TL; DR
- Many of the biggest esports games are from established series like Call of Duty and Counter-Strike.
- However, newer games can still break through, including League of Legends and VALORANT.
First-person shooter video games continue to maintain their appeal to players along with rising popularity of MOBA and battle royal multiplayer games.
Continued popularity remains possible when games introduce fresh elements and new updates which draw both original members and sustain active participant interest.
The main esports video games continue their prosperous run during 2025. You can currently stream Twitch and YouTube to watch leading esports teams fighting each other in Call of Duty alongside League of Legends gameplay. Heads of brands and entertainment icons have recognized the expanding popularity of competitive gaming so you will notice their games integrated into everyday consumer products.
Competitive gaming predates esports though esports transformed this concept into a multinational industry that distributes substantial prize money through large-scale tournaments. But not every game makes the cut. It’s dependent on a multitude of factors: popularity, viewership, and gameplay. These all determine which titles stand above the rest.
With so many games being streamed across multiple platforms and devices, we’ve listed the 10 biggest esports games in 2025 and why they’re so favored.
Top 10 biggest esports games in 2025
1. League of Legends
League of Legends Image Credit: Riot Games
Quick fact: In 2023, League of Legends generated approximately $1.8 billion in revenue.
Developed by Riot Games and released in 2009 for PC and Mac, League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) that pits two teams of five players across a huge map they need to conquer. Power-ups and abilities can be used, with some players able to play as ‘champions,’ who can turn the tide of a match with unique items and attacks. League of Legends has consistently dominated esports for several years now, with over 100 million viewers watching several tournaments, such as its World Cup, held every year, as well as influencers and celebrities regularly playing the game.
One of the biggest reasons League of Legends is still number one after all these years is its ease of use and being one of the first free-to-play games. Back in 2009, this model was almost unheard of, with games being offered as a demo or as a fully paid product. Combine that with fun gameplay and a huge roster of characters to choose from, and you’ve got a game that’s sure to be a popular esports game for many more years to come.
2. VALORANT
VALORANT / Image Credit: Riot Games
Quick fact: Since its launch, VALORANT has grossed more than $1 billion and 20 million players have been playing from 2020 – 2023.
Being released in June 2020 for PC, Xbox and PlayStation, VALORANT has since been one of the most popular esports titles of the recent years. A free to play first person shooter powered by Riot Games, this game lets 5 players per team choose from the list of 4 Agents, each with their set of abilities.. These include Controllers, Duelists, Initiators, and Sentinels. Much inspiration is taken from Valve’s CounterStrike series, with communication, planning, and tactical aiming all crucial to winning matches.
A big part of why VALORANT is one of the biggest esports in the world is due to the VALORANT Champions Tour. Established in 2020 by Riot Games soon after the game’s release, this competitive tournament hosts a wide variety of players around the world, with the most recent, the 2025 season, having begun in January, with the finals scheduled for Paris in September. With a mix of this tournament and VALORANT’s constant updates, such as maps and balance improvements, this has kept the game fresh for its millions of players and viewers.
3. Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 / Image Credit: Valve Corporation
Quick fact: CS2 features an overhauled Sub-Tick system, making movement and shooting more responsive compared to CS: GO.
Since Valve’s Counter Strike series has featured in esports for decades, the games have been developed by Vide Game’s most brilliant minds: Valve. In 2023, Counter Strike 2 came out as an improvement from the previous games in terms of polished graphics and better gameplay. There are already millions of players of the free to play first person shooter, as the workshop features offer maps, skins, team branded icons from esports teams, etc.
A bunch of the largest esports tournaments already feature Counter-Strike 2, such as FRAG and PGL Astana. The game attracts millions of viewers at these events, as well as offering a prize pool of almost $4 million to professional players. Counter-Strike 2 ultimately builds upon what made the first game so great in the late 90s while showcasing a vibrant, competitive scene in the esports industry.
4. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang / Image Credit: Moonton
Quick fact: The game was banned in China because it was considered too similar to Tencent’s Honor of Kings.
