Esports Games Most Popular

admin  7/28/2022
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The Best Esports Games for 2021. If you dream of becoming a professional video game player, you need to get good right now. We've reviewed the top esports titles that can launch you on your quest.

  1. (Image Credit: 1000 Logos) One of the oldest and most popular video game franchises in esports history, Counter Strike was first introduced by developing giants Valve Corporation in 2000 and remains one of the gaming industry’s most successful titles.
  2. Boxing and other fighting sports have been popular in the world of traditional sports since ancient times, and in the world of gaming, fighting games have also always been massively popular. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that fighting is one of the most popular present-day esports around.
  3. Counter Strike: Global Offensive, more commonly known as CS:GO is a competitive first person shooter (FPS) and remains as one of the top esports games in the industry. The history of Counter Strike starts in the year 2000 and has been going strong for over 20 years now.

Best e-Sports to Play Now

Esports, which officially means electronic sports, is one of the hottest pop cultures all over the world. It is also looked on as a kind of new sports, and players compete each other with video games or online computer games including the classic game series and recent online game titles.

More and more esports tournaments have been held around the world since the 2010s, and a prize is offered to champions in many tournaments today. Esports are now quite important for the game industry.

There are a large number of professional esports players who sometimes play in a team or are sponsored by companies.

In addition to the increased professional esports players, esports have got much more popular recently partly because of a great number of viewers who enjoy watching them play the games on the online game streaming platform such as YouTube and Twitch.

Then, which esports game is the best for you to play or watch now? Here is the list of the best esports games all over the world for both beginners and advanced gamers.

1. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which is also known as CS:GO, was first released in 2012 following the first title of the series Counter-Strike in 2000 and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero in 2004. CS:GO is one of the most famous FPS (first-person shooter) esports games worldwide.

There are over 20 million players all over the globe as of August 2020 according the official website. The big international tournament Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships (Majors), sponsored by the American game developer Valve, have been held since 2013.

Genre: FPS
Platform: Windows, Mac, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Linux
Website: https://blog.counter-strike.net/

2. Fortnite

Fortnite is now one of the most popular survival and battle royale third-person shooter esports games developed by Epic Games in 2017. There are 3 type of games in Fortnite: Save the World, Battle Royale and Creative. Fortnite Battle Royale is the player-versus-player game for free with up to 100 players including you.

It is unique that players can not only fight with guns and other weapons but also build walls, stairs and other fortifications with various materials. The major competition Fortnite World Cup, sponsored with 100 million dollars by Epic Games, has been held since 2019.

Genre: TPS
Platform: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Website: https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/

3. Splatoon 2

Games

Splatoon 2, released in 2017 when Nintendo Switch itself was on sale, is one of the most popular third-person shooter games developed by the famous Japanese game company Nintendo. It is the second title following Splatoon released in 2015 for Wii U. Players control the human-squid hybrid character Inkling and fight other players shooting, covering the ground and swimming with colorful ink.

There are 5 battle modes and players as a group of 4 fight against another group. Splatoon 2 offers over 100 weapons and over 40 battle fields. The Splatoon2 international championships were held in the largest game show ES 2018 and 2019. Many fans are expecting the next title to be released soon.

Genre: TPS
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Website: https://splatoon.nintendo.com/

4. League of Legends

League of Legends, which is abbreviated to LoL, is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) esports game made by the American video game developer Riot Games in 2009. Player fights as part of a team against another team (each team consists of 5 players) controlling role characters called “champion”. The team aims to win attacking the opposite base.

There are various international and domestic tournaments held around the world, and esports players compete the large international tournament League of Legends World Championship for the prize over 2 million dollars every year.

Genre: MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena)
Platform: Windows, Mac
Website: http://leagueoflegends.com/

5. Dota 2

Dota 2, developed by Valve in 2013, is a popular multiplayer online battle arena game. It is played by over 7.7 million players as esports according to the official website (as of August 2020).

10 players, divided into two teams Raidiant and Dire, compete to destroy the opposite Ancient. A player can control a favorite Hero choosing from over 100 characters. The International, the largest Dota 2 international competition, has annually held around the world from Cologne to Stockholm since 2011.

Genre: MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena)
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Website: https://blog.dota2.com/

Esports Games Most Popular

6. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical first-person shooter esports game, which was developed by the Canadian video game developer Ubisoft Montreal in 2015. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is played in matches between two teams of five players, and the one team is for attackers and another for defenders.

The Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege world championship Six Invitational 2020 was just held in February 2020 having the highest prize pool ever.

Genre: FPS
Platform: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Website: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/rainbow-six/siege

7. Valorant

Valorant is the recent online first-person shooter game produced released for Windows in 2020 by the American game developer Riot Games, which is also famous for the popular MOBA esports League of Legends.

