Games were once considered nothing more but time-wasters. But since then, gaming has evolved to become a fully professional occupation. Individuals and teams alike can compete in various leagues, tournaments, and competitions. With more and more viewers each year, prize pools have broken all records, and participants stand to win hefty rewards. In recent years, eSports have become an invaluable part of every bookmaker. If you want to get into the game click here.
Since most sporting events are still at risk of canceling due to the ongoing pandemic, eSports’ viewership and prize money continue to climb in 2020. Along with this, stalwarts of eSports are now facing younger and equally competitive games. This increased gaming competition has brought more dynamics to the virtual and betting world. Most bookmakers have special offers for eSports, so be on the lookout for promotions and bonuses on this site.
Here are the top 5 eSports games of 2020.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty had humble beginnings but proved out to be one of the biggest and most successful franchises in the gaming world. Modern Warfare came out in 2019 and is already reaping the rewards of its superb engine. In 2020, the game numbers 206 professional players, 35 tournaments, and a prize pool of $6,268,672. Since the game is still young, viewership is not all that great, with only 50,000 average viewers. This peaked at around 190,000, mostly because of the popular Call of Duty League Championship Weekend. If Modern Warfare isn’t your cup of tea, you can always take a look at the new Black Ops Cold War review.
League of Legends
Since its release in 2009, League of Legends has constantly been in the top 5 eSports games. In 2020 alone, it has 1,257 registered players, 62 tournaments, and a prize pool of $7,828,821. The game hosts the most viewed competitions in the world and this year, the average viewership is around 250,000. It peaked at an astonishing 3.9 million viewers. With numbers like these, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the LCK Spring Split Finals was one of the biggest eSports events in the world.
Fortnite
Fortnite was released in 2017 and since then has reached massive heights. In 2020, the game numbers 1,462 players, 103 tournaments, and a prize pool of $7,871,151. The real testimony of its popularity is the average viewership of around 200,000 that peaked during this year to an unbelievable 2.3 million. For a game that is only three years old, these numbers are amazing. The biggest tournament of the year is the $1 Million Super Cup, and it started on the 21st of November.
Dota 2
One of the oldies on the list is Dota 2, with 872 players, 128 tournaments and a prize pool of $8,197,360. The average viewership base is roughly 120,000, but the game had a peak viewership of over 1 million in 2020. The most viewed tournament was ESL Los Angeles – Europe & CIS. There is a new BattlePass for Dota 2, so you can check out the breakdown to see if it is worth it.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike is one of the oldies but is still regarded as the best eSports game out there. It has an average viewership of 200,000, but it peaked at over 1.2 million in 2020. With over 2,500 registered players, 467 tournaments, and $11,907,949 in prize money, players stand to win massive rewards. The most viewed tournament was IEM Katowice.