The esports business has quickly developed over the past 10 years and has now become a major component of the sports and entertainment business. Nowadays, it covers an array of games and has grown into an international phenomenon that has an enormous fan base.The rise in popularity has also witnessed the number of viewers and revenue numbers increase in the last decade, with events that began out as a few events with group of friends in bars and gaming cafes, now turning into one of the most lucrative
companies in the world.
What was the date that this booming period started? It is no question there is no doubt that one of the industry’s turning events was The International, held in the year 2011 in the newest (back to) game Dota 2. It was a shambolic prize pool of a million dollars, which was unheard of at the time.In the past, this business has reached a point at which the prize cash has risen by more than ten times as of 2023. There is also the possibility to increase it even further in the near future.
The International (TI)
There is no shock to those that are familiar in esports that TI is in the top of our list of. Dota 2 and its annual event are the top players in this sector due to a variety of reasons. Not just is Dota 2 one of the most popular MOBA titles in the world, but it’s also a game that is under the Valve umbrella. This is why it holds the highest prizes than any other game in the gaming industry.
In large part due to crowdfunding and other financial mechanics in the past, the most recent version of TI boasted an unbelievable $40 million in profits. The tournament set a new record for itself and surpassed 2.7 million viewers in peak time and firmly established its place in the top esports events ever.
League of Legends World Championship
Perhaps the most watched Esports event ever, League of Legends blazes over the rest of the competitors. This may have a hard time keeping its cash to Dota’s TI as well as Fortnite’s World Cup, but with an impressive $6.7 million prize and a hefty $6.7 million prize pool, the League of Legends “Worlds” is able to stand up well.
Furthermore, considering the number of people who watch it, Riot Games spends quite a lot on stage and scenic settings to ensure that the tournament is constantly one of its kind. With more than 4 million viewers in peak times and the staggering number of 173 million in total hours of viewing, LoL’s “Worlds” is one of the titans in the world of esports.
CSGO Major Championships
A true veteran in Esports tournaments, CSGO is the poster child for competition in esports. From the inception of the game Counter Strike all the way to Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The is a game that has always been in tune with the ethos of the world of esports. In addition, with over 20 years of the most prestigious and most recognizable events, CSGO Majors are awash with it.
The most recent event, 2021 PGL Stockholm Major, was able to bring in impressive viewership numbers and good profits. A good prize pool of $2 million and a staggering maximum viewership of 2.7 million makes it a total successful event.
Fortnite World Cup
The first game of its kind and an extremely popular debut at this. Fortnite has taken the esports market by storm in the year 2019, pitting 200 players against one another to win 30 million dollars in prizes. Epic Games set up the tournament that rewarded players with enormous wins in two separate events: both duo and solo. This was the moment that made history when an esports player, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf was crowned champion and took home three million dollars in prize cash.
The winner of the duo event was $3 million, which was split among the winners. Also we can say that the turnout was decent with around 2.3 million viewers at peak.
Honor from Kings Champion Cup
Arena of Valor is proof that even a small amount of hardware can create a significant impact even in Esports tournaments. It was designed initially to cater to the Chinese market, and then launched as a rival to the top Mobile MOBA, Vainglory.
The game quickly gained traction and quickly climbed to new heights and awards which included having more than 100 million concurrent users. Today, the game has evolved into an esports phenomenon with the newest Champion Cup event boasting a $7.7 million prize money and a decent amount of viewers at 700-800K.
PUBG Mobile Global Championship
The main game’s impressive performance in esports is evident The mobile version of PUBG surpasses the original version due to its accessibility on Android as well as iOS. Additionally, it boasts an impressive player base particularly in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian region.
The PUBG Mobile Global Championship in 2021 was the $3.5 million prize pool, and an impressive 3.8 million viewers at peak. The event was in the top five most watched Esports tournaments of all time which is no easy achievement.
Free Fire World Series
If you were to judge our rankings based on views by itself The Free Fire World Series would surely be on top in the rankings. It would remain there until a new esports event has enough viewers to top it.
The show holds a record-setting 5.4 million viewers in peak viewing for its 2021 World Event in Singapore. Beyond that impressive feat, the series averaged 2 million viewers during the same event. It also featured an impressive prize pool of around $2 million, making it an impressive addition to our list of.
Valorant Champions
With a major championship that was a huge success which is now over in this form, the Champions Tour, there’s no reason why Valorant won’t figure into our list of. Although it’s only just started out, Riot Games has already made the shooter competitive, a prominent player in the world of esports and is an emerging star who will eventually be able to compete against more established players like Fortnite as well as PUBG.
With 1 millions in both prize pools and average peak viewership, this tournament is bound to go other than up, and we’re excited to watch it.
Call of Duty League
While it’s not at par with the majority of the games listed in regards to viewership statistics,Call of Duty has a long and impressive history. It has been able to win numerous tournaments since 2013.
The Call of Duty World League Championship has seen an average of 200K to 300K viewers with a prize fund of around $2 millions in previous years, COD League 2020 pushed ahead with the $4.6 million prize pool, and some slightly better viewer statistics. This highlights the significance to Call of Duty concerning esports competition, and it is up to the standards of one of the top esports tournaments.
Six Invitational
Rainbow Six Siege still holds an unbeatable position as the cornerstone of FPS games on the major arenas of the esports industry up to the present. A highly tactical esports title by Ubisoft and a highly accurate one, too.
The developer hosts an annual tournament which has included three million dollars in winnings. Along with that, Esports tournaments draw around 300,000 viewers during the peak. This, coupled with the game’s massive popularity is what is what makes this tournament Six Invitational a must have to make a list of most esports-related tournaments.
