Online gaming has been taking the internet by the storm for years now, and there are millions of kids, and even adults who enjoy spending hours in front of their PC screens, with the goal to see who is better. And while it may not be the favorite things for a parent to see, we have to agree that online games can be a good way to relax after a hard day, if done in the balance of course. It is also widely known that with esports becoming popular all over the world, if you are good and lucky enough you can be earning yearly salaries that surpass the ones of medical workers, lawyers, etc.
But, why are online games so popular? It is pretty simple, they are fun, competitive and multiplayer, and people even form strong friendships meeting for the first time over the game. One thing is certain, and that is that the esports market will not stop to grow, with new games coming out every year, and millions of followers waiting to install it and spend their hours out there in the open online world. Let’s see what have been the most popular esports games for this and the past few years, how much money can you make playing the same.
Most Popular Online Games
Source: League of Legends
1. League of Legends. League of Legends is a multiplayer online MOBA type game that seems to attract thousands of new followers each day. It is a fact that although Dota was the first MOBA to be released, LoL still seems to be at the top of the list with over 100 Million players. Now that is an astonishing number, every 70th person in the world enjoys LoL occasionally or regularly. This game, developed by Riot, is also the most streamed one on the Twitch platform – there are around 120k streamers and 10 M people that are subscribed to the LoL programs. With over 2000 tournaments, there is enough action during the whole year in all parts of the world, with 5000 competitive players. The combined prize fund is not shy either, reaching 50 Million USD!
Source: Medium
2. Dota 2. Dota 2 the successor of the first MOBA game Dota to ever reach the scene is surely one of the most popular out there. With fewer tournaments in a year than LoL and CS:GO, it has reached the prize pool of an amazing 130 M USD. It has around 14 million players regularly enjoying it. With over 4 million Twitch followers and 50 thousand streamers, it is successfully followed all around the world. Although more games that are MOBA styled are coming out, one, with a 2×5 player’s based concept, is certain to continue growing. A thing to look for is the spin-off Artifact that the Dota 2 developer Valve has announced!
Source: MWeb
3. CS:GO. The fourth part of the Counter-Strike series, called Global Offensive, is the most popular tactical shooter game till now. Reaching the top place, when it comes to professional players with over 9000 of them, it is certainly one of the most popular online games currently on the market. It has around 12 million players, and 9 million Twitch followers (50 K streamers). The total prize fund is an amazing 42 million USD, which is there at the top 3 list of the most paid esports games. Around 3000 tournaments are held each year, so the action never lacks.
Along with these three, that is widely known to everyone involved in the esports, we would like to suggest that new games are on the rise and Battle Royal type seems to slowly take over the market. PUBG and Fortnite both have millions of players already, and these are a nice refresh to the games we are used to. Also, it would be wise to name Hearthstone and WoT as one of the most popular ones out there as well, with the first having 22 and the second 12 million players.
Summary
It is clear that the esports industry is perspective, and we are yet to see what next years will bring. This is just a short overview of the current online games position, and if you would like to get more games info to be sure to check various websites like twinfinite.com!
