The real world may have come to a halt, but the eSport industry certainly hasn’t. In 2019 there was a sharp rise in the popularity of competitive gaming, and the global revenue from eSports topped $1billion. Despite the cancellation of all big tournaments last year, the industry has continued to grow, and the viewing figures are only increasing.
The cash prizes have also been increasing for those wanting to play its online, like the games that can be found here. The amount of prize money that can be won is based on the popularity of the eSport, so without further ado, here are some of the most prominent esports from last year where the winners won SO big.
DOTA 2
Dota 2 is a popular Valve Corporation multiplayer sports arena game. The defence of the ancients is a succession: all-stars. The game sees most of its users in North America and Europe.
It is usually played in five teams, each with their area on a map that they must defend. Teams win by destroying the opposing team’s “Ancient” structure within the other team’s base.
DOTA 2 continues to be the highest paying it in esports, with the game offloading an all-time amount of $224.3 million, $52 million of that went to prize money in 2019. The prize money for 2024 came to $9.2 million, with the prizes averaging around $111,111.
The winning team of 5 took home $15.6 million, each taking home more than Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters ($2.07million) – nice work we would say.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Another hit from the developers over at Valve Corporation and Hidden Path Entertainment, CS: GO is an FPS (first-person shooter) game and is the fourth addition to the Counter-Strike series.
We divide the team into two, the terrorists and the counter-terrorists. Players fighting the counter-terrorist side must defeat the opposition by defusing the bomb they have planted and saving the hostages.
CS: GO was the most active game in 2024 and had a tournament almost every week, bringing in the prize money at $4.9 million for 2024 alone. The average win is around $51,042, and the overall prize amount won is roughly $96.2 million.
StarCraft II
StarCraft II is a strategy game that Blizzard Entertainment released in 2024. The game is a sequel to the original StarCraft game and continues the science-fiction scenario many gamers love.
In StarCraftII, players divide themselves into three species/teams- Terrans, Zerg and Protoss. The game takes place over three stages. The base game is Wings of Liberty, then players will move on to the Terrans(humans) section, and the Zerg and Protoss will follow.
Despite only being released in 2010, the game has racked up an impressive $33.0 million in prize money over the years.
Overwatch
Overwatch is another Blizzard entertainment game. It is a first-person shooter game played in teams of six. The game’s goal is to secure goal points on the map or transport the payload from one point to another within a limited timeframe.
It was released in 2016 and has paid out over $21.7 million in prize money since then.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege is a shooter game with tactics, developed by Ubisoft. Players must complete specific tasks according to the mode they have chosen. Players can choose to be an attacker or a defender in each mode and carry out tasks such as defusing a bomb or rescuing hostages.
In 2024 over $4 million was given out in prizes across 18 tournaments, with prizes averaging at $222,222. It was released in 2015 and has accrued an impressive $12.1 in prize money since then.
The game has over 60 million players worldwide and continues to grow every year.
League of Legends
League of Legends is a strategy multiplayer real-time action game developed by Riot Games. Players are divided into teams of 3 or 5 and win by destroying opposing sides “Nexus’ ‘ found in the other team’s base. The gameplay is similar to that of DOTA 2, and the game finds most of its users in Asia.
Riot Games developed the game and now holds the title for the fourth highest-paying game globally with over $75 million in prize money. Prizes average at about $111,538. In 2024 the total amount of prizes given was $2.9 million and was given out at 26 tournaments.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a unique arcade-style soccer game that uses cars as avatars. Developed by Psyonix and is played in teams of up to eight players. The aim of the game is the same as a real game of soccer, except with cars, and teams have to see how many points they can score before the time runs out.
2020 saw Rocket League achieving an impressive $1.5 in prizes, with the prizes averaging at around $88,235 across the 17 tournaments. The overall prize money for the game comes to approximately $8.9 million.
This game only recently became popular as the BBC broadcasted the European Spring Series last year, increasing its reach and appeal across generations and interests.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
PUBG is a battle royale type game developed by the UBG Corporation and has increased in popularity, quickly becoming the top battle royale game out there. It can be played in teams and has a maximum number of 100 players. The game aims to be the last one standing.
In 2024 the game saw over $1.5 in prize money won across 21 tournaments with prizes averaging around $71,429, contributing to the all-time prize money amount of $22 million.
There is plenty of money in the gaming industry, which makes it so appealing to so many. If you’re thinking of competing in the eSport sector, any one of the games mentioned would be good if you’re aiming to make it your day job or even just as a way to enjoy your downtime.
