The World of eSports has evolved with the internet, console, and computer technology. The popularity and profitability of esports have increased significantly in recent years. Many doubted that competitive gaming could match traditional sporting events such as basketball and football a decade ago. eSports has made great efforts from its humble origins to become one of the World’s fastest-growing entertainment industries. Streaming has made it possible for more fans to see their favorite teams play around the World. From college dorms in the 1970s to gigantic indoor stadiums in the 2020s, esports appeal and history transcended the conventional idea of players as social rejects. When the figures reveal a Mid-Season Invitational—not even a championship event—was only $30,000,000 from the Super Bowl, most doubts disappear. When an eSports tournament draws 173,000 people, compared to 75,000 for the Super Bowl, all doubt was gone. Some eSports events have been huge, attesting to their popularity. Here are the top 5 events in eSports history.
1. The International Dota 2
The Dota 2 tournament’s main event is the most popular esports tournament in the World. The International has always had the makings of a spectacular competition since it was first held in 2011. Because Valve implemented a crowdfunding model at its core starting in 2013, the company has maintained its current level of popularity and an ever-increasing prize pool. The tournament had a prize pool of $40 million or more for its tenth edition. Valve is ready to award the cash to the 18 teams in six areas. The winner brought home approximately $18 million.
The two-week festival was initially scheduled for August 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden, but was postponed owing to COVID-19. Later, the Swedish government failed to recognize esports as an official sport, causing Valve to move the event to Romania. TI10 was held on October 7-17, two months after its intended date.
2. Fortnite World Cup Final
Thanks to Epic Games, the first major esports event for Epic’s flagship game went off without a hitch. Forty million gamers enthusiasts from all over the world participated. However, only the 200 greatest Fortnite players in the world competed in the $30 million Fortnite World Cup Solo and Duos Finals, $3 million Creative Finals, and $3 million Charity Pro-Am in New York City on July 26-28. More than 200 countries participated in a 10 weeks $1 million Online Open Qualifiers.
Fortnite crowned Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf as its first world champion after winning the singles event against 99 other players in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York. He also won $3 million in prize money, making him one of the wealthiest esports players overnight. Europeans Emil “nyhrox” Pederson and David “aqua” Wang beat off 49 other pairs to win their own $3 million in the duos.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed for the three-day Fortnite World Cup Finals. During Sunday’s Solo Finals, concurrent YouTube and Twitch viewers peaked at over 2.3 million, making the Fortnite World Cup the most-watched competitive gaming event. These stats don’t include in-game and social media viewers.
3. PUBG Global Invitational.S 2021
PUBG’s first significant event of 2021 was the PUBG Global Invitational.S, a 32-team competition with $7.1 million in prize money. The original prize pool was $3.5 million, but because of crowdfunding and other guarantees, it increased to $7.1 million. PGI.S lasted two months with teams in three locations, culminating in an epic conclusion. When the event ended, NA’s Susquehanna Sonics were world champions and won $1,296,189.
PUBG Global Invitational.S gathered the World’s finest teams for a multi-week competition from February 5 to March 28. Only one of the 32 teams in the event was crowned champion. PGI.S combines classic and new formats. Understanding the tournament format is that the Champion of PGI.S 2021 was selected by prize money earned. Each week is a chance to win prize money and get closer to the Championship, but the stakes and prize money rise over time.
4. League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship may have the most viewership of any esports competition. It is by far the most prominent esports tournament in terms of viewership count, with about a hundred million viewers tuning in to watch the 2018 edition of the competition. The prize pool for the World Championship is never high enough to compete with the likes of The International or the Fortnite World Cup, but it was still a “good” $6.7M in 2018, which is an increase from the $4.5 million it was worth in 2017.
The goal of Riot Games was never to hand out enormous prize pools, given most teams competing in the competitive environments already participate in franchised leagues and have profit-sharing agreements in place. Despite this, their “modest” prize amounts are still up there among the largest prize pools in esports history because of the enormous number of people who watch their competitions. The competition was held in China once again this year, but it was a multi-city, multi-venue spectacle that began on September 27.
5. Evo Championship Series
The Evolution Championship Series is an annual competition in electronic sports that is only devoted to the round of fighting games. In the communities dedicated to fighting games, it is typically referred to as “EVO” or just “Evo.” The competition is well-known, and it is regarded as being one of the most critical events in competitive Street Fighter, if not the essential tournament overall. As a result, competitors often travel from worldwide to take part in the game.
The competition was initially held in California in 1996 under the moniker “Battle by the Bay” and included 40 competitors competing in Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2. It was ultimately relocated to its permanent location in Las Vegas. In 2002, the competition became known as Evo after its new moniker. The number of gamers participating in the competition increased, reaching over one thousand in 2009. Since the tournament’s inception in 2011, seeding points have been awarded to competitors who have achieved high standings in other significant competitions held in various parts of the World. The results of these tournaments are then factored into the “Road to EVO” rankings. At EVO, the group stages are set up so that competitors who entered the season with high seeding points do not face off against each other until later in the competition. In addition, the organizers make every effort to pair competitors from different regions against one another throughout the early stages of the competition.
As part of the Capcom Pro Tour, EVO is a “premier event,” As the winners of all the previous premier tournaments, the victor of EVO will receive an automatic berth in the Capcom Cup Finals. This competition, which was eventually named EVO, holds the record for being the longest-running fighting event. It features a wide variety of fighting games, including titles with illustrious lineages such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and Super Smash Bros., to name just a few. This high-profile competition shows no signs of slowing down at all.
eSports is a new popular and growing sport for young enthusiasts. It can be fun to get together and throw a gaming party and watch and play.