Two teams of five players battle against each other. The attacking team sets and activates bomb called Spike and the defending team prevents them. The first international championship for Valorant players hwas held in Hanoi in June 2020.

Genre: FPS
Platform: Windows
Website: https://playvalorant.com

8. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG)

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, which is also known as PUBG, was developed by the South Korean video game company’s subsidiary PUBG Corporation in 2017.

It offers players battle royale games with either first-person or third-person perspective. Players fight to the last person standing. There are also game modes for two-player teams and four-player squads. Lots of tournaments are held every year in many countries.

Genre: FPS
Platform: Windows, Android, iOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia
Website: https://www.pubg.com/

9. Apex

Apex is a trendy online FPS game developed by the American video game developer Respawn Entertainment in 2019. Apex is set in the sci-fi world of the Respawn Entertainment’s game series Titanfall.

In a multi-player battle royale style, up to 60 players consisting of 20 squad teams of three players fight to the last team standing. The recent FPS game is attracting much attention all over the world as esports. It will be available with Steam and Nintendo Switch after autumn 2020.

Genre: FPS
Platform: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends

10. NBA 2K

NBA 2K has been one of the most popular sports simulation game series since the first title was released in 1999. Players can control the real NBA (the National Basketball Association) team in the basketball game.

In 2017, NBA founded the esports league for NBA 2K and the NBA 2K League started in 2018. The esports players have to play the game using only the players they make in MyPlayer.

Genre: Sports
Platform: Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, etc.
Website: https://www.nba2k.com/

If you are looking for online games you can enjoy with your friends, check this list, too!

For more info about games or other pop cultures, you might also like these articles below!

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© Provided by GamesRadar top esports games

Competitive gaming has been a popular pastime for decades, but the money and industry around the top esports games is a relatively recent development. Esports doesn't mean some pals playing Mario Kart in a bedroom; esports is a multi-billion dollar industry that includes a plethora of titles in every genre, from shooters to simulators and everything in-between. In no particular order, here are the top esports games in 2020 based on a number of factors, including viewership, events, and overall success.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

© Provided by GamesRadar (Image credit: Valve)

Eight years since the launch of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and it has maintained its position as one of the top esports games in the world, with frequent updates to the game, a lucrative market in weapon skins and knives, and a flurry of events every year. Alongside ongoing leagues like the BLAST Premier and ESL Pro League, 2020 has plenty of top tier tournaments like IEM Katowice 2020, DreamHack Anaheim, and both ESL One events in Rio de Janeiro and Cologne respectively.

When it comes to viewership, the biggest tournament in 2019 for CS:GO was the IEM Katowice major, which accumulated 1.2 million views with a $1 million prize pool. This is another million in the total prize money awarded since 2013, which is currently at just over $91 million. The HLTV events page has all of the upcoming CS:GO esports action you can tune into or if you fancy competing yourself, jump in-game and play some ranked to test your mettle.

League of Legends

Most popular esports games 2020Top esports games 2019© Provided by GamesRadar (Image credit: Riot)

Perhaps the most famous esport in the world, League of Legends (LoL) is one of two Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) dominating the esports industry. It's been almost 11 years since LoL launched, and the grand total prize money awarded is a whopping $73.5m across over 2,400 events. South Korea is by far the most popular and successful market for LoL, with eight of the top 10 earners hailing from the nation. In fact, only one player in the top 25 — Luka 'PerkZ' Perkovic — comes from a country other than South Korea or China, showing the popularity and dominance of the two Asian countries within LoL.

When it comes to active players, a report from last year states that there's around eight million concurrent active players in League every day, so while that's less than Fortnite (which is available on almost every platform under the sun), it's by far the most popular PC game. If you're interested in watching some League of Legends esports, head on over to the official League of Legends esports schedule. Alternatively, you can play ranked in-game to see how you stack up.

Most popular esports games 2018

Fortnite

© Provided by GamesRadar (Image credit: Epic Games)

Some will say Fortnite isn't a proper esport due to Epic's tendency to roll out changes right before big events and reluctancy to maintain a healthy competitive metagame, but that doesn't detract from the fact that over $80 million has been given out in rewards in just over two years. The game took the world by storm when it launched in September 2017 and while the buzz in the general media has died out, the esports scene is still thriving.

Last year saw the biggest Fortnite esports event ever; the Fortnite World Cup in New York City. Nothing has been confirmed yet for 2020 but everyone is expecting Epic Games to ramp up the stakes for the next World Cup. Thanks to the amount Epic gave out during 2019, Fortnite quickly surpassed most other esports titles to have the third all time highest prize total, surpassed only by CS:GO and DotA 2.