Created by Moonton and released in 2016 for iOS and Android devices, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang has reshaped perceptions of mobile esports, proving that a mobile MOBA can work. Attracting over 100 million players and viewers alike to become one of the biggest mobile esports, this fast-paced 5v5 game challenges players to battle across three lanes, where the aim is to destroy an opponent’s tower while defending their own to win the match.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang already has several dedicated esports leagues and tournaments, such as the MPL and the MLBB Mid-Season Cup, with a recent viewership of almost two million in 2024. The game’s accessibility on mobile devices means new and existing players can easily access the game from their pocket, without going to a PC or console. Combined with the regular patches Moonton brings out, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is likely to grow its viewership in the coming years.
5. Dota 2
Dota 2 / Image Credit: Valve Corporation
Quick fact: The International 2021 took the billion dollar crown as the largest prize pool in esports history with a prize pool in excess of $40 million.
Dota 2 is still a great esport game to play in 2025, and it is very easy to see why. Released in 2013, the MOBA strategy game is developed by Valve and provides 5v5 competitive format giving you and players against one another on a huge map that requires teamwork, quick thought, and communication to win a battle.
The game is known for its huge prize pools, with one at its most significant esports event, The International, offering a prize pool in 2024 that exceeded almost $40 million for teams taking part. This rightfully attracts a lot of top esports companies, as well as a viewership of two million to boot. With Valve’s constant support of updates and refinements, as well as the ability for players to create their own modes and maps, Dota 2 remains one of the freshest and fun games in esports.
6. Fortnite
Fortnite / Image Credit: Epic Games
Quick fact: Fortnite was initially designed as a PvE survival game before the battle royale mode skyrocketed in popularity.
Fortnite is without a doubt one of the biggest and most popular battle royale games ever created, and is still largely impressed in 2025, as Epic Games released the game in 2017 for PC and consoles. For the uninitiated, players are placed into ever changing map along with other 99 gamers and the last one standing. Daily and weekly tasks can also be achieved to level up characters, which can result in new skins and character models available to use and purchase.
Fortnite continues to be a big presence at esports events, with over 2.5 million viewers watching the results of the Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) Finals in 2024. There are plenty of events that can be viewed every week too. With the number of monthly updates that Epic Games rolls out to the game, Fortnite still leads in the battle royale genre.
7. PUBG: Battlegrounds
PUBG: Battlegrounds / Image Credit: PUBG Studios
Quick Fact: PUBG: Battlegrounds was the catalyst for the battle royale genre boom with Fortnite and Apex Legends stepping up.
PUBG: Battlegrounds is a game developed by PUBG Studios and published in 2017 for consoles, PC and mobile devices a year later and is the game that originally popularized the battle royale subgenre. Just like Fortnite, players need to fight against other players or teams in an effort to defeat them as the map shrunks and the last man who’s standing is declared the winner.
PUBG: Battlegrounds has been a tentpole at several esports’ events, starting in 2017 with one of its first tournaments, held at the trade fair Gamescom in 2017, with a prize pool of $350,000. There are currently 1.8 million people watching the game at different clubs such as PUBG Global Championship where the prize pool is usually about $2 million. Like Fortnite, PUBG: Battlegrounds is constantly updated with different maps and gameplay to keep itself relevant, being a titan of the esports scene.
8. Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Warzone / Image Credit: Activision
Quick fact: With $30 billion in revenue so far, the series is among the highest-grossing video game series ever.
With such popularity in esports tournaments, the Call of Duty series has long been a staple and continues to be a leader in 2025. The Call of Duty currently has a reputation of first person shooter, fast action, campaign of modes and multiplayer modes which is known by millions of players around the world. While the series’ esports worth has always relied on its traditional multiplayer modes, the battle royale mode, Warzone, has also become a regular in some of the tournaments.
Created in 2020, the Call of Duty League (CDL) is the major event for teams to compete in tournaments in cities around the world. Since 2024, the CDL routinely takes in very large audiences, with at least half a million viewers many days of the season. Even till date, Call of Duty is still relevant, still bringing in new players and competitors every year in all parts of the world; with constant updates, regular releases of new entries in the series.
