The Most-Watched Esports in Autumn-Winter 2022
The esports boom of the 2020s has led to an unprecedented influx of new users in the sector. Not only are more people than ever before playing esports but, crucially, more people are tuning in to watch the action as a spectator. Viewers are even backing their favorite teams with free bets from leading comparison platforms such as OddsChecker as the industry expands and makes way for both increased gaming and betting.
With this growing interest around esports viewership, new titles are rapidly climbing Twitch’s average viewer number rankings. Below we’re going to take a look at the most-watched esports over Q3 and Q4 of 2022, where we will see old favorites rubbing shoulders with some of the hottest new releases in the sector.
Valorant – 89,564 Avg. Viewers
Released in 2020, Riot Games’ answer to the team-based hero shooter has proven to be a fan favorite thanks to its greater emphasis on skilled twitch-gunplay over bombastic character abilities. What’s more, Riot’s impressive pedigree when it comes to cultivating global competitive circuits for its games means that this title is in the process of bedding in for the long haul.
At present, some of its sunshine has understandably been snatched by Blizzard’s long-awaited sequel to rivaling franchise, Overwatch, finally going on general release. However many believe that Valorant’s higher potential skill ceiling will see it retain its crown as the best hero-shooter esports on the market today.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – 89,684 Avg. Viewers
CS:GO is in the enviable position of being able to enjoy the tactical-shooter niche it helped create with its 2000 original Counter-Strike, an esports legend. While CS:GO builds on the core formula of the series, it knows its crowd and keeps the focus on tightly balanced maps and compelling, but unobtrusive, objective-based game modes.
As such, the title continues to enjoy a steady and loyal following, and has proven it can ride out rival tactical-FPSs with its purist gameplay, attracting strong backing from leading esports teams.
Dota 2 – 113,256 Avg. Viewers
It can sometimes be difficult to deny that Dota 2 finds itself consigned to playing second fiddle to League of Legends. But for all the cross-pollination and similarities between the two franchises, each has managed to create something novel within the MOBA space.
Dota 2 offers greater complexity and nuance, both in its set-up and execution, which allows for a wider breadth of strategies and tactics to be employed in-game, often to stunning effect.
League of Legends – 191,537 Avg. Viewers
League of Legends rarely loses its top spot on the rankings, and for good reason. Being the largest and most popular esports in the world today, viewership of LoL games rarely drops off. With a packed competitive schedule comprising regional and international tournaments, fans never have to wait long before getting to see leading teams face off against one another in the arena.
League of Legends ascended to the top spot of the esports world by being one of the first games to bring in a Free-2-Play model. This, combined with its greater accessibility in gameplay than rival Dota, resulted in the perfect conditions for this MOBA to take the world by storm.
Overwatch 2 – 199,354 Avg. Viewers
The long-awaited sequel to 2016’s Overwatch, Blizzard’s hero-shooter pioneer has finally returned with a follow-up. While some concerns had been raised that Overwatch 2 is less of a sequel and more of an update, some crucial changes to the underlying gameplay have given the franchise a fresh lease on life.
The biggest shift is a move from 6v6 to 5v5 teams. This has already demonstrated a change of dynamic that shakes up the flow of combat and creates an experience that is more rewarding than aggressive tactics.
It’s no surprise that a sequel to one of the biggest esports in history is drawing viewers in – but whether Overwatch 2 will retain its top ranking in the coming months is another question.
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