How many people play Fortnite is a question plenty of people ask, and as of March 2019 – so almost a year ago – Fortnite had 250 million registered users. Ask any random person on the street and chances are they'll have heard of Fortnite, even if they're not able to tell you exactly what it's about, which shows just how quickly Fortnite grew. The official Fortnite competitive page lists all the upcoming events and has everything you need to know, or play some of the in-game tournaments to see if you're good enough to compete yourself.

Dota 2

© Provided by TechRadar (Image credit: Valve)

Dota 2 is the only direct competitor to League of Legends and it comes from Valve, the same studio behind CS:GO. While LoL is immensely popular in Asian regions, the top 25 earners in Dota 2 are spread across 16 different nations, including the U.S.A, China, France, and Romania.

When it comes to prize money, Dota 2 blows every other title out of the water thanks to the method of funding used. The International is the name of the annual event and in the build-up, fans can purchase what is known as the 'Compendium' in-game which contains all sorts of content from new modes and consumables to cosmetics and challenges. 25% of all proceeds go towards The International prize pool, which meant that The International 2019 had a whopping $34.3m available, on top of the $200m+ that has been on offer over the years.

Despite having the largest prize pools, Dota 2 doesn't shine a light to LoL's player count. The average player count for the last few months is just under 400k according to SteamCharts, approximately 5% of what LoL allegedly gets. To tune in to any upcoming events, take a look at the Dota 2 Liquidpedia page. Fancy a wedge of that enormous prize pool yourself? Play some ranked and see if you can handle it.

Call of Duty

© Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. (Image credit: Activision)

One of the only esports to be played on console, the competitive Call of Duty scene is unique in the fact it moves on to a brand new title every year. Thanks to Call of Duty's annual release schedule, players have to learn the ins and outs of a whole new game every October. Right now, we're on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and just like Activision has been doing with Overwatch for the last few years, the COD League has moved to a franchise-based system.

This means there's 12 location based teams across North America and Europe such as the London Royal Ravens, Los Angeles Guerillas, and Toronto Ultras. While previous years have had a few large scale events throughout the season, you can tune into live Call of Duty esports almost every two weeks as the 12 teams compete for a total of $6 million. Check out the full schedule on the official Call of Duty League page and take a look at our guide on how to watch the COD League.

When it comes to the Call of Duty player count, since it's played across so many different platforms and Activision doesn't release official numbers, there's no way to know for certain. We do know however that the game has passed the $1 billion mark and that Call of Duty is still one of the most popular franchises in the world. At the time of writing, Modern Warfare doesn't have a ranked queue in-game, but you can enter via the CDL Challengers open league.

Overwatch

© Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. (Image credit: Blizzard)

Overwatch 2 may be on the horizon this year, but the first game is still succeeding as an esport and has been for a good few years now. The Overwatch League has a whopping 20 teams that compete over 26 weeks for their share of $5 million and now we're into the third season, it means things should be fairly smooth sailing. Long gone are the days of the Shanghai Dragons losing 42 matches on the bounce because every team is more than capable of winning each match.

When it comes to Overwatch esports, South Korea and the U.S.A are the dominant countries, with 24 of the top 25 top earners hailing from either one (the only other player is from Sweden). Almost $22 million has been dished out so far and while the seasonal playoffs are the culmination of the top teams, the Overwatch World Cup is perhaps the most exciting tournament to watch as a fan so you can root for your country.

Coming up in the Overwatch League schedule are matches starting on February 8 running all the way until mid-August, followed by the World Cup later in the year. Although every platform has ranked play, Overwatch esports is only on PC. You can get stuck in by competing in the Overwatch Open Division once you're confident enough in your abilities.

Honourable Mentions

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Of course, these aren't the only esports. There's hundreds of games played at a competitive level, including Farming Simulator – seriously. Titles that just missed out on a spot in the top list include both PUBG and Apex Legends, two successful battle royale games that are unfortunately living in the shadow of Fortnite. There's also PUBG Mobile, which is impressively even more popular than its mainstream counterpart.

FIFA 20 deserves a mention too, as the most successful sports esport, with multiple tournaments throughout the year including the ePremier League in partnership with the actual Premier League. Then there's Hearthstone, Blizzard's Warcraft inspired card game; Rainbow Six Siege, a tactical shooter with countless events throughout the year; and Rocket League, a sports-driving hybrid that is one of the easiest esports to watch and understand. That's not even mentioning the number of fighting games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros, and the like.

If a video game can be played competitively online, there's a big chance it has an esports scene, even if it's not one of the biggest. Scour the web and you'll undoubtedly find something for your favourite title.