start.gg

Esports in San Francisco, California

Type: Ladder Platform

Tournament management platform widely used by the FGC since 2015, formerly known as smash.gg. Acquired by Microsoft in 2020 and spun back into independence in January 2025 under its original Smash.gg team. Based in San Francisco, California. Ladder platforms host ranked queues and matchmaking outside the official game clients - third-party services like FACEIT and ESEA add anti-cheat, server hosting, and competitive ladders on top of base games. Check start.gg for current season, schedule, standings, and registration info.

Website: https://www.start.gg/