Overwatch Finally Makes The Top 5 On The Esports Prize Pools List

All year long, major esport competitions flood our screens and fill arenas with avid supporters. With the expansion of esports as a whole, the amount of prize money that tournaments are offering continues to grow. That number has reached an estimated $111 million USD in 2018 alone, with three months left in the year.

According to Esports Earnings, a website tracking tournaments and league prize pools, the five top esports games of 2018 are as follows:

1. Dota 2 – $38,325,126.19
2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – $15,905,731.61
3. Fortnite – $10,542,982.86
4. League of Legends – $7,219,190.36
5. Overwatch – $6,108,532.96

While seeing Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and League of Legend on this list shouldn’t surprise most esport enthusiasts, Overwatch makes a noticeable entrance into the top 5. Overwatch crossed the $6,000,000 prize pool mark. Fortnite is also a new member on the list, reaching the top 3, with over $10,000,000 in a single year.

Overwatch overthrows Blizzard’s other hits, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft II, respectively at the 8th, 9th, and 12th position. The Overwatch competitive scene grows quickly, now competing with long-established games like League of Legends and securing its spot as the second biggest FPS esport game.

This list could change, as the year is not yet over. The Overwatch World Cup playoffs will kickoff during Blizzcon in November, and the Overwatch Open Division continues to plan tournaments.

Considering the popularity of the Overwatch World Cup group stages and the overall hype for the Overwatch League, there is no doubt that the prize pool for Overwatch tournaments will keep increasing in the upcoming years.

Photo Credit: Overwatch League