9. Overwatch 2
OWCS 2024 World Finals at Dream Hack Stockholm / Image Credit: Joe Brady
Quick fact: This version switched from a 6v6 format to 5v5 for faster-paced gameplay.
Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 has not only kept in mind what worked in its predecessor but also brought in some new mechanics which help grab the attention of the competitive players all across the world. This is the sequel to the popular Overwatch, which was released in 2021, having new characters, maps, you name it, and the move from 6v6 to 5v5 matches adding an extra watering level to the otherwise already tense and fun gameplay.
Blizzard also created the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) to see many players playing on a worldwide basis. It’s divided into four regions: North America, Asia, China, and EMEA. With a potential prize pool of $200,000, the OWCS has already attracted viewers in the range of 1.2 million on Twitch, already proving the sequel’s huge popularity. With regular updates focused on game balancing, new maps, and more, Overwatch 2 has the potential to draw in as many players as VALORANT in the coming years.
10. Apex Legends
Apex Legends / Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment
Quick fact: The game was developed in secret for two years before being launched in 2019.
Apex Legends is a free to play battle royale first person shooter title, developed and released by Respawn Entertainment in 2019 with something new in the franchise genre. The players are put in a squad of two or three, up to 30 squads drop onto an island where the last man is what wins. Loot, found scattered across the map, can consist of Armor, weapons, gear, and more. Players can send pings via their controller to teammates to figure out strategies and more to try and win the match.
Since its release six years ago, Apex Legends is still one of the biggest games in esports, thanks to its unique take as a battle royale game. The Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) is the main tournament, with over 1.5 million watching it in 2024. With new updates focusing on class improvements, new items, and more, Apex Legends shows no signs of slowing down all these years later.
Do the biggest games frequently change?
The most established games don’t always populate esports lists; it depends on how well they suit the category Granted, most of the games that are presented in esports tournaments like Tekken, Call of Duty or Counter-Strike have been part of some series that has been running for almost two decades. The familiarity attracts players to these games, and if they fare well in competitive settings, that is a good thing for that new audience and it’s good for the players and the games.
But new games have entered the esports scene too, including League of Legends, VALORANT and battle royale games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends.
As it stands in 2025, the best games in esports do change, but not significantly. If we were to compile a list in 2021, Counterstrike GO would likely feature, instead of its sequel, alongside Overwatch 1 instead of Overwatch 2. Sequels do make an impact, but it only takes one game to change the playing field, as Fortnite proved in 2017.
What are the biggest esports game genres?
No matter how much esports will evolve in 2025, some genres will continue to dominate tournaments worldwide. The biggest is arguably first-person shooters, with VALORANT, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty all being prime examples. Due to these games being free to play, almost any player can install one of these titles and see how they fare in a multiplayer match in a short amount of time.
Other genres like MOBA and battle royale feature heavily, too, with League of Legends and Fortnite in many esports’ events worldwide. MOBA has a strategic element, giving suspense to viewers watching a 5v5 match. Battle royale games like Fortnite bring tension as the battle map reduces in size, leaving only a handful of players to win the match. Although FPS and MOBA games still dominate esports events, others have the potential to break into the category.
Conclusion
Although we’ve listed 10 of the biggest esports games, as well as the biggest genres in esports, nothing is definitive. A new breakout title could arrive at any moment — it could be via a virtual reality platform or through mobile devices. Its why esports is an evolving industry and thrives on innovation.
The biggest esports games have to be fun for the player and viewer in several ways. They have to offer something new yet also something familiar, so it keeps everyone coming back to them, whether as a fan or as part of a competitive team. It’s why franchises like League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2 are part of the biggest esports events in the world. They’re constantly improving and bringing something fresh, but the fun remains, which is why they bring in strong viewership and new players all these years later.
Nevertheless, these 10 games define the esports business today, drawing in millions of players and viewers worldwide. Though the industry will keep changing, these titles remain at the top of competitive gaming.