Esports has taken the world by storm, transforming gaming into a global spectacle filled with passion, strategy, and intense competition. In 2024, reports estimate this industry to be worth well over $2 billion. You get to see the top esports games feature tournaments with massive cash prize pools and iconic moments year in and year out. That’s not all. More than 1.5 billion fans tune in via social media to watch all the action go live.
There’s always something for everyone, from MOBA to Battle Royale, FPS to Fighting, Sports to Racing, and Cards to Real-time strategy titles. You’re sure to find a game to hit that spot for you.
However, which titles are the cream de la creme of the gaming world? What are the top esports games of 2024? The subsequent paragraph reveals the answer. We’ll also delve into what makes these games tick and why they stand out. Let’s get started!
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What Makes a Great Esports Game?
A top esports game balances competitive gameplay with accessibility. Players of all skill levels should enjoy it, while pros can push the game’s mechanics to their limits. These games are open to people across multiple devices, regions, and OS versions. They are also easy to navigate and offer a rich gaming experience by continuously adding new features, characters, and abilities.
A large and engaged community keeps the game alive, while active support from developers ensures regular updates and thrilling tournaments.
Spectator appeal is equally vital. Top esports games look stunning, move at an engaging pace, and keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Regardless of how fantastic a title’s gameplay is, without immersive visuals, lots of potential gamers will head elsewhere to get their thrill. Games like Dota 2 and League of Legends exemplify these qualities with intricate gameplay and massive followings.
Criteria for Picking the Best esports Games of 2024
For a title to join the elite list of top esports games, it has to tick these boxes.
- Prize pools and financial stakes: Larger stakes attract top talent and elevate the competition.
- Viewership numbers and audience engagement: High peak viewer counts reflect a game’s global popularity.
- Number and scale of tournaments: Frequency and scale of events showcase a game’s competitive depth.
- Impact on the gaming and esports industries: Some games redefine the esports landscape.
Our picks for the top esports games in 2024 include console, mobile, and PC games, ensuring multiple choices for everyone regardless of their gaming platform.
Honor of Kings
Honor of Kings is a fast-paced multiplayer game for the mobile market, offering rich visuals, features, and strategic depth. Consequently, it has been established in the Asian and global community since its launch in 2015. As of 2024, HoK has 133 million monthly active users in Asia and 100 million daily users globally.
With a peak viewership of 388K and a prize pool of $1 million, Honor of Kings Championship (KC 2024) was the second most popular MOBA competition of the year. This year, the Honor of Kings Esports scene featured over ten top tournaments cut across multiple regions, from the KC 2024 to King Pro League (KPL) to Mid-season Invitational (MSI) and regional competitions in Europe, America, and Asia.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a PC multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) offering gamers numerous heroes, stunning visuals, and intense gameplay. This esports title achieved a record-breaking 1.4 million peak views and an astounding $40 million prize pool during The International 2024 tournament. Dota hosted multiple regional and global tournaments this year, with the major competitions being ESL One Bangkok 2024, BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2024, Dreamleague Season 24, and The International 2024.
Since its inception in 2013, the game has dramatically impacted the esports and gaming industry, garnering over 600K active users. It remains the pioneer of large prize pools, creative in tournament formats, and active within its enormous community.
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a leading First-Person Shooter PC game in the esports community. Its prize pool is $1,25 million, and its peak viewership was $1.8 million in the concluded PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.
In 2024, the gaming title hosted 50 tournaments, including elite tournaments like the PGL Major Copenhagen, Esports World Cup, IEM Katowice, and ESL Pro League.
Since its launch in 2000, Counter-Strike has remained a big name in esports. The game has hosted thousands of competitions and continues to attract millions of fans globally.
PUGB Mobile
With a 564.8k peak viewership and a $3 million prize pool, PUGB Mobile hosted one of its biggest Mobile Word Cups this year. The Battle Royal mobile game offers stunning visuals, engaging maps, exciting characters, and sophisticated gameplay.
Gamers can choose to participate in its multiplayer FPS or battle royal TPS and FPS modes, featuring 100 participants fighting to the last man standing. Since its official launch in 2018, PUGB Mobile has hosted 1,050 tournaments globally and attracted over 500 million downloads on Android alone.
Fortnite
One of the top esports games of 2024 is Fortnite. With a $2 million grand prize pool and over 809K peak view in its FNCS 2024 Global Championship, Fortnite offered casual gamers and esports athletes loads of excitement this year.
