Gaming tournaments are a big deal and, of course, attract huge amounts of people, both in-person and online. These events are super popular, and the money on the line for gamers can be life-changing, though the competition is tough.
In this article, we’ll be looking at 10 of the very biggest gaming events, telling you why each is unique and why they’re so special, plus the reasons why they’re loved by gamers. Whether you game online using websites such as BETMGM or prefer to follow the fun using an online stream, this article should be fun and informative.
1. League of Legends (LoL) World Championship
The largest League of Legends competition in the world, the World Championship is as big as it comes for gamers and spectators, with millions tuning in from all around the world. Produced by Riot Games, this gaming spectacle is the most watched competition online, setting record after record.
Just last year alone, the competition averaged over 1,300,000 viewers throughout its duration, with that number exceeding 4,000,000 at the very peak. This competition represents the very top of the League of Legends world, and those who get involved in it often state that it is more stressful than anything else in their lives.
2. Dota’s The International
If you haven’t heard of Dota 2, let alone The International, we don’t know where you’ve been for the past decade. This eSports juggernaut is as serious as it comes, and the prize money reflects that. In 2024 the prize pool exceeded $40,000,000, which is an insane amount of money that could be absolutely life-changing.
Hosted by Valve, the tournament involves 18 teams all competing for the prize money. What makes this tournament unique is how the teams are selected, with 12 coming from the Pro Circuit and the remaining 6 coming from the regional leagues and tournaments. It is very much anti-merit and pro-competition.
3. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Major Championship
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It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t include the Counter-Strike Major Championships on this list because it’s one of the most loved and widely watched gaming competitions in the world. The game is popular all over the world but is especially popular in the US and Russia.
While this competition doesn’t have the biggest of prizes, it is still massive compared to many others and is attractive for almost all of the players, standing at $1,000,000. The event lasts for 2 weeks and involves many different teams and players who all compete for the ultimate prize, though only 1 can succeed.
4. Call of Duty World League (CWL) Championship
Although it can be argued that Call of Duty is not what it once was, both in terms of popularity and gameplay quality, it’s still one of the most popular video games in the world and the high-level competitions still attract many viewers. The franchise has been popular for many years and there is big money on the line thanks to the massive sponsors.
The Championship is a mainstay in the Call of Duty space with many of the larger gaming groups, such as FaZe and Optic, usually at the fore of many competitions. In 2024, Atlanta FaZe were the Call of Duty League Season champions, taking home arguably the biggest prize in the industry, watched by thousands and thousands.
5. Overwatch League (OWL) Grand Finals
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With the recent release of Overwatch 2, it remains to be seen how this sequel will impact the Overwatch League Grand Finals. Historically, the competition has attracted a huge amount of interest, and there has been a good prize pool on the line in recent years, though a slower uptake of the new game might have an impact going forward. Keep an eye on this!
6. Rainbow Six Siege Pro League Final
Rainbow Six Siege has been a popular game for many years, and the competition has been fierce historically, though it has been significantly impacted over the past few years. While it is still one of the biggest competitions in the gaming world, we’re all waiting to see if it’ll return to the same level following some time away. Loved by Rainbow Six Siege gamers, it’d be a shame to see the Pro League Finals fade away.
7. Fortnite World Cup
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While not as big as it once was, the Fortnite World Cup was first introduced to us back in 2019 and was actually hosted by Epic Games, the developers of the game itself. It took a while for the first tournament to come together, despite the early success of the game, but it is certainly a spectacle now.
The competition suffered massively during the global shutdown, and it took until 2024 for the second edition to finally arrive. This tournament looks to be the most anticipated of the year, and with the 2019 prize pool being $3,000,000, we can’t imagine how much might be on the line this year. Make sure to watch this space and keep an eye out for any news.
8. Hearthstone World Championship
Hearthstone is one of the biggest card games in the world and has a massive competitive scene, despite not attracting as much attention as some of the other games on this list. The digital card game, although not as prestigious as many of the others here, is still a big deal in gaming and had a prize pool of $500,000 in 2024, which was split between the finals based on where they finished.
9. PUBG Global Championship
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PUNG is not as big as it once was, mainly thanks to Fortnite and Aphex Legends, but it still draws a sizeable audience and is one of the bigger battle royale video games. The 2020 edition of the competition attracted over 1,000,000 viewers and was one of the most-watched gaming tournaments of the year, often leading the space when it comes to online streaming and viewer integration.
10. Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) World Championship
The RLCS World Championships is one of the biggest competitions in the Rocket League scene and takes place every year. The 3v3 tournament attracts the biggest, best, and most competitive Rocket League players in the world, resulting in some insane gameplay. If you find mind-bending physics and fast-paced gameplay a bit too much to handle, we wouldn’t recommend watching.
