Esports has exploded into a global phenomenon with a projected audience of over 640 million by 2025.
This growth is fueled by massive tournaments like the League of Legends World Championship, which alone drew a record-breaking 6.4 million peak viewers in 2023. This has translated well to the industry’s revenue, of course—it’s expected to hit $4.8 billion globally this year, per Statista.
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While playing and watching remain the primary ways for fans to engage, esports betting is also on the rise. More and more platforms offer odds on everything from match outcomes to in-game events, leading to rapid growth.
The Titans of Esports in 2025
Based on the latest data, League of Legends is still leading the charge industry-wide in terms of popularity, followed by Valorant and Counter-Strike 2.
League of Legends (LoL)
LoL continues to reign supreme in esports through global tournaments like the League of Legends World Championship. In 2025, it reached a peak viewership of 1.9 million during the LCK season. With a prize pool exceeding $1.5 million across 55 tournaments this year, it is essentially a cornerstone of competitive gaming.
Valorant
Riot Games’ Valorant is another tactical shooter mainstay title in the esports ecosystem. The Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2025 includes global events like Masters Toronto and Champions Paris, which attract peak viewership of over 1.3 million.
Counter-Strike 2 (CS2)
The latest version of Counter-Strike has reignited the franchise with updated mechanics and a competitive scene that’s as active as ever. As of 2025, CS2 has been leading all esports titles in prize money, with $8.5 million spread across 117 tournaments. Peak viewership has hit 1.3 million, demonstrating the game’s enduring popularity.
Dota 2
Twelve years in, Dota 2 still holds its ground as one of the most strategic titles in esports. While its peak viewership of 400,000+ is lower than what some competitors boast, the fanbase is as dedicated as ever.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB)
Mobile Legends continues to dominate the mobile esports scene, especially in Southeast Asia. In 2025, MLBB achieved a staggering peak viewership of 2.7 million during its MDL Indonesia Season 11.
The Global Impact of Esports
Esports has transcended its niche origins. Today, it is a global phenomenon with the potential to reshape culture and impact economies and tech.
- Cultural influence: Two key factors are at play here. So far, we’ve only mentioned major tournaments drawing 5+ million viewers worldwide. Add to that global gaming personalities like Ninja—who are shaping trends in fashion, music, and beyond—and it’s clear that esports have become a major cultural force
- Economic growth: Projected to hit $4.8 billion in revenue by 2025, the esports industry thrives on sponsorships and media rights. Fans flocking in for major competitions should also be taken into account, with cities like Shanghai and Seoul benefiting from event-driven tourism.
- Technological advancements: Esports has also been a driving force behind streaming breakthroughs, with platforms hosting 4K ultra-low latency broadcasts. Virtual and augmented reality innovations also enhance fan experiences, and games like Valorant incorporate advanced anti-cheat systems.
Esports Betting—A New Frontier
Esports betting has emerged as a new way for fans to deepen their engagement with competitive gaming.
Like traditional sports betting, fans combine their passion for esports with the thrill of predicting results. The industry is still young and exciting, with far more unpredictable outcomes than regular major sports leagues, for better or for worse.
At its core, esports betting involves placing bets on various aspects of pro gaming tournaments. This can mean predicting the winner of a League of Legends showdown or the total map count in a Counter-Strike 2 series—the range of markets to explore is huge.
Fans can also bet on more specific outcomes, such as which team scores the first kill in Valorant or how many rounds a match will last.
Popular esports betting markets include match winners, simple bets on which team will triumph, map scores (which are predictions on the final scores of individual maps), as well as special bets on outcomes like first kill, total kills, in-game events, and more.
Even popular premium tools have started including esports betting in the mix. For example, you can use these to find esports bets with positive expected value or arbitrage bets that guarantee winnings.
If you engage in esports betting, be aware of your local regulations because laws vary by region. While fun, esports betting should always be approached responsibly, with clear limits set to avoid potential risks. Stay safe and have fun!