The Battle Royal (BR) and building mechanic title hosted over 1100 tournaments this year across its mobile, console, and PC communities. From the Fortnite Champion Series to the Ranked Cup, Cash Cup, and weekly tournaments, there were numerous opportunities for gamers to explore.
Fortnite is a big title in the esports community. It significantly reshapes the industry with its unique game modes, massive prize pools, and deep community engagement. The title boasts 650 million players and 60 million daily active users.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Out of the numerous regional, online, and global tournaments Rainbow Six Siege presented this year, the Six Invitational 2024 broke its 2018 record with a 521K peak viewership and a $3M prize pool. This title is a First-Person Shooter PC and console game that offers players several game modes, unique operators, and exciting maps to explore. Gamers must team up to succeed in this highly intense and tactical game.
Since its inception, Rainbow Six Siege has gotten over 70 million global players, hosted 568 tournaments, and awarded over $40 million in prizes.
Leagues of Legends
LoL is a PC and mobile game with stunning visuals, exciting gameplay, and an active global community. Since its inception in 2009, the gaming title has gotten 150 million registered players, hosted 3000 tournaments, and awarded over a $115 million prize pool. Currently, it boasts of 25 to 35 million daily active users.
With a $2.22 million prize pool and 6.94 million peak view count, LoL Worlds 2024 championship was the most-watched esports event of the year. This esports title offers gamers 150 champions, stunning maps, and intense gameplay in this multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Players have to team up in a 5vs5 battle, relying on communication, teamwork, and strategy to win.
Mobile Legends: bang bang
Mobile Legend Bang Bang (MLBB) is the most popular MOBA mobile game worldwide. In Asia, the game has 601 million lifetime app downloads. It has attracted over 1.4 billion downloads globally, with 110 million active users.
This year, MLBB made history in its viewership and prize pool. The gaming title had 2.3M peak views and set a $3 million prize pool in its 2024 Mid-Season Cup championship.
Bang Bang has been a major contributor to the esports industry since its launch in 2016. It has hosted over 2,000 tournaments across 55 countries and awarded a cumulative $17 million prize pool.
MLBB remains one of the most wanted MOBA in the esports arena due to its active community engagement, large pool of heroes, numerous skins, frequent updates, and entry-level accessibility.
VALORANT
Valorant offers gamers a unique and refreshing take on FPS games. The PC and console title features numerous agents with unique abilities, strategic maps, an in-app economy system, and new opportunities to upgrade skills and weapons.
Due to its unique offering, active community engagement, and exciting tournaments, Valorant has garnered over 28 million monthly active users and 700K daily users on PC only.
Since its inception in 2020, the esports title has hosted over 1500 tournaments and awarded players over $32.5 million in competition prizes.
This year, it hosted over 300 tournaments, with its Valorant Champions 2024 breaking its peak with 3.45 million views and awarding the top 3 teams $2.25 million.
Call of Duty
Call of Duty has been a powerhouse in the gaming industry since 2003. It officially entered the esports community with the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2008. Since then, it has offered other globally accepted titles like Black Ops and Warzone.
As of 2024, the Call of Duty series has sold over 500 million copies, awarded over $77 million in prize pools from 2133 tournaments, retained over 100 million active gamers, and been certified by Guinness World Record as the best-selling First-Person Shooter (FPS) game.
It offers many titles with exciting story arcs, stunning graphics, sophisticated gameplay, vast operators, and exciting skins to attract and keep various gamers engaged. This year, it offered gamers a $5.9M prize pool in its Call of Duty League Championship. All these and up as rightfully earned it a sports as one of the top esports games of 2024.
Parting Shot
The esports and gaming industry is drastically changing with the introduction of innovative technologies, faster internet, and industry popularity. In 2025, you can expect the integration of cryptocurrency, AR, VR, and AI into newer titles. More people are expected to join the industry as viewers, casual and professional gamers, from young to old generations. Additionally, with esports’ significant success, more colleges and high schools will offer esports programs to transform talented players into industry leaders.
The mobile esports industry is another area set to explode next year and attract more gamers from Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and India. With prominent titles like PUGB Mobile, Mobile Legend, Free Fire, and Call of Duty Mobile, 2025 is ripe with opportunities for everyone to play, earn, and be entertained.
