The wide range of games is one of the biggest reasons behind the growing popularity of esports! There’s truly something for everyone, with battle arena games like Mobile Legends and League of Legends, as well as first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike 2, being some of the most popular options. The wide variety of exciting games is one of the key reasons why the esports market is projected to reach a value of $4.8bn by the end of 2025¹.
It can be hard when you’re first getting into watching esports to know which options are worth your time, so why not start with the very top options and check out three of the most popular esports games out there:
1. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Topping the tree of popularity is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which is usually referred to as just Mobile Legends. It’s been one of the most popular esports games on the market for a long time and drew the biggest viewership once again this year. On June 15th, 2025, a peak of 4.132 million viewers tuned in to watch the final day of the MPL Malaysia Season 15 Playoffs held in Kuala Lumpur².
The event culminated in the Grand Final, during which SRG.OG won over HomeBois to collect a prize of $32,300. Although it might seem like a lot of money, many of the top esports games offer six figure rewards for the top teams in competitions like the World Cup and Championship, so Mobile Legends certainly isn’t one of the biggest payers. However, it remains popular because of its incredibly fast-paced action, easy to understand missions and accessible mechanics.
How popular is Mobile Legends and how does it work?
Mobile Legends pulls some of the biggest numbers in the market. It’s been downloaded over a billion times and has a peak of 100 million active players a month. In 2021, it achieved an all-time gross of over $1bn and became the top mobile game of its genre around the world³.
You can catch Mobile Legends at many of the biggest esports events, including the Esports World Cup. The top teams and players compete in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League to qualify for the Mobile Legends World Championships, where only the top 15 teams compete.
Mobile Legends’ mechanics and goals are easy to understand. There are two teams of five competing against each other to try to take their opposition’s tower while protecting their own. It’s a classic battle arena game with winners determined by a combination of skill and strategy, making for incredibly exciting team gameplay.
Before taking their competitor’s tower, a team must first destroy their turrets, without suffering fatal damage. Play is intense and furious, and this game is always one to keep an eye on when watching esports!
2. League of Legends
One of the most famous esports games around, League of Legends has earned its place as a fan favorite over the course of 10 years. In 2025, it remains one of the most viewed esports games, with a peak viewership of 3.4 million achieved during the final day of the Mid Season Invitational.
This year’s Mid Season Invitational Grand Final involved a face-off between two South Korean teams, Gen.G and T1. Gen.G ultimately won the day, half a million in prize money and qualified for the 2025 World Championship.
The Grand Final, where Gen.G bested T1 3-2, was the perfect summation for the whole event, which was closely fought all the way⁴. The result was equally close for both the upper and lower bracket finals, making for a nail-biting watch.
If you missed out on the mid-season action, there’s still plenty to keep an eye out for in League of Legends for the remainder of the year. The 2025 World Championship, featuring Gen.G, continues until November 9th, showcasing the game’s very best from around the globe.
Why is League of Legends such a big hit?
League of Legends was one of the early movers when it came to esports, which earned it lots of loyal fans who remain today. The game is incredibly accessible as it was one of the first to introduce a free to play model.
Players can still get that customizable experience though with upgrades for skins paid for using Riot Points which can be purchased using money and cryptocurrency gift cards or earned through challenges⁵.
League of Legends’ format is similar to Mobile Legends, so much so that the former’s developers (Riot Games) sued the developers of Mobile Legends (Moonton). The two ultimately settled out of court, but the overlap remains.
League of Legends also features two teams of five players competing against each other. Rather than taking a tower, the aim is to destroy each other’s Nexus, which is a glowing, jewel-looking structure found in a team’s base.
Each person controls a champion who becomes more powerful by collecting experience points through gameplay. It's a precarious and entertaining balancing act between attack and defense which requires a good deal of strategy, as well as skill.
3. Counter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 has consistently hosted over a million players a day since 2022, and this year has been a record breaking one for the tactical first-person shooter game. The momentous day came on April 12th, when an all-time peak of 1.86 million players were active in the game⁶!
It even wormed its way into the big three esports games of 2025 according to ESPN and had the highest number of ongoing tournaments, with 10 competitions offering a whopping combined prize pool of $3.7m.
This record-breaking year also coincides with a packed esports calendar, which has included tournaments such as the BLAST Open Spring in March, PGL Bucharest in April and the ESL Pro League Season 22 in September and October. All the tournaments have drawn sizable crowds, with the Pro League Season 22 Grand Final being watched by over 631,000 and setting a new record for viewing average of 219,400.
There are more games to watch out for in the rest of the year including the CCT Season 3 European Series and 2025 World Championship, which both feature Counter-Strike 2.
How does Counter-Strike 2 work and why does it draw the crowds?
Counter-Strike 2 has two teams — called the terrorists and counter-terrorists, usually with each containing five players, compete against each other to achieve objectives. These goals are high stakes, such as rescuing hostages or defusing a bomb and depend on which side you’re playing for.
The overall aim for the terrorist team is either to plant a bomb in one of the bombsites on the map and defend it against their opposition until it goes off, or to retain control of the hostages. The counter-terrorist group aims to defuse the bomb before it explodes, kill all the terrorists or rescue the hostages.
In a standard match, each team must win 13 rounds to achieve the overall win, meaning victory can come at the narrowest of margins. Counter-Strike 2 is both popular to play and watch, as it involves an exciting combination of tactics and skill. A lot comes down to teamwork, which means one star player can’t carry a poor team as you can see when watching it in esports contests. Teamwork is essential, with effective communication and timing both being vital to the success of the mission.
Which are the top esports games?
We obviously can’t cover all the esports games on the market, and there are plenty of other entertaining options available. If you’re after another tactical shooter game, then VALORANT is always a good watch and Dota 2 is a top option for a more general battleground game. Of course, there’s always the battle royales as well, like Fortnite and PUBG: Battlegrounds!
If you’re looking for action-packed watching or playing, then the year’s most popular games, including Mobile Legends, League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2, are all highly recommended. All of them are high paced, tense games that you can enjoy through the Esports World Cup and World Championship. Watching the games’ top competitors will help you understand why these are some of esports’ most popular and beloved games!
¹ Esports Worldwide Statistics, Written by Statista, Published by Statista.
² Popular Esports Games in 2025 by Viewership, Written by Esports Charts, Published by Esports Charts.