If you told any avid gamer decades ago that competitive gaming would turn into a global phenomenon streamed to the public like regular sports—complete with sold out arenas and prize pools worth millions of dollars—they probably would’ve thought you needed to touch grass. It’s like telling those same people they could put on a virtual reality headset or gamble online from a supercomputer that fits in their pocket and receive a package comprising $200 free money—nearly impossible.
While esports, or rather just “competitive gaming tournaments” at the time, have been around since the 1970s and 1980s, they were nowhere near being the billion-dollar industry that they are today. The level of skill these professional players and teams display has gotten them serious recognition in the gaming sphere, becoming somewhat similar to athletes playing for the world’s greatest leagues. So, when we distinguish between small-scale neighborhood competitions and world-famous events, which esports competitions are we talking about exactly? Let’s check them out.
The International (Dota 2)
The International has broken its record for the largest prize pool every year up until 2022, with the 2021 iteration at $40 million—the second-largest prize pool in the history of esports so far. That alone speaks to the popularity and profitable nature of Dota 2, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game created by Valve. The game arguably has the largest esports scene in the world, with teams in a variety of professional leagues flying into tournament destinations year after year.
Broadcasts are, of course, streamed online but also sometimes traditionally on television. Several teams are directly invited to the tournament, while other participating teams from China, Europe, North America, South America, and Southeast Asia can earn invites. The winners receive the Aegis of Champions trophy, with winning names permanently engraved on the back.
League of Legends World Championship
Although The International might win the title for one of the largest prize pools ever, the League of Legends World Championship certainly one-ups it as the world’s most-watched esports event. In 2018, the tournament’s final round was watched by 99.6 million people, rivaling the number of viewers of the Super Bowl that same year (103.47 million). Over its 13-year span, the championship has earned its stripes and is now considered one of the most prestigious there is. Attend an event, and you’ll see exactly why.
There are ceremonial performances and emotional wins, and winners receive a multimillion-dollar prize and the 44-pound Summoner’s Cup designed by Tiffany & Co. Each year, the championship is held in a different rotating location.
Valorant Champions Tour
Valorant took the world by storm when the game first came out in 2020. It’s a fun tactical shooter that uses Overwatch and CS:GO elements to create an action-packed title with multiple game modes. People immediately fell in love with it, and it quickly amassed the second-highest number of viewers for any game on Twitch (1.73 million viewers) on the very first day of its beta launch. Given that Valorant won the award for best esports game at The Game Awards 2022, it’s no surprise that it has an active esports scene, with the highest tier called the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). Lasting an entire year, the tournament comprises three levels, including the Champions, Masters, and Challengers. Teams must compete in each tier and qualify before moving up to the next tier, making it a challenging tournament to win.
FIFA World Cup
With soccer being the most popular sport in the world by far, the FIFA franchise (now the FC franchise since its rebranding) naturally has a massive fan base. With its first edition dating back to 1993, it has evolved from a simple way to play digital soccer to a hyperrealistic soccer simulation game. While the latest FC 24 game was released in September 2023, it already had a player count of over 11 million in just one month. Although most soccer fans won’t be playing in the actual FIFA World Cup anytime soon, the FIFAe World Cup offers skilled and passionate video game players the opportunity to qualify. Only the highest-ranked competitors make it to the big stage, playing in Online Regional Cups to Competition Mode, Tournaments, then Regional Qualifiers, and finally, the Playoffs.
Fortnite Champion Series
Part of the desire to become an esports champion is for bragging rights, but the other is likely the lucrative winnings. The Fortnite Champion Series offers some of the largest prize money winnings in esports, with a pool of $8 million for the 2025 series. Judging solely by the format, you can see that the championship is cutthroat, with a long qualification format with multiple rounds.
Depending on the year, there may be between two and four qualifying sessions, where the top teams move on to the grand finals to play 12 games to become the FNCS champions. Fortnite has consistently ranked among the top three most-played games in the past few years by player count, meaning its esports participation and reputation will only grow stronger.
Classic Tetris World Championship
With its widespread appeal, lengthy history, and simplicity, Tetris managed to entice the human psyche to such an extent that it has become a classic video game. While many people play it casually on their phones or devices to see how many points they can rack up, a subset of the population views this conveyor belt of blocks as the ultimate challenge. The Classic Tetris World Championship provides these competitive players a space to compete, playing the game on the original NES game system and attempting to max out points like the small winner’s circle of just over 150 players.