The competitive esports scene has come a long way in the past decade. The idea of an esports event having millions of viewers was highly unusual in 2013 unless there were extenuating circumstances.
Fast forward ten years, and such viewership numbers are the norm. Events involving games such as CS:GO, Dota, Overwatch, League of Legends and Fortnite can quickly get tens of millions of views over a few days.
Part of the reason esports have become so popular is accessibility. These games are often accessible on YouTube, Twitch or other platforms. While people must pay a subscription to watch regular sports, esports are freely available.
If you are new to competitive gaming, you should know about the past decade’s most exciting and famous events. Below is our ranking of the top five gaming tournaments from the last ten years.
1. World series of poker
The rising popularity of esports has also had a very positive impact on the gambling industry. With people getting to play their favorite casino games online, they are much more interested in watching others play as well.
Online Poker Tournaments have seen huge boosts in their viewership figures, with many gamers now making a living on platforms such as Twitch by streaming their poker action. Whether a long-time player or newly interested in poker, you should catch the World Series of Poker.
An annual event in Las Vegas, the WSOP is the culmination of the poker season and sees the best players take on each other for tens of millions of dollars. The event quickly gets a few million viewers each year.
2. EVO Championship
While the EVO Championship does not quite get the viewership numbers of some modern games, it has a distinction that only others can match. The EVO Championship is one of the oldest running gaming competitions in the world, dating back to 1996 in Sunnyvale, California.
The tournament was first called B3: Battle By The Bay but was eventually renamed the EVO Championships. The event features players taking on each other in the best fighting games of all time, such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.
If you are an older or retro gamer, you will find this event thrilling to watch, and you may even want to participate one day.
3. Fortnite world cup
The Fortnite World Cup was one of the first games to create a tournament where anyone from the world could take part in the hopes of winning big money. When the tournament first took place in 2019, it allowed 200 of the world’s top players to participate in a competition with a combined prize pool of $30 million.
The competition was a huge success, and millions of people tuned in to watch on Twitch and other platforms. At the time, Fortnite had yet to be seen as a top-tier e-sport in the eyes of many fans. They saw it as a casual game, but this tournament changed everything. Now Fortnite is seen as an e-sport in the same way as CS:Go or DOTA 2. The game is still hugely popular in 2023.
4. League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship is another epic tournament that peaked in 2019. When the “Worlds” event occurred that year, over 4 million people tuned in to watch.
So many people are interested in League of Legends gaming events because of the atmosphere they create. Not only are the very best players participating, but the entire event is a theatrical production showcasing the best of the game.
Whether you are a casual LoL fan or you are someone who has played avidly for years, you will find the next edition of the World Championship a thrilling watch.
5. CS:Go World Championships
One of the oldest games to feature competitive play, the CS:Go World Championships is still a relatively new creation. Most Counter-Strike games are regional in the past, involving the best players taking on each other within the same city or country.
The CS:Go World Championships took the game to another level, as the best players worldwide were coming together to compete in different teams. The most recent edition of the tournament reached viewership figures of several million.
Whether you enjoy watching first-person shooter, racing, sports or strategy games, there are so many esports competitions you can check out. Some people follow one or two streamers to see how they perform at events, while others enjoy watching the entire event without specifically rooting for anyone. Develop an appreciation for the intensity and skill that goes into esports, improve your game by learning strategies from the pros and be a part of the thrill associated with watching the best athletes compete live for millions of dollars in prize money. The past decade gave us some epic gaming events, but there is no doubt that we can expect even more significant action in the next five to ten years.
