Top 10 Esports Games | What Are the Biggest Paying Esports in 2024?
It’s a fact – the esports industry is a titan that refuses to slow down. Over time, the esports business is expanding rapidly, and with each passing day, more games surface and more prize money changes hands. Each year, new tournaments and pro players appear, and prize pools become more substantial. That’s along with sponsorships, media deals, and merchandise sales. So, let’s take a look at the top 10 esports games in 2024 and determine which of them pays the most money.
There are plenty to choose from. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of racing games or shooters, there’s an esports title out there for you. If you’re an aspiring esports competitor, then scroll down and check out the most valuable esports games in the business right now. It could be that you’re already talented at one or more of these games, which’ll give you an idea of where to aim and where to hone your skills.
Here we go – these are the top 10 esports games in the world right now. Below, we’ve used data from EsportsEarnings – enjoy!
Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 was released in the second half of 2023 as a direct follow-on from CSGO. It proved to be a huge success, with millions of players getting on board. However, the game’s esports scene remained the same, and for the most part, teams, players, and tournaments all retained the same structure, pools, and mechanics. It’s easily one of the top 10 esports games in the world by numbers alone.
Not only does Counter-Strike boast a multi-billion-dollar peer-to-peer skin trading market, but tens of millions of dollars have changed hands during esports tournaments. It’s a dramatically powerful game that has spearheaded the growth of the esports industry. Here’s the data on Counter-Strike 2 as one of the best esports games:
- $162,236,209 in prize money
- 16423 pro players
- 6962 esports tournaments
PUBG
PUBG pioneered the battle royale genre and popularised the concept, allowing others to follow and find their own levels of greatness. It’s one of the top 10 esports games ever made, boasting a valuable mobile scene as well as a PC-based ecosystem. Hundreds of millions of people play this free-to-play battle royale, and it has a dedicated and loving community driving the ongoing success of the game ever forward.
There are no signs that PUBG is going to slow down any time soon. Here’s the data:
- $139,831,255 in prize money
- 7816 pro players
- 903 tournaments
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a powerhouse of a game that boasts some of the most valuable tournaments in esports, including The International, an annual ‘mega tournament’ with an unbelievable prize pool. It has been around for more than ten years and is one of the most popular esports games without question. In terms of numbers, it’s the most valuable game in the esports industry, but it’s a complex one and difficult to learn, so newcomers are often put off.
Here’s the data for Dota 2:
- $341,827,499 in prize money
- 4839 pro players
- 1866 tournaments
Fortnite
Fortnite is the world’s most popular battle royale game, boasting a fantastic and hugely successful free-to-play operating model that has attracted hundreds of millions of players. It’s a household name and loved by millions of people around the world, and it also has a vibrant esports scene. There are a lot of grassroots esports tournaments around the world related to Fortnite, but that smaller scale hasn’t stopped it from being a hugely valuable game.
This is the data for Fortnite:
- $177,426,110 in prize money
- 9131 pro players
- 2113 tournaments
League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the most vibrant and diverse esports titles on Earth. It’s immensely popular and hugely valuable, and every year, the League of Legends World Championship sets new viewership records with ease. It’s becoming more powerful over time, and there are no signs of League of Legends slowing down any time soon. In the MOBA space, League of Legends and Dota 2 rule the roost, even if smaller games like SMITE are also popular.
Here’s the information for League of Legends:
- $107,910,240 in prize money
- 9361 pro players
- 2931 tournaments
VALORANT
VALORANT is one of the newest games to make this list, having been released in 2020. It has gathered pace remarkably fast, rising to challenge the likes of Counter-Strike and Overwatch. It fuses hero shooter elements with tactical shooter gameplay, and it has been a hit with fans since the day it dropped. It has paved the way for a value esports ecosystem that is appreciated around the world, and as a diverse game, it has something for everyone. It’s still on the come up though, and that means that there’s plenty in store for VALORANT’s esports scene. It’s one of the top 10 esports games without any issue.
Here are the metrics for VALORANT:
- $25,554,771 in prize money
- 6946 pro players
- 1221 tournaments
Rocket League
Rocket League takes soccer and high-powered, jet-driven cars and puts them in the same game. In Rocket League, players must control a small, jet-powered car, attempting to ‘kick’ a massive ball into a net. It’s a game of skill, timing, and tactics, and it has a solid skill gap and a stiff learning curve. There’s no doubt it’s one of the best esports games, though. It has a vibrant community backing it up, and since going free-to-play, it has generated millions of players.
Here’s the info for Rocket League:
- $36,102,788 in prize money
- 4225 pro players
- 3891 tournaments
Call of Duty
Call of Duty has a legendary competitive system that goes back more than ten years. It has never been the most popular esports game, but it’s one of the top 10 esports games when it comes to overall earnings. It has the potential to turn gamers into millions – and it has done several times. There’s a mobile scene, a battle royale game, and the core multiplayer experience, all of which make for a very valuable and lucrative esports scene. We’ve put the data below to represent the entire ecosystem of Call of Duty.
Here’s the data:
- $93,764,948 in prize money
- 7556 pro players
- 377 tournaments
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege is a multi-platform, long-form esports game with plenty of meat on the bones. It’s part of the legendary Rainbow Six series, which has roots in the 1990s. As an esports game, Rainbow Six Siege enjoys large prize pools and a monumental following. It’s also a brilliant game that many millions of players enjoy, even if it can be a little complex and daunting for newcomers. It was developed by Ubisoft and the firm has worked hard to support it for almost a decade.
Here’s the data for Rainbow Six Siege:
- $41,490,379.29 in prize money
- 3019 pro players
- 556 tournaments
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a battle royale with futuristic elements, serving as a spin-off to the Titanfall series that wowed players more than a decade ago. It’s a brilliant game with plenty to offer, including a vibrant and ever-popular esports ecosystem that often beats Call of Duty Warzone’s system. It’s a hugely popular game that many millions of people enjoy, and once you’ve got the hang of some of the hero characters, you’ll be flying around the map and snatching wins.
Here’s the data:
- $28,896,613 in prize money
- 2277 pro players
- 724 tournaments
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