Call of Duty
Unraveling the Most Impressive Prize Pools in Esports History
The eSports world will have its collective eyes focused on Seattle starting on October 27th. This is because the Emerald City will once again be hosting The International. For those who don’t follow eSports, The International is the flagship event for Dota 2 and it has been an annual occurrence since 2011. That year, Ukraine’s Natus Vincere won the event earning a share of the $1.6 million prize pool.
While a $1.6 million prize pool is impressive, it is a mere drop in the bucket compared to some of the cash prizes that have been paid out in more recent eSports competitions. While bettors can earn a nice chunk of money betting on eSports at top Dota 2 betting sites or other top-tier bookmakers specialising on other eSports,, the big money remains in those massive prize pools.
Let’s examine a few of the most popular eSports and find out about the record-breaking prize pools they have offered.
PUBG – $4.13 Million
PUBG launched to much fanfare in 2018, and it didn’t take long to establish itself as a major eSport. By 2020, PUBG competitions were offering millions of dollars in prizes. The Peacekeeper Elite League 2020 season set a new record with its $3.1 million prize pool. New records would be set in 2021 and then again in 2022 when the prize pool for the Peacekeeper Elite League generated $4.1 million in cash prizes.
Just three months after that record-breaking prize pool was disbursed, the Peacekeeper Elite League once again broke records with $4.13 booty. It’s safe to say that this PUBG record will eventually fall, but it currently stands as the biggest prize pool for a PUBG event.
Call of Duty – $4.6 Million
In 2018, the Call of Duty World League Championship offered the biggest prize pool the eSport had ever seen. That record of $1.5 million quickly fell as the 2019 iteration of the CoD World League Championship saw $2 million in cash divided amongst the competitors.
While the 2022 and 2013 Call of Duty League Playoffs both broke the $2 million barrier, neither one really came close to the record-breaking $4.6 million prize pool offered at the 2020 CoD League Finals. That one still reigns supreme.
League of Legends – $5 Million
League of Legends is one of the most popular eSports on the planet. The game was released in 2009 and it quickly became popular among players and viewers. When the first LOL World Championship was held in 2011, the event boasted a prize pool of $100,000.
Things were a lot different at the 2016 World Championship when the prize pool eclipsed the $5 million mark. While the prize pool of the 2017 World Championship rang in at an impressive $4.95 million, subsequent events have seen prize pools average about $2.25 million. As such, that $5 million prize pool offered at the 2016 World Championship stands as the record in the realm of League of Legends.
Fortnite – $30 Million
Fortnite was released in 2017 making it one of the newer eSports to find success in a global market. Two of the earliest Fortnite competitions were the Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Ams in 2018 and 2019. Both had $3 million up for grabs. However, it was the $6 million prize pool at the Fortnite Fall Skirmish in 2018 that set the bar. Albeit temporarily.
The biggest prize pool in Fortnite history was offered less than a year after the record-breaking Fall Skirmish. The Fortnite World Cup Finals 2019 didn’t just break the record, but the $30 million prize pool obliterated the previous record. It wasn’t only a record prize pool for Fortnite, but it stands out as one of the most lucrative prize pools in eSports history.
Dota 2 – $40 Million
When it comes to offering massive prize pools, no eSport does it quite like Dota 2. And when it comes to Dota 2 competitions, the annual International is in a league of its own. The inaugural International was held in 2011 and boasted $1.6 million in cash prizes. The prize pools would exponentially grow over the next decade. The International 2019 had a staggering $34.3 million up for grabs which set an all-time eSports record.
Then came The International 2021. Eighteen of the world’s most talented Dota 2 players gathered in Bucharest with an eye-watering $40 in cash prizes at stake. This was and still is the largest chunk of cash ever awarded in any eSports competition.
Esports Entertainment Group has announced that it has received an Order approving a Transactional Waiver from the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement which permits the company to begin accepting bets in the state.
