5 Most Popular eSports In the World

Esports industry is growing exponentially and a lot of players engage in this discipline. The number of competitions and tournaments increases along with the number of participants and games. To date, there are over a thousand competitive games played annually in tournaments and global esports competitions.

The majority of eSports games are skill-based and the factor of luck is minimum, making it more attractive for players. Here is a list of the most popular eSports games, considering their audience, prize pool, participants, and genre when evaluating them.

League of Legends

League of Legends is undoubtedly the most famous eSports game. The game is played by two teams of five people. Each player chooses a character and then rushes into battle.

The goal of the game is simple – to destroy the enemy Nexus, i.e. the main building in the center of the base. The game is completely free, and its creators, Riot Games, earn mainly on skins that change the appearance of characters.

Since its release, League of Legends has never lost its place in the top eSports games. After the very first tournament held in 2009, the world has witnessed a rapid growth in the number of viewers, players and League of Legends tournaments.

We should also note that with the growing popularity, League of Legends eSports betting has become a popular activity for bettors. Nowadays, you will hardly see an online bookmaker that does not offer bets for this eSport. The markets for League of Legends are diverse and extensive.

Several major tournaments are held every year, but the biggest event of this esports game is the League of Legends World Championship, which is held every year in different parts of the world with a prize pool of $1 million. The number of participants and spectators is increasing at a steady pace every year.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is a popular MOBA game that is the biggest competitor to League of Legends. The rules of the game are very similar – two teams of five people choose heroes and fight each other, and their goal is to destroy the ancient enemy. The differences are mainly in the gameplay itself, which is more complex, but also more dynamic.

DOTA 2 esports tournaments are the ones that offer the biggest prize pools each year, attracting millions of spectators and participants every year. What’s more, the game has repeatedly won the “Best Esports Game of the Year” award. The International is the annual and largest tournament in the game.

There are frequent debates between the Dota and LoL fans. While these games share numerous similarities, Dota 2 has not yet managed to pass League of Legends in terms of popularity.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

CS: GO is the second eSports game released by Valve after Dota 2. The game involves two groups of five players, which are divided into terrorists and counter-terrorists. The goal is to capture one of the two locations, then plant a bomb and blow it up.

On the other hand, the anti-terrorists are trying to prevent this, and in case of failure, defuse the bomb. It generally depends on your playing style, which side you are going to choose.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is famous for its dedicated community and numerous esports tournaments. The biggest CS:GO tournament that takes place every year is the CS:GO Majors, which features 24 of the best teams from around the world and the prize pool also increases with each tournament. In recent years, the game has set a world record with a peak audience of over 1.2 million viewers.

Valorant

The eSports market is largely a competition between Valve and Riot Games. The latter created and released Valorant, a tactical shooter reminiscent of CS: GO. The differences are significant, both in terms of graphics and gameplay.

Valorant is more expansive and it’s very important to choose the right one out of a dozen or so characters with their own unique skills.

The game was released in 2020, so Valorant esports has a shorter history than other games, but it is very popular. At the VALORANT Champions 2022, the total prize pool was around $1 million.

Hearthstone

Among the most popular eSsports card games, there are many popular titles, however Hearthstone is undoubtedly a leader. Before the game begins, players prepare decks from their unique cards and then fight each other after choosing a suitable hero. The game continues until one of the players loses all life points.

This is one of the few popular eSports games where the gameplay is individual, not team-based. The Hearthstone World Championship in 2021 had a $500,000 prize pool. At first glance, this is not much, but remember that the amount of winnings does not have to be divided by five people in the team.