By Alex Carter, Esports Correspondent

For News.SEOSiri | November 6, 2025

The 2025 competitive gaming season has concluded, marking one of the most significant years in esports history. The calendar was dominated by the colossal Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which set a new standard for multi-game festivals. Alongside this mega-event, premier world championships for titans like League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and Dota 2 drew massive global audiences and awarded tens of millions of dollars in prize money.

The Esports World Cup Sets a New Benchmark

The standout event of the year was unquestionably the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025, held from July to August in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Spanning nearly two months, the festival was an unprecedented celebration of competitive gaming, featuring tournaments across 25 different titles. With a staggering total prize pool exceeding $30 million, the EWC attracted top-tier organizations from around the world to compete in games ranging from Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 to League of Legends and Valorant. Its scale and financial backing have firmly established it as a new pillar in the annual esports circuit.

Single-Title Championships Draw Massive Crowds

While the EWC showcased variety, the premier single-game championships remained the ultimate prize for professional teams.

• Counter-Strike 2 saw two thrilling Majors this year. The BLAST.tv Austin Major captivated North American fans in June, while the StarLadder Budapest Major is set to close out the professional season in late November. Beyond the Majors, the legendary IEM Cologne 2025 once again provided a mid-summer spectacle in Germany.

• Valorant's competitive season culminated in Paris, France, with Valorant Champions 2025. The event, which ran from September to early October, pitted the top teams from the global regional leagues against each other for the title of world champion.

• Dota 2's premier tournament, The International (TI) 2025, moved to Hamburg, Germany. Held in September, the event continued its tradition of a massive, crowdfunded prize pool that remains one of the largest in all of esports.

• League of Legends is currently hosting its 2025 World Championship across multiple cities in China. As one of the most-watched esports events globally, its grand finals in November are expected to break viewership records once again.

Other major titles also crowned their champions, with the Six Invitational 2025 for Rainbow Six Siege taking place in Boston and the Call of Duty League Championship for the newly released Black Ops 6 concluding in Kitchener.

Major Esports Events in 2025:

Collectively, the 2025 season demonstrated the robust and growing health of the esports industry, with more global venues, larger prize pools, and a dedicated international fanbase solidifying its place in the top tier of modern sports and entertainment.

Sources:

Data compiled from press releases and official schedules provided by the Esports World Cup Foundation, Riot Games (League of Legends, Valorant), Valve (Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2), BLAST, ESL, Ubisoft (Rainbow Six Siege), and Activision (Call of Duty League).