The last decade has meant a great surge in the popularity of esports worldwide. It’s an industry that continues growing with millions of players worldwide. Some of the most popular esports games are the center of massive global tournaments, thousands of streaming viewers and a popularity that seems just to continue rising in the coming years. Learn more about some of the video games driving this development pushing esports upwards and onwards.

The last handful of years have shown a continuous surge in the popularity of esports. The industry has continued to grow year after year resulting in a global market value of approx $1.64 billion in 2024. This number is 70% higher than it was five years ago. This incredible growth has meant more gamers, streamers, viewers, competitions, larger prize pools, and of course a wider amount of fantastic games to choose from. Today, gamers have a broad selection of video games to choose from whether they’re looking for first-person shooter games (FPS), adventure games, sports games or perhaps RTS games.

The popularity of esports games has meant that millions of people all over the world like to play video games. It has also meant a rise in streaming and betting on esports. The esports tournaments get bigger every year and an increasing number of fans like to spend time on esports betting. At popular betting sites, one can find odds for many kinds of esports games and stumble upon offers like Covers.com's exclusive Caesars promo codes. Most of the popular games to bet on are the same ones that the gamers themselves like to spend time excelling at. As the community around these games gets bigger, the industry keeps on growing offering more and more opportunities to players all over the world. Here we’ll take a look at some of the more popular esports games on the grid in 2024 and a forecast for 2025.

Dota 2

When looking at cumulative prize pools for the most popular esports games last year, Dota 2 is in a league of its own. Reaching almost 30 million US dollars in 2023, it’s by far the game with the largest cumulative prize pool. This clearly illustrates the popularity of Dota 2. It’s a rather simple MOBA game but it has been one of the most played video games since its release in 2013. In the game, you enter a team in a battle arena with other players and attempt to take the other team’s base out while protecting your own at the same time. Dota 2 is one of those popular multiplayer games that you can continue playing for years without getting tired of it.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Another legendary game that continues to be one of the most played ones on a global basis is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). This is the sequel to the first almost equally popular game released in 2000. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is an iconic first-person shooter game that has a massive streaming and gaming community surrounding it. It’s one of the games that attract thousands to tournaments, and the purchase of skins has become mainstream among the millions of loyal and engaged players. Skins are in-game decorative items that you can purchase to make your character stand out and personalize your game. Some of the most valuable skins are worth thousands of dollars. CS:GO is also highly popular on Twitch where thousands tune in to watch. The rise in viewers in the last six years paints a great image of the ongoing surge in this game’s popularity.

Fortnite

Fortnite was released in 2017 and quickly gained popularity worldwide. It’s another example of the popular multiplayer games where you get to enjoy the fun of gaming while socializing with others at the same time. There are several different modes, worlds and editions to explore but the most popular one is Battle Royale. Here you are competing to be a part of the last team standing on the battleground. At game start you’re dropping onto an island where you have to gather resources, build protective structures and ultimately be the last team alive on the island. Just like CS:GO, it’s a free game but it can purchase in-game assets to personalize one’s game.

Valorant

Another popular free-to-play game that has gained massive popularity since its release in 2020. It’s a first-person shooter game similar to CS:GO in some ways. This is a game of both strategy and skill where you get ranked based on your abilities in the games. It’s famous for the possibility of creating complex and unique characters with special features and weapons. It’s also the center of one of the biggest esports events in the world, the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). These events not only drive thousands of viewers but also massive sponsorships that continue to make Valorant an increasingly more important game in the esports world.

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Esports going forward

As we’re looking towards 2025 and further, there’s no doubt that esports will continue to grow bigger and bigger year after year. We’ll see larger prize pools, a growing professional scene, more players and a larger selection of great games. It looks like the growth of esports will result in a higher level of integration into mainstream entertainment and it will continue to become a real rival for other more traditional sports. Being an esports player will become a legitimate career path like traditional athletes are today. We’ll see more money flushing into the industry and the community around it that will continue to grow in the coming years. The small selection of popular games highlighted here will most likely sustain their popularity as they have already gone on to become iconic. Which new games will join the club, the next few years will have to tell us.