[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] At SOOP(067160), official esports tournaments, educational programs, collaborative matches, and variety shows are being created around a single game intellectual property (IP). Streamers and user communities centered around specific games are creating new participants and broadcast formats, thereby broadening the reach of the content.

FC Online content is a prime example of this trend. While the official esports tournament “2026 FSL SUMMER” is underway on SOOP, a series of broadcasts have been held, including tutorials for first-time players, coaching sessions for returning users, and collaborative matches featuring multiple streamers. This single game has inspired a wide variety of broadcasts, ranging from professional esports matches to beginners’ first attempts.

On the 14th, streamer Joradet hosted a broadcast where he learned the basic controls, team composition, and gameplay tips for FC Online from Lee Sang-ho and Do-hyun. After scoring his first goal, he announced a “FIFA Challenge” where he would compete against other streamers. Viewers watched the newcomer’s challenge unfold, reacting with comments such as, “Jerad’s FIFA play is refreshing,” and “He’s surprisingly talented.”

On the 19th, streamer Kim Bong-jun returned to FC Online after a long hiatus and assembled a team with the help of professional streamers. After familiarizing himself with the recent changes in player values and game strategies, he played matches against virtual streamers. The next day, he hosted a joint broadcast featuring more participants that combined coaching, team matches, and penalty challenges, recording a peak concurrent viewership of approximately 60,000.

Official tournaments and beginner-friendly streams cycle within the same game

Throughout this process, FC Online specialist streamers did more than just play matches; they also took on the role of coaches, teaching controls and tactics to participants who were new to the game or returning after a long hiatus. Newly joined streamers turned the process of learning the game and improving their skills into content. As streamers from different fields came together around a single game, new cast combinations and rivalry dynamics emerged.

Official esports tournaments and streamer broadcasts present the same game in different ways. In the FSL, viewers can witness the performance and tactics of professional players, while beginner-focused streams allow them to experience the trial and error of first-time players alongside them. In collaborative variety shows, the main attractions include not only competitive skills but also the cast members’ conversations, reactions, and penalties resulting from the outcomes of matches.

“Doomsday,” where streamers form their own teams to compete, is another prime example of how content and communities form around game IPs. The name “Doomsday” reflects the concept of “betting everything on the match”; it is an original esports format open to any streamer broadcasting on SOOP. It has been held across various games, including League of Legends (LoL), FC Online, and Sudden Attack.

In the LoL “Doomsday Battle,” points are awarded based on participants’ gaming skills and past tournament results, and teams of five are formed within a set point range. This system is designed to prevent teams from being dominated by only the most skilled participants. As a result, former professional esports players, top-tier streamers, beginners still learning the game, and virtual streamers form a single team and take on their respective roles.

After forming teams, participants prepare for the main tournament by conducting practice matches and strategy meetings on their respective streams. Viewers aren’t limited to watching official matches; they can follow the entire process—from team formation to building chemistry—through the streams of the streamers they support. This structure ensures that the team dynamics and rivalries developed on individual streams translate into heightened interest in the main tournament.

In the finals of the “2026 LoL Doomsday Tournament with Gen.G,” held on the 1st at KINTEX in Ilsan, “Education Rights Protection Bureau” defeated “High-Point Explosion” 2-1 to claim the championship. This tournament incorporated user participation into its operations by granting the top-voted teams the right to select their matchups in the main bracket.

Expanding to Valorant and StarCraft

Even when covering the same game, the level of prior knowledge required varies by stream. Users familiar with the game can choose official tournaments and tactics-focused streams, while those new to the game can start with beginner-friendly tutorial streams. Viewers more interested in the cast members’ rivalries and entertainment than the game itself can experience the game through collaborative streams or elimination matches.

This trend is also evident in other games. On SOOP, Valorant specialists host tutorial streams for newcomers and organize 5v5 matches with teams formed based on skill level. In StarCraft, official ASL matches are broadcast alongside commentaries by former professional esports players and expert streamers.

SOOP’s gaming ecosystem is built on the expertise of streamers and user communities that have developed around specific game IPs. On days when official tournaments are held, attention focuses on the matches and live broadcasts; on days without tournaments, training, practice, team formation, and joint matches continue. With the addition of tournaments like the “Doom Match,” where streamers participate directly, the gaming community’s interest extends beyond the official league schedule.

From the game developer’s perspective, this expands opportunities to promote the game IP not only through official tournaments but also through the diverse broadcasts created by streamers and users. For existing users, it provides content that allows for an in-depth look at matches and tactics, while for those unfamiliar with the game, it offers opportunities to experience it through beginner-friendly streams, variety shows, and streamer tournaments.

A gaming industry official stated, “While official esports tournaments showcase the game’s high competitive level, elimination matches and educational or collaborative broadcasts allow users to engage with the game more casually in their daily lives.” The official added, “If a community forms where professional streamers, new participants, and users collaborate to create content centered around the game, a single IP can consistently generate a wide variety of broadcasts.”