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The Five Biggest Esports of 2019 by Prize Pools | Culture of Gaming

The esports industry has been thriving for years now and the scene is constantly growing. More and more people are looking to build a career as a pro gamer or streamer. The opportunities are endless and this article will provide an overview of the five biggest esports of 2019.

There are different criteria that could be used, but the rankings here follow the money. They are based on the total prize pool of 2019 as an objective measure of the popularity of each game.

Fortnite

It’s hardly a surprise to see Fortnite leading the way, as this is the biggest game in the popular battle royale genre in the world. The total prize pools that will be awarded in 2019 surpass the $50 million mark which makes it bigger than many traditional sports.

Dota 2

The 2019 International alone gathered around $33 million and elevated Dota 2 to second place on the list. The unofficial World Championship was the biggest esports event of the year, smashing the record for the most generous tournaments in the history of the industry. It’s scary to think about what will happen in 2020, as the prize pool of the International keeps rising every year.

Outside of that, there were around 100 other tournaments with real cash that added another $10 million or so to the total Dota 2 prize pools in 2019. Despite the huge competition in the MOBA genre, the game remains the undisputed leader and one of the biggest esports out there.

CSGO

Counter-Strike is one of the most engaging titles in the history of online gaming, so it’s no surprise to see CSGO still going strong in 2019. The year featured multiple tournaments with around a million US dollars in the prize pool which is enough for third place on our list.

While the game is not expected to grow significantly in 2020, chances are that it will manage to at least generate similar numbers.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

The fourth installment of the Call of Duty series is called Back Ops and it was released in October of 2018. The game managed to break into the esports top 5 in its first year, which is an impressive feat.

The total prize pool will surpass $5 million by the end of the year and the money has been spread across almost 40 different events. The expectations are for more of the same in 2020.

Overwatch

Overwatch has the reputation of one of the most dynamic shooters in the history of the genre, so it’s not a surprise to see it in the fifth spot. The total prize pool reached just over $5.5 million, as the Overwatch League 2019 was the biggest contributor, with $3.5 million on the line.

Other Popular Games

The esports scene is growing by the minute and you can check the full list of the most popular esports games. The prize pools exploded in 2019 and the same will most likely happen in 2020. More and more people are watching, betting or participating in esports, so the future of the industry seems very bright.

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