Bruce Dias 
eSports is fast becoming a well-respected and globally loved sport. As it grows in popularity, so does the demand for tournaments and ways for spectators to watch their favorite games being played. Thanks to this, there are lots of eSports championships that fans can tune in to, whether they’re battle arena enthusiasts or prefer sporting games.
With more and more spectators tuning in to watch these games, it’s no surprise that eSports is becoming a more popular option for betting on the outcomes. Gone are the days of only being able to gamble on horse racing or major sports leagues – nowadays, eSports fans can bet on all of their favorite gamers and on the outcomes of the major tournaments that we’ll take you through below. With the eSports betting market set to reach a value of $2594.51 million by 2028, it’s clear that this is big business. And with some of the tournaments attracting millions in prize money, it’s no wonder that more and more players are vying for a piece of the action.
1. Gamers8 Festival
Although not technically a tournament, the Gamers8 Festival in Saudi Arabia plays host to lots of different eSports competitions each year over eight weeks. It draws in many players and watchers, in part thanks to its huge prize pool, which last year sat at $45 million!
Some of the games played at the Gamers8 Fest include Fortnite, Tekken 7, FIFA, Rainbow Six: Siege, and PUBG. The festival is part of a push by Saudi Arabia to expand into the gaming industry and establish themselves as a powerhouse of eSports.
2. League of Legends World Championship
The LoL World Championship has been going since 2011, making it one of the oldest eSports tournaments out there. As well as this, it also has the highest viewer levels of any tournament, drawing in 5.15 million watchers at its peak, average viewing numbers of nearly 1 million, and over 140 million hours of watching time in total! And as if that wasn’t enough, LoL is also one of the most bet-on eSports, making it a significant contributor to the $682.63 million value of the eSports betting market in 2022. Currently, the World Championship is taking place in Korea, with JD Gaming the current favorites for the title, at 11/10.
The League of Legends championship takes place throughout the spring and summer, and culminates in a battle between the best teams from all over the world. The prize money comes in at $2.25 million, which is lower than some other tournaments, but is still a sizable amount. What’s more, the majority of eSports players take part in these competitions not for the cash, but because they are passionate about gaming.
3. The International
Dota 2, a multiplayer battle arena game created by Valve, is the focus point at The International. Since 2011, when the tournament was founded, there has always been a hefty prize of anywhere from $1 million to $22 million. Dota is another of the first eSports games, and as such, is pretty easy to find at online sportsbooks.
Games take place between the eighteen best teams in the world, until it gets narrowed down to just a few players. Interestingly, most of the prize money comes from fans, rather than the tournament hosts. The in-game purchases that Dota 2 offers make up the majority of the funds, with Valve contributing the rest.
4. Fortnite World Cup
Fortnite is a relatively new game, but its rise in popularity has been unprecedented. Many players are craving for Fortnite accounts with rare skins since then. The game came out in 2017, and the first global tournament for it was hosted in 2019. Despite Fortnite being so new, the prize pool was the highest ever seen before, with $30 million up for grabs!
In the first Fortnite World Cup, winner Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf made history by becoming the highest-earning Fortnite gamer on the planet. He earned $3 million at the event.
5. Call of Duty World League Championship
Hosted by Activision, the CoD championship has taken place every year since 2013. 32 teams are given the chance to battle it out for the prize money, which typically comes out to $2.5 million.
The Call of Duty tournaments are fun for viewers to watch because not only does the venue change each year, but so does the game being played. Gamers will usually compete with whatever the latest release is – in 2022, this was Call of Duty: Vanguard, which had come out the previous year.
Conclusion
From looking at the sheer quantity of eSports tournaments that are popping up all over the world, it’s clear to see that they are only getting more and more popular. Year on year they are drawing in bigger viewership numbers, prize funds, and players trying to qualify for championships.
Although some of the largest tournaments have been around for a decade or more, others, like the Fortnite World Cup, are newcomers, thanks to the eSports industry still being in its infancy. We don’t know about you, but this makes us pretty excited to see what else may pop up in the next few years.
