Global Esports Tournament Prize Pools and Viewership
| Tournament | Game | Year | Prize Pool (USD) | Peak Viewership | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League of Legends World Championship | League of Legends | 2024 | $2,225,000 Esportsearnings | 6,856,769 Esports Charts | Highest viewership in esports history |
| Dota 2 The International | Dota 2 | 2021 (TI10) | $40,018,195 Dota2 PrizeTrac | 2,741,514 Esports Charts | Largest single-tournament prize pool in esports history |
| Dota 2 The International | Dota 2 | 2024 (TI13) | $2,776,566 Dota2 PrizeTrac | 1,500,000+ Statista | Significantly lower prize pool than previous years |
| Esports World Cup | Multiple Games | 2024 | $60,000,000 Liquipedia | 481,000 EsportsInsider | Largest combined prize pool across multiple games |
| Fortnite World Cup | Fortnite | 2019 | $30,000,000 Wikipedia | 2,334,826 Esports Charts | Event hasn’t been held since 2019 |
| Mobile Legends World Championship (M6) | Mobile Legends | 2024 | $1,000,000 Liquipedia | 4,130,000 EsportsInsider | Second highest viewership of 2024 |
| PUBG Mobile Global Championship | PUBG Mobile | 2024 | $3,000,000 Esports Charts | 927,000 EsportsInsider | Slight viewership decline from 2023 |
| CS2 Major Copenhagen | Counter-Strike 2 | 2024 | $1,250,000 Esports Charts | 1,850,000 EsportsInsider | First major for CS2 after CS:GO transition |
| Valorant Champions | Valorant | 2024 | $2,250,000 Liquipedia | 1,400,000 EsportsInsider | Growing viewership year over year |
| Free Fire World Series | Free Fire | 2021 | N/A | 5,415,990 Esports Charts | Record viewership for a mobile game tournament at the time |
| Free Fire World Series | Free Fire | 2024 | $1,000,000 Statista | 1,326,153 IndiaTodayGaming | Viewership declined from 2021 peak |
| Honor of Kings Championship | Honor of Kings | 2024 | $1,000,000 Liquipedia | 391,075 Esports Charts | Doesn’t include Chinese viewership (main market) |
| League of Legends MSI | League of Legends | 2024 | $250,000 Esports Charts | 2,800,000 Reddit | Most viewed non-Worlds LoL tournament |
| Rainbow Six Siege Invitational | Rainbow Six Siege | 2024/2025 | $3,000,000 Liquipedia | N/A | Has maintained consistent prize pool for years |
| Rocket League World Championship | Rocket League | 2024 | $1,165,000 FIFA.gg | 426,833 Esports Charts | Relatively stable viewership since 2023 |
| Call of Duty League Championship | Call of Duty | 2024 | $2,500,000 Esports.net | 283,100 Esports Charts | Franchise league model with consistent prize pool |
Key Insights:
- Prize Pool Evolution: While some tournaments like Dota 2’s The International have seen significant decreases in prize money since 2021 (from $40M to $2.8M), new multi-game events like the Esports World Cup ($60M prize pool) have emerged, redistributing prize money across various games.
- Viewership Trends: League of Legends maintains dominance with nearly 7 million peak viewers for Worlds 2024, while mobile games like Mobile Legends and Free Fire consistently draw millions of viewers, especially in Asian markets.
- Regional Differences: Mobile esports see tremendous viewership in Asia, while traditional PC titles like Counter-Strike and Valorant maintain strong audiences in Western regions.
- Format Shifts: The industry is moving toward sustainable prize pools rather than record-breaking ones, with more focus on viewership growth and tournament production quality.
- Game Lifecycles: Some games like Fortnite saw enormous prize pools during peak popularity (2019), while established titles like League of Legends maintain consistent viewership and prize structures year-over-year.
Data sources include official tournament websites, Esports Charts, Liquipedia, and industry reporting platforms like Esports Insider and Statista. Note that viewership statistics typically don’t include Chinese platforms for most tournaments, which may significantly underrepresent actual global viewership.
