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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.