Esports is a fun way to play video games while being social with your friends. But few realize that it is also a billion-dollar industry and growing every year. So if you are looking to learn more about esports, now is the time to get in on all the action.
But esports games can also be difficult to play, so you will want to research any game before you learn to play. Keep reading to learn more about the most popular esports games that gamers are currently playing.
Dota
The most popular esports game is Dota, which is a game that you can play with 5 of your friends. Dota is a multiplayer battle arena game, meaning you choose your character (also called a hero), and you battle it out against another team. This may sound basic, but this game has a crazy following and a professional circuit with a massive prize pool of over $35 million.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Like Dota, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (abbreviated CS:GO) is a multiplayer first-person shooter game where you and your friends will battle it out against another team to see who wins. There are multiple campaigns however, and each one is slightly unique in how you and your team will strategize and play the game.
There are currently an estimated 11 million players of the game per month, and a professional circuit that has a prize pool of $15 million dollars.
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is another five-player battle arena game where you and your team will play against another 5-player team. Similar to Dota, you will pick a hero or character to play as. While this game isn’t as popular as Dota, it brings in a pretty penny, grossing $140 million dollars each year outside of Mainland China.
And this doesn’t even include the prize pool that is given to the winning team of the professional players, which is over $11 million.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is a battle royale game, which, while related to battle arena games like Dota, the way you play it is slightly different in that you aren’t on a team. In this game, which is based on the movie Battle Royale, the player is dropped off on an island where they must compete against 100 other players to be the last man standing. They can use the equipment and weapons on the island to do so.
While number four on the list, this game isn’t quite as popular, but still boasts over 70 million downloads and a professional player prize pool of $9 million.
League of Legends
League of Legends is very much the same as Dota, but is slightly less complicated as far as heroes and gameplay. This can be attributed to fewer heroes (or characters) to choose from, and the map itself is smaller. This game is so popular that many sports books around the world will actually let you bet on the outcomes of League of Legends games.
The final prize for the professional League of Legends players amounts to $9 million and can be won during The Summoner’s Cup. This tournament is one of the most popular events in esports and is watched by 99.6 million people annually.
Fortnite
Even if you don’t personally play Fortnite, almost everyone knows what it is. Unlike all the other games on this list, Fortnite is a sandbox game, meaning the player gets to create their own experience as they play. Some players play competitively and attack other players, while others just focus on building their world.
Fortnite has over 125 million players every year, and the only reason it is this far down on the list is because this game doesn’t have a popular tournament like all of the aforementioned games, and the prize pool given to professional players is only $7 million.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Did you know that Call of Duty is an eSport? It most certainly is! Although it is a first-person shooter game that doesn’t involve a team, people really get into this game about the Cold War period in America’s History.
Although controversial in some countries like China, this game is a best seller with 5.7 million units sold the first week it was available, netting the company a nice $678 million. Tournaments for this esport have prize pools of around $5 million.
Ready to Play?
Esports are taking the world by storm. Just look at some of the games on this list, they boast hundreds of millions of players every day! So if you are ready to get in on the action, pick a game that you (or you and your friends)will enjoy and start playing!