New to esports? You should probably avoid titles that require heavy experience to compete. Entries like League of Legends, Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant feature mechanics so complex that it would take months if not years to compete with the very best players. So what are your options? In this post, we’ll focus on the best esports games for beginners.

These games have clear objectives, easy-to-understand mechanics, a moderate skill ceiling, and a lower barrier to entry. You could pick one up today and be good enough to compete professionally in a couple of weeks. Also, new viewers can understand the rules and gameplay within minutes. Below are the top beginner-friendly esports games of 2025.

Rocket League

With 15,000+ daily players, Rocket League is one of the most popular esports games for beginners. It’s perfect for players seeking simple rules and a fun gaming/viewing experience. Although listed as a sports game, Rocket League’s gameplay objectives are easy to understand. You can find success playing this game competitively even if you don’t know the first thing about soccer.

In RL, the objective is straightforward. You control a rocket-powered car and use it to hit a giant ball while attempting to outscore your opponents before time runs out. To score, you need to put the ball in the opponents’ goal area.  You can play solo or multiplayer modes (2v2, 3v3, or 4v4).

To succeed in Rocket League as a beginner, you need awareness, fast reaction times, reflexes, teamwork, and consistency. If you have those, you can start competing at the lowest level of the game’s esports scene. When you feel you’ve mastered the game, we recommend first participating in low-ranked, D-tier tournaments such as the following:

• Octys Winter Tournament
• Redirect 3v3 Monthly
• TTC
• NVS 1v1 Monthly
• Motor City Rivals Rocket League Tournament

Big Buck Hunter

Big Buck Hunter is an arcade shooter with one of the lowest barriers to entry. The rules are simple. Use a light gun to shoot the male animals (deer, mouse, or elk) without hitting the doe. But be careful; the male animals are constantly moving, and shooting a doe means game over. Each game lasts for about 30 seconds. Taking down bigger animals from further away will give you a higher score.

If you ever played Nintendo’s famous Duck Hunt game as a kid, you’ll feel some nostalgia playing Big Buck Hunter. Despite its simplicity, the game has a vibrant esports scene, which consists of online leaderboards, local tournaments, and international championships.

Play Big Buck Hunter and start honing your marksmanship and reflexes. With some dedication, you may have what it takes to qualify for the next World Championship.

Street Fighter 6

When it comes to beginner esports games, fighting titles are as easy as it gets. You choose a character and try to use their unique moves to defeat an opponent. Success will largely depend on two key factors: how well you combo moves to your advantage and your ability to react to different scenarios in a match.

In the past, Mortal Kombat was considered the easier fighting game series. However, the modern controls introduced in Street Fighter 6 (2023) have made SF6 far more beginner-friendly.

With the right guidance and resources, you can start competing professionally in weeks. The most crucial part of your journey would be selecting the character that best suits your fighting style. MadDogg Games shared a free course on choosing the perfect main character. Enroll to learn this simple strategy in 14 minutes.

Mario Kart World

This racing game is the first in the Mario Kart series to feature an open-world design. It’s also the first to allow up to 24 players in one race. In Mario Kart World, you get to race as any one of 50 characters from the Mario franchise.

This fun, non-violent racing game is perfect for both kids and adults. The controls are simple, and you don’t need any prior gaming experience to jump into any mode. Unfortunately, the game is only available on the Nintendo Switch 2. 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released in December 2018 and has since become one of the most beloved games in the world, winning multiple awards. If you want a beginner-friendly game that still requires strategy, decision-making, creativity, and adaptability, this is the game for you. 

SSBU is a platform fighter in which players build up a damage percentage as they’re hit, making them easier to knock out of the arena. Matches typically use one of three modes: Timed (get the most KOs), Stock (last one standing), or Stamina (reduce opponents’ HP to zero). Players can also customize and save their own rules for future matches.

SSBU has a flexible esports age limit and you can easily enroll your kids in the global tournament.

Pokémon Unite

We normally wouldn’t advise esports beginners to start with a MOBA game (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), but we decide to make an exception here. Pokémon Unite is the perfect entry-level MOBA game. It lacks the insane entry barrier, complex controls, and sky-high skill ceiling of other MOBA titles. Instead, what you have here is a fun, easy-to-play game that allows room for strategic thinking and collaboration.

Matches feature two teams of five players and last up to 10 minutes, with the win going to the team with the higher score (or the team that reached that score first in the event of a tie). A team may also win if the opponents surrender with a supermajority vote. Players start with a weak Pokémon and level up by defeating wild Pokémon, assisting teammates, scoring goals, and knocking out enemies.

Start playing Pokémon Unite to learn the basics. After reaching Masters, you can explore the amateur and semi-pro scenes before moving on to higher-level tournaments.

Conclusion

Even easy esports games require hard work, dedication, and focus for success. Pick a game from our list and stick to it for at least 2 weeks. With regular practice, you should see improvements pretty quickly.