It's estimated there are between 20,000 and 40,000 professional eSports players. It's definitely a growing industry, estimated to be worth $3 billion in 2023. And now we're well into 2025, so let's look at some of the biggest eSports titles for the year.
League of Legends (LoL) has to come first. It is one of the few esports titles to reach extraordinary heights, with the League of Legends World Championship getting 6.91 million views in 2024.
Developed by Riot Games, this Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) continues to dominate the gaming scene because people love its high level of strategy, team-based gameplay, and regular balance patches.
LoL is already considered the king of esports. Riot Games has broadened the competitive framework of the game by including international competitions like the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) World Championship, which continues to draw millions of viewers.
The League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is still a massive event and if you haven't watched it, we'd highly recommend finding a streamer for the next one! #DisguisedToast is a good streamer to follow.
Formula 1 eSports is becoming more popular. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen and his closest rivals, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, are all known to play competitively.
The world of motorsport has received great attention in the virtual gaming world, especially after Formula 1 Esports appeared on the scene. Peak viewers for the F1 Esports reached beyond 42,877 in 2024. Still, far less than betting on 10bet Sports Betting in South Africa for the races, but you could say it's catching up.
Formula 1, Codemasters, and other affiliated companies launched the official F1 Esports Series, and we would say it's up there with one of the most popular eSports.
With actual Formula 1 teams now searching for virtual racers and bringing them into their esports organizations, reality is fast merging with the virtual. The realism in the game, including the physics engine, cars, and race strategy mechanics, really does replicate reality well.
The Counter-Strike series has remained one of the most popular for competitive gaming for over 20 years.
Its franchise's newest version, simply referred to as Counter-Strike, carries on the tradition. Even in 2024, it is ranked among the highest viewed and played shooters, boasting a viewership peak of over 2.8 million and a prize pool exceeding $2.39 million. It'll be exciting to see what 2025 does.
The game is a household name in the FPS community thanks to Valve's endless support, the blended practicality of its gameplay, and the exciting eSports competitions like the ESL Pro League and The Majors.
The growth of mobile esports is astounding, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is leading the charge. With 1.1 million maximum viewers in 2024, this mobile MOBA has become incredibly popular, especially in Southeast Asia.
The MLBB Professional League (MPL) has become massively popular and attracts numerous viewers when teams from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia come together. The ease of access to mobile gaming increased player engagement and made it as big of a title as it is today!
The MLBB is one of the most accessible eSports if you're into on the go gaming.
Valorant has established itself as a competitive esports title on par with Counter-Strike—and that's saying something.
It reached a peak viewership of 550K in 2024, showing its growing popularity in esports. People love this one for its frequent updates, champions you actually want to keep playing as, and the tactical and strategic focus of the game.
The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) has international competitions with large prize funds and stunning clips. Valorant has already gathered a larger following than most other first-person shooters by creating good shooting mechanics with powerful arms for the in-game character.
Apex Legends will always make it on the list if we're ranking eSports games. Apex Legends always has high viewers, totaling 540 thousand in 2024. And the Apex Legends Global Series had a $2 million prize money this year!
Respawn Entertainment is always adding new legends and fresh skin designs to make the game interesting. And it's Apex - if you're an eSporter, it's iconic. Apex is up there with LoL as being games that are associated with eSports.
Everyone has their favorite eSports. There are so many great titles to explore, but we like to stick to the classics. You can watch a lot of these games and tournaments through streams. Streamers are the reason eSports is becoming so popular!