A world of high-stakes video game competitions are happening all the time. Known as esports, these massive tournaments attract millions of fans and feature teams that are a combination of pro gamers and regular players. Some are specialized in just one game while others may play many different genres of video games.
The most popular esports include multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), first-person shooter (FPS), fighting games, card and strategy games, and the ever-popular Battle Royale titles. However, a wide variety of other game genres can also find success in the realm of esports, including real-time strategy (RTS), simulation and educational games, and even the mind-bending world of chess.
As for the esports teams, some are as legendary as the titles themselves. Faker, the iconic mid-laner for T1 in League of Legends, is widely considered the greatest player in the history of the sport. The same can be said of s1mple in Counter-Strike, or Daigo Umehara in Street Fighter. And even a little-known title like the Microsoft Excel World Championship can be captivating to watch, as it tests players’ skills against each other.
Beyond the biggest names, a packed 2025 tournament calendar keeps fans and pros fully engaged. The Valorant event in March drew more than 1.5 million concurrent viewers, while the BLAST Slam II and multiple Wallachia seasons are delivering prize pools that run into hundreds of thousands.