It’s been 10+ years now since eSports’ early days as an underground phenomenon. The sport has now grown into a multibillion dollar business watched by millions across the world.
Prize pools for professional gamers are growing and becoming simply insane, mainly due to the competitive gaming industry and the rise of eSports betting UK, US and other bookmakers offer.
On top of that, the risks and rewards in eSports are always worth talking about. That’s why we’ll examine the 5 biggest prizes in eSports. Please, pay attention to the fact that we’ll talk about the events with the biggest prizes, since if we’d just talk about the prizes themselves, ‘The International’ would make up 4 sports and that would be unfair.
#5 The Six Invitational – Rainbow Six Siege | $3 Million
To kick off this list, we’ll start with number 5: The Six Invitational. This is Ubisoft’s biggest tournament when it comes down to Rainbow Six Siege – a game that has become a true icon in the realm of eSports.
The 2021 Six Invitational had a $3 million prize pool, of which the victorious Ninjas in Pyjamas took home $1 million. The Six Invitational is the pinnacle of Rainbow Six Siege, and its champions reign supreme among the huge community of Rainbow’s super fans.
#4 Global Championship – PUBG | $4 Million
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) was released in 2017 as one of the most prestigious battle royale games. The PUBG Global Championship serves as the game’s absolute eSports event – with prize treasures, which are worth the fight!
For example, Gen.G took home $2 million of the $4 million prize pool back in 2021. Not only did this solidified PUBG’s status in the competitive eSports gaming landscape, but the Global Championship is paving the way for larger battle royale competitions for eSports’ exciting future.
#3 The World Championship – League of Legends | $6.4 Million
Each year, Los Angeles doesn’t only host the famous movie awards. There’s another event, and it also attracts millions of people and some huge cash prizes. We’re talking about the League of Legends World Championship. Like the game itself, the prize pool is quite staggering, and in 2021, it grew to a whopping $6.4 million – with the winners, DWG KIA (formerly DAMWON Gaming), grabbing almost $2.3 million.
#2 Fortnite World Cup – Fortnite | $30 Million
Epic Games made a bold statement with their flagship eSports competition. The Fortnite World Cup wasn’t going to cut corners, which is why their prize pool in 2019 blasted into prize pool history with $30 million.
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf brought home a life-changing $3 million as the sole winner, while Emil “Nyhrox” Bergquist Pedersen and David “aqua” Wang received a combined $6 million as the top duo.
#1 The International – Dota 2 | $40 Million
If there’s one thing for sure in eSports prizes, it’s that no one – and by that, we mean, no one – can compete with The International. Dota 2’s prize money is different to all others, since it basically proceeds from selling their virtual currency known as “Battle Passes.”
Over $40 million was on the line for The International 10, and the winning team, Team Spirit, took home an incredible $18.2 million. The ongoing success of this tournament can be traced back to the hard work of the Dota 2 player base.
In case you’re wondering how the top 10 of all-time biggest prize pools look like, here’s an example of The International’s magnitude:
- The International 10 – $40 million
- The International 9 – $34.3 million
- 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals – $30.4 million
- The International 8 – $25.5 million
- The International 7 – $24.7 million
- The International 6 – $20.7 million
- The International 11 – $18.9 million
- The International 12 – $18.9 million
- The International 5 – $18.4 million
- The International 4 – $10.9 million
Conclusion
The eSports sector has gone a long way from its early days, and the huge prize pools that are presently offered are what really gets the attention of players, teams, and spectators.
These 5 tournaments are the most prestigious in the world of professional gaming, with winners receiving not just fame but also substantial cash prizes that may change their lives. Prize money in eSports is expected to keep rising along with the sector as a whole, drawing in more players and sponsors as it develops.
