The Esports industry has soared in popularity during the last decade
With greater broadcast coverage and sponsorship deals, the competitive video gaming scene is more lucrative than ever before. This year promises to be another breakout year for Esports prize money, with professional Esports teams competing for some serious seven-figure prizes which could well make other competitive gamers green with envy.
Below, we explore the biggest Esports tournament prize pools in 2023 alongside those of other competitive gaming events away from the PC or TV screen.
League of Legends World Championship
In many ways, LOL tournaments are seen as one of the original trailblazers for competitive, spectated Esports events. In accordance with its standing, the League of Legends World Championship 2023 prize pool is expected to sit between £1.71m and £2.29m, which compares favourably with other competitive gaming pastimes, including online poker. The Sunday Million is one of the leading online poker tournaments in the global poker scene right now and that’s due to its guaranteed £1m+ prize pool. This figure can rise even higher still depending on the number of entrants, and that happens regularly given it’s the flagship event of online poker room PokerStars.
Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) Global Championship
It’s been a little while since the Fortnite World Cup reared its successful head and the best Fortnite players on the planet have been itching to get more competitive action. The FNCS Global Championship 2023 will be staged in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, carrying a total prize purse of approximately £3.05m. There will be a series of events staged throughout the year, culminating in the end-of-year Global Championship which has a prize pool of over £1.5m alone. This is greater than with the FIDE World Chess Championship, which is set to carry a prize purse of £1.71m, with the world champion taking home a guaranteed £1.03m. There’s also a new Global Chess League established in Dubai, which carries a prize fund of £760,355.
PUBG Mobile Global Championship
The PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile Global Championship is one of the biggest mobile Esports events in history. PUBG has cemented itself as the king of smartphone-based battle royale Esports titles, attracting teams of players from all four corners of the globe to compete in the PMGC. After several regional qualifiers, the main event will carry a prize purse of approximately £3.43m. The World Online Bridge Championship is another competitive card gaming event which is played on desktop or mobile. Established in March 2020, this event carried a prize pool that’s almost a tenth of the PMGC at £381,000. The world bridge champion takes home just £76,400.
The International 12
The International is the flagship global Esports event for Dota 2 teams. Hosted by the game’s publisher, Valve Corporation, this multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title has become a worldwide sensation. The prize purse for this event is, surprisingly, crowdfunded. That’s because a tiny percentage of all in-game sales for its Battle Pass subscriptions contribute to The International’s prize pool. In 2021, it peaked at an eye-watering £30.57m and in 2023 it’s set to be between £19m and £23m. That’s more than the 12th-placed team gets in the English Premier League!
The Land of Heroes
Now for the daddy of all Esports events which, unsurprisingly, is the brainchild of Saudi Arabia-based Esports organisation Gamers8. Its 2023 competition, called The Land of Heroes, will carry the biggest ever prize pool of £34m+. The tournament is split into various game categories. In 2022, it included Fortnite, Dota 2, PUBG Mobile, Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege. With the country aiming to create an Esports event that’s “bigger in every way”, we can expect to see more Esports titles included this year, along with the magnified prize fund. The Saudi government-owned firm Savvy Gaming Group acquired ESL Gaming and FACEIT in a £1.14bn deal, as the country aims to improve its reputation by becoming an Esports powerhouse.
In summary, Esports events are getting much more investment and viewer attention than many conventional games. The value of the global Esports market is set to rise at a staggering compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5% between 2023 and 2030, eventually reaching a net worth of £5.15bn by the turn of the next decade.