The biggest games to ever enter the esports industry

Esports is growing so fast it’s becoming as popular as or maybe even potentially exceeding any other major sport in the world. The number of monthly Esports viewers grows rapidly, as the industry expands and opens the doors to endless forms of entertainment from the limitless world of gaming. It’s said that as of 2021, around 400 million people from all across the globe watch esports on occasions. Just to give you an idea of how big that is, on average, around 17 million people watch the NFL on digital platforms and live TV. 

Nowadays Esports is even gaining popularity among the betting scene and can even be found available to stream and bet on in numerous online casinos. There’s a lot of esports games out there that are not just exciting competitive video games, but have become an official sport, and some have gained so much popularity that they have become an industry in themselves. Here’s a list of some of the biggest games to ever enter the esports industry;

Rocket League

A very particular video game that hit the market in 2016 and became one of the most intense, adrenaline pumping alternative sports video games to ever land on our consoles. Rocket League is an arcade game based on the famous sport of football a.k.a. soccer, however instead of people, the players use cars. It’s a great addition to the world of Esports and a total of around 9 million USD has been awarded to hard working top ranked players so far.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

The OG battle royale game that came out in 2017 and started the whole craze for large mapped games with big servers filled with up to hundreds of players, either free-for-all or in small teams, battling out till they’re the last team or player standing. There’s international PUBG championships all around and the game is still cherished and played by many to this day. Around 22.5 million USD was awarded to players who won competitions in this game.

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Game is just an intense variation of chess that requires players to react quickly and move hundreds of pieces with precise accuracy in order to defeat your adversary. If you're searching for something fresh and fascinating to do during your leisure time, it's any strategy enthusiast's playground with over 200 unique troops, buildings, and capabilities. This video game is also suitable for individuals who enjoy playing Shooting games since the Co-op mode and the arcade mode provide a variety of first person shooters. The Esports industry has earned players of this game over 33 million USD.

League of Legends

 Top tactical game in which two sides comprising 5 mighty characters compete to demolish the opposing squad's headquarters. Players have a choice among over 140 warriors to execute spectacular plays, collect kills, and destroy structures on their road towards triumph. The game has been played since 2009 and still remains to be one of the most popular games on the market. The Esports sector for L.O.L has earned players something around the 75 million USD mark.

Fortnite

Fortnite, is a 5 year old battle royale based third person shooter which went viral straight away upon release. It’s played in 100 player servers and players in teams of up to 4 players each battle it out till they're the last ones standing. Players can also build structures from materials salvaged as they explore the map. Its strategic game style makes it a great option for esports, and it has earned players around 90 million USD in total so far.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Counter Strike: Global Offensive, or better known as CS GO, is an online first person shooter with numerous objective based game modes in a two team format, in this case, the teams are the Terrorists and Counter-terrorists. The game was launched in 2012 and since then has earned players more than 95 million USD. It’s also got a vast NFT market with skins that can cost up to 50,000 USD.

Dota 2

Dota 2, pits two groups of five warriors against one another in order to protect their territory. They will combat over a vast battleground in order to bring down the opposition team's artifact. The protagonists go nearer to fulfilling their individual objectives by conquering the fight. It’s also the most popular esports game on the market and has competitions globally, which have awarded players over 225 million USD in prize money.