While esports was once considered a niche industry, it has now exploded into one of the most rapidly growing gaming sectors. As of 2024, esports is considered largely responsible for helping the value of the worldwide video gaming market exceed $280 billion. In the US alone, there are over 3,000 active American esports players. While this may seem like a relatively modest number, these pro players are helping boost revenue. Just this year, esports revenue in the US is estimated to be over $1 billion.
Considering that there are hundreds of esports titles out there, with more regularly being introduced, it’s clear that a select few are leading the charge in terms of reach and fame. If you’re interested in knowing which games are the cream of the esports crop, here are four of the biggest titles today:
Dota 2
Although it’s over a decade old, Dota 2 remains one of the most well-known esports games. A multiplayer battle arena game developed by Valve, Dota 2 is a direct sequel to the wildly successful Defense of the Ancients: All-Stars (DoTA). Following the typical 5v5 format, teams face off on specialty maps as they try to defend their bases and simultaneously destroy their enemies. A winner is determined by whoever destroys their enemy’s “Ancient” structure first. Currently, Dota 2 has almost eight million regular monthly players and is consistently among the most-played games on Steam. In terms of esports, Dota 2 boasts some of the biggest prize pools, with the total amount awarded coming in just over $340 million. More popular in North America, Dota 2 sees some of the biggest competitions with peak viewership at 1.7 million.
Starcraft II
A military sci-fi franchise that was first launched in 1998, Starcraft has released several core games and supplementary spin-off titles since in it’s nearly 30-year history. Of these games, Starcraft II is among the most famous. According to a Thunderpick guide about Starcraft betting, this was released in 2010 as a sequel. Designed by Blizzard Games as a free-to-play real-time strategy game, players choose to play as one of three alien races who aim to eliminate each other on various maps. More than just a shooter game, though, Starcraft II forces players to master strategies, tactics, and even macroeconomics. As a result of this more nuanced and highly intellectual gameplay, esports betting has always been part of the Starcraft ecosystem, as players and spectators had to gauge who was a superior overall performer. Although Starcraft II’s player base has gotten smaller over the years, its esports competitions still attract substantial attention. So far, it’s most popular in South Korea, and the total prize money awarded is about $40 million.
Fortnite
Fortnite was released by Epic Games in 2017. A free-to-play battle royale, Fortnite’s original gameplay involves up to 100 players fighting on a progressively shrinking map until one player (the winner) remains. That said, since its release, Epic Games has introduced several other multiplayer modes, including Save the World and Creative. The former involves four survivors fighting off zombies, while the latter is more of a sandbox format wherein players can control their world. Recently, its developers scored a big win against tech titan Apple. After being pulled out of the App Store for challenging Apple’s policy of taking 30% out of all in-app purchases, a new European gaming act saw Epic release its own app store. This allows them to keep all revenues while still being included in Apple devices. With this determination to maintain accessibility, it’s no wonder that Fortnite is one of the most-played esports games. Since 2019, Epic has hosted annual Fortnite tournaments. As of writing, the award-winning game has awarded almost $175 million in prize money.
League of Legends
Undoubtedly, the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game League of Legends (LoL) is one of the titles most associated with esports. Released by Riot Games in 2009, LoL continues to report some of the most impressive stats. According to Priori Data, that includes a monthly player pool of over 150 million. At the same time, the League of Legends 2023 World Championship holds the record as the most-watched esports event of all time, with 6.4 million viewers at its peak. Because of its scope, esports betting in LoL is also widely practiced. LoL’s esports impact is such that they can even afford to shift away from the tried-and-tested sponsorship sales and toward a digital content revenue-sharing system. This means that teams are more resilient toward economic shifts, given that LoL audiences are among the most active. So far, the 5v5 game has awarded over $105 million.