The Company becomes the first esports betting operator to receive a Transactional Waiver in New Jersey and plans to launch their VIE.gg betting platform following a five-day “soft play” period. During “soft play”, certain limitations must be applied to the online experience to ensure proper regulatory operations.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be the first esports-dedicated operator to be granted the right to commence business in New Jersey. On behalf of our entire team, I would like to thank the Division of Gaming Enforcement for their approval of our platform and the trust they have placed in our Company. Global esports betting is estimated to exceed $205 billion by 2027, and we are thrilled to be playing such an important role in this fast-growing market with the launch of our first esports wagering offering in the United States,” Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, said.
Upon launch, the Company’s VIE.gg platform will allow bettors across New Jersey, the 11th most populous U.S. state, to wager on their favorite esports teams in real-time as part of a seamless and immersive experience. Players will be able to leverage their esports prowess across games such as Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, and DOTA 2.
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Daily Fantasy Sports operator PrizePicks has announced the addition of premier esports titles Call of Duty, Rocket League, and Valorant to its marketplace, a major step toward solidifying PrizePicks as the premier fantasy esports operator in North America.
PrizePicks already features iconic AAA titles Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends (LoL) on its platform. The three new titles give PrizePicks members a menu of play options unmatched by any other DFS operator in North America and a virtual monopoly on the dominant first-person shooter (FPS) genre.
“Esports was an important offering for us in early 2020 when the pandemic shut everything down, but not only did our monthly esports handle stay strong when the NBA, NFL and college sports returned, it actually grew in unison with our traditional sports over those last six months of the year. These are franchises with fan bases that span decades in some cases and they’ve historically been underserved by sportsbooks and fantasy platforms. We’re thrilled to offer this variety of playable options,” Adam Wexler, CEO of PrizePicks, said.
PrizePicks entered the esports arena in 2019 through a partnership with Atlanta-based SMITE Pro League. In addition to esports featuring heavily on PrizePicks in early 2020 due to COVID-19 with titles such as iRacing and NBA2K League, PrizePicks deepened its esports presence in November 2020, entering into a strategic partnership with cutting edge franchise Ghost Gaming, which fields teams in Rocket League and recently-added Valorant, among others. The two Atlanta-based companies have been collaborating on a series of initiatives set to debut later this year.
“The more opportunities that esports fans have to engage with their favorite titles and franchises, the better it is for the industry. We were attracted to a partnership with PrizePicks in the first place because they have a vision not just to expand their platform but to create a better fan experience overall,” Stewart Tanner, Head of Partnerships at Ghost Gaming, said.
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A new Hollywood-based esports team, which is backed by high profile celebrities, has announced its official launch.
Named Team 33, the esports team is planning to enter major tournaments in popular games like Call of Duty, CS:GO, Valorant, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, League of Legends, Dota 2, Madden, and FIFA. The team will have players from all over the globe.
“We are excited to officially launch our esports team today, as this has been years in the making. Some of our players we have signed have won major tournaments all over the world and we are now ready to compete as a team globally. We will be revealing our official roster of players in 2021 from our headquarters in the Hollywood Hills. We are also selectively accepting applications from pro players all over the world interested in joining us as we are currently expanding our team,” Tyler Gallagher, CEO and co-founder of Team 33, said.
“We are accepting applications from pro gamers at www.team33.gg for a limited period of time and look forward to finalizing our esports roster this year,” Gallagher added.
The team will be headquartered in a luxurious mansion in the Hollywood Hills, CA. Nicknamed House 33, the home and training facility will welcome all of its players for training and charity streams. House 33 is an award-winning property that has had numerous high profile guests including Post Malone, Drake, Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, TM88, Young Thug, Gunna, Swae Lee, and Kaash Paige.
“We designed House 33 to be a world-class training facility for gamers and a creative space for artists and creators alike. Although we hire pro players worldwide, we believe in team building and giving back to local charities which is why this luxurious property in the Hollywood Hills will be our headquarters,” Gallagher said.
“Anyone who is accepted to Team 33 will receive a world class setup sent to their home directly. This is to include a state of the line computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, desk, gaming chair with camera and microphone setup. The value of this setup is almost $5000 and only going to a selective few that get signed to the team,” Gallagher added.
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