invitation to players of all skill levels to compete online in a selection of popular games, and a chance to win digital and real-world prizes from regularly organised events. 

For experienced gamers, it's a doorway to the world of esports and a chance to test your skills against the best PlayStation players competing for the top prizes. For newer players, it's a great way to build gaming experience in an easy to access online community, progress through the ranks and maybe even win some prizes along the way to show how far you've come.

Who can take part?

If you're eligible* to play, we want you to join! Whatever your skill level, PlayStation Tournaments is a fun, friendly and inclusive way to develop your competitive gaming talents against players of similar ability. 
 
Of course, the better you play, the more chance of winning the top prizes, but many tournaments have prizes just for taking part. 
 
To join a tournament, you’ll need to own a copy of the game being played and, for many games, be a PlayStation Plus member. When you’re ready to sign up for a tournament, you can do so from your PS5 or PS4 console, or head to compete.playstation.com to find full details about every competition1.

*Active PS Plus membership required. Must be 16+ and a resident of an eligible country. Void where prohibited. Terms and conditions apply.

PlayStation Tournaments games

The roster of competitive games is expanding all the time, with more titles set to join FIFA 23, NBA 2K23 and Guilty Gear Strive on PS5 soon. Whether you play fighting, sports or shooter games, you’ll find an arena waiting for you. Check the games below to see which games are available for competitive play on PS5 and PS4, and stay tuned to the competition center for the latest additions.

Sports

Pick your favorite team and step into the arena to compete for sporting glory.

Fighting

Flex your muscles and crack your knuckles for all-out brawling in some of the most popular fighting games.

Shooters

Gear up and make your way to the battlefield to take your shot at the title.

How to enter PlayStation Tournaments on PS5

You can now join competitive tournaments for select games, directly from your PS5 console. Here's how:

Games with active or upcoming tournaments will display a Tournament Card in the PS5 Control Center, the Game Hub for that title, and in-game when you press the PS button.

Selecting a Tournament Card will display all the details of that tournament, including start date and times, duration, rules and the reward or prize you'll be playing for.

Once you've chosen the tournament you'd like to enter at a suitable start time, hit the Register button and you'll be entered as a competitor.

When it's time to play your first match, you'll receive a notification on your PS5 console, as well as via the PlayStation App, if you have it installed on your device.

If you win, you'll progress to the next round! Check the time of your next match and wait for the notification to say it's game time.

How to enter tournaments on PS4

The flagship setup for PlayStation Tournaments, the Open Series is a rolling program of online matches that are free to enter and available to sign up for via your PS4 console, or at our Competition Center.

Each month you can sign up for any of the open qualifiers in your chosen game and, if you make it to the final eight, you’ll have a place in the monthly final where cash prizes, virtual currency, exclusive PS4 themes and PSN avatars are up for grabs – you can even win a prize just for participating, regardless of where you finish.

The PlayStation Competition Center

Compete.playstation.com is our one-stop shop for all things esports on PlayStation – including schedules, prize information, full rules and lots of additional content like live streams of current matches and event replay videos to check out the competition.

You can also enter any Open Series tournament direct from the hub.

Join via PS4

Check out the Events tab on your PS4 home screen and you’ll find a list of upcoming events that you can join direct from your console. 

You’ll get a reminder when your match is due to take place – all you have to do is be online and ready to play at your allotted time.

Play for prizes

Of course, it’s the taking part that counts… but there are some great prizes up for grabs too.

Cash prizes

Top prizes often include real-world cash money, or PlayStation Store credit to spend on new games.

Console accessories

Special contests like the PlayStation Win-a-Thon reward winners with hardware including DualSense wireless controllers, PULSE 3D wireless headsets and more.

Virtual currency

Unlock even more of what your favorite game has to offer with virtual currency prizes to spend on season passes, skins, weapons or anything else your game supports.

Participation prizes

Whether you win or lose, many contests offer PSN avatars for taking part so you can show the online world you're a true competitor.

Learn and play with the PlayStation community

Whether you’re a complete novice or a Platinum Trophy-wielding expert, there's always room to tighten up your game. The PlayStation Tournaments community on Discord, Twitch and YouTube is a great place to swap skills and tactics, and you can study the top competitors' match replays to see how the winners do it.

Play online vs friends and rivals

Playing against real human competition is the best way to brush up your skills and get those reflexes twitching. 

Many games will match you against equally experienced players (as will PlayStation Tournaments and Open Series events), so you’ll always be playing at the right level.

Watch the live streams

We broadcast many live events on the PlayStation Twitch and YouTube channels, including all Evo Championship Series rounds and Open Series finals, so you can watch all the action as it goes down

Join us on Discord

The PlayStation Tournaments Discord channel is the place to be for competition announcements, to learn from the PlayStation community and share tips and tactics of your own, or to set up online matches with fellow players.

It's a friendly, moderated community that's free to join on PC/Mac, mobile devices or direct from your PlayStation console.

Catch up on previous events

As well as live streams, we archive all our events on YouTube, so you can replay matches, study other competitor’s tactics and apply them to your own play style. Make your mark on an event and you could find match featured on the offical PlayStation channel too!

Compete online with PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus is your ticket to online gaming* on PS5 and PS4, giving you access to all your favorite games’ multiplayer modes.

With three subscription options that include hundreds of PS5, PS4 and PlayStation classic games to play, and exclusive member discounts and benefits, there's a membership plan to suit every player.

*Free-to-play games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends do not require PlayStation Plus.
PS Plus terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms

Ready to compete?

Anyone can enter PlayStation Tournaments events1 – all you need is a PlayStation Plus subscription, a copy of the game (and be old enough to play any age restricted titles) and be on hand to compete when your match is scheduled.

1Must be 16 or older (local age restrictions apply) and reside in participating country/region to participate in a PlayStation Tournament. Compatible PlayStation console, compatible controller, copy of tournament game, account for PlayStation Network, and PlayStation Plus membership required (PS Plus terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms). Availability of PlayStation Tournaments feature varies by game and country/region.