Top 5 esports leagues in terms of popularity

Esports is a thriving medium and a major share of its success can be owed to several tournaments that keep players engaged and incentivize them to get better. Esports leagues have a certain prize pool associated with them, which is one of the main draws for many competitive players around the globe. The more popular these leagues get, the better it is for the game’s longevity.

The sheer number of tournaments pertaining to games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and other popular esports titles can be overwhelming for a majority of players. However, there are a bunch of iconic esports leagues that newcomers can delve into.

Disclaimer: This listicle is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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League of Legends World Championship and four other popular esports leagues

1) League of Legends World Championship

League of Legends World Championship is one of the most popular esports leagues that is organized annually. The 2022 championship was no different as it garnered a peak viewer count of over 5 million. League of Legends World Championship has a sizeable prize pool (more than $2 million in 2022) wherein teams from all over the world face off in League of Legends.

There are multiple stages in the championship starting with the Play-In stage and ending in the Knockout Stage, which includes quarterfinals, semi-finals, and a final match. The 2022 tournament was won by DRX, one of the best teams in South Korea.

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2) Valorant Champions Tour (VCT)

Valorant is quickly becoming one of the most beloved esports games, especially considering how it is one of the youngest esports titles launched in 2020. The game’s popularity is reflected in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) as it amassed a whopping 1.5 million viewers.

This feat was achieved in the final match that involved LOUD and OpTic Gaming. Ultimately, it was LOUD that nabbed the win, and the highlights of VCT 2022 are covered in this extensive article. VCT 2022 had a prize pool of $1 million and it continues to soar in popularity as evidenced by VCT LOCK//IN Sao Paulo amassing approx 1.4 million peak viewers.

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3) The International

The International is a popular esports league that pertains to Dota 2 which itself is a juggernaut attracting many players every day. The International 2022 was the eleventh iteration of Dota 2 tournaments and surpassed expectations by reaching a peak viewership milestone of approximately 1.7 million.

The International is not only one of the popular esports leagues but also boasts attractive prize pools with the last year’s iteration almost touching $19 million. Dota 2 is also frequently updated with a new roster of heroes with the most recent being Muerta.

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4) ESL Pro League

ESL Pro League consists of 24 teams that compete in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Despite being an older esports title, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive attracts tons of players every day (approx half a million at the time of writing this article). The league’s recent season 17 which occurred in March, also displayed robust viewership stats with a peak count of approx 517,000.

The most recent season, however, was the first time the ESL Pro League featured 32 teams. Season 18 is set to begin on August 30 with a prize pool of $850,000. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive witnessed a spike in concurrent player count thanks to the Counter-Strike 2 announcement last month, which is set to further improve the tournament’s viewership.

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5) Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS)

Rocket League may seem like a simple mashup of football and cars, but it has a steep learning curve. It has kept a large number of avid fans occupied with a plethora of cars, arenas, and several other content updates. RLCS is divided into three categories or seasons termed as splits: Fall, Winter, and Spring.

RLCS 2022 had a prize pool of $2 million dollars. Currently, fans can recap the recently concluded RLCS 2022-23 Winter split that amassed more than 200,000 concurrent audiences. This is an upward trend when compared to previous tournaments. Fans must watch out for the Spring split in July 2023 and the main championship later in August 2023.

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Apart from the aforementioned leagues, fans can also delve into the Dota Pro Circuit and League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). Fans of Valorant can peruse this article, highlighting the best teams to keep a keen eye on in the VCT Pacific League.