These Are The Most Popular Esports Games in 2025 (So Far)

Esports. We all love them. At least I hope so – otherwise, how are you here? Importantly, we all have a favorite esport that we want to see flourish and succeed above the rest. Some prefer the hectic action of MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2, while others like the tactical element of shooters like Counter-Strike.

Esports is an ever-growing industry, with established favorites sticking around for the long haul and new titles frequently entering the fray to force their way in. But which esport sits at the top of the pile above the rest? Which individual tournament has captured viewers’ attention more than any other? Thanks to a new report from Esports Charts, we know all the numbers from 2025 so far.

League of Legends leads the way in peak viewers

It will come as a surprise to very few that League of Legends is the most popular esports game in 2025 so far in terms of peak viewers. It reached over 1.9 million viewers for the LCK Cup 2025, pipping fellow MOBA Mobile Legends: Bang Bang to the top spot by just over 60,000 viewers.

After these two, there is a steep drop for the rest of the top five, rounded out by Valorant, Counter-Strike, and Arena of Valor. Notably absent here is Dota 2, although that could certainly change when The International 2025 takes place later in the year.

Most Popular Esports Game in 2025 by Peak Viewers

1. League of Legends (1,907,634)
2. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (1,841,420)
3. Valorant (1,319,067)
4. Counter-Strike 2 (1,299,747)
5. Arena of Valor (555,194)

Counter-Strike 2 wins quantity of highest-viewed tournaments

Esports Charts has also revealed the top 10 most-viewed esports tournaments of 2025 so far, which has a few surprising results. While League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Valorant all peaked at higher viewers than Counter-Strike 2, it was Valve’s FPS that had the most entries with four. This is a positive sign of health for the scene, which has tons of events to keep fans coming back for more. When the year is over and overall watch time is tallied, this is a good sign for Counter-Strike’s chances to stake its claim as the most popular esports game. Still, League of Legends will take some beating.

You can view the full list of the top 10 esports tournaments of 2025 so far below.

Top Esports Tournaments in 2025 by Peak Viewers

1. LCK Cup 2025 (League of Legends, 1,907,634)
2. MPL Indonesia Season 15 (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, 1,841,420)
3. VCT 2025: Masters Bangkok (Valorant, 1,319,067)
4. IEM Katowice 2025 (Counter-Strike 2, 1,299,747)
5. Snapdragon Pro Series S6 APAC Challenge Finals (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, 1,158,590)
6. First Stand 2025 (League of Legends, 1,106,126)
7. BLAST Open Spring 2025 (Counter-Strike 2, 851,728)
8. LEC Winter 2025 (League of Legends, 801,369)
9. BLAST Bounty Season 1 (Counter-Strike 2, 693,780)
10. ESL Pro League Season 21 (Counter-Strike 2, 571,008)