League of Legends, CS:GO, and Dota 2 were the most-watched esports of 2019

Powerhouse esports titles continued to break records in 2019, while other newcomers made their mark on the scene. But the old guard stood tall.

League of Legends, CS:GO, and Dota 2 were the most-watched esports of 2019, according to Esports Charts.

League has always been one of the biggest names in esports and last year was no exception. Across its various leagues, the 10-year-old game garnered 478 million hours watched over the year. The 2019 World Championship even set a world record by reaching four million peak viewers during the tournament’s semifinal matchup between G2 Esports and T1.

CS:GO, the second most-watched esport of 2019, had 284 million hours watched among its tournaments. This was achieved through multiple competitions hosted around the world where the title picked up popularity in different regions and showcased some of the game’s best talent. Ultimately, the 2019 IEM Katowice Major pulled in a peak of just over 1.2 million viewers in the match featuring Astralis and ENCE.

Dota 2 came in third place with 282 million hours watched. This was due to the lack of large tournaments throughout the year, as well as a general loss of viewership across most Majors besides The International. In fact, TI had a higher peak viewership count that CS:GO, netting just under two million viewers during the grand finals between OG and Team Liquid.

The drop between third and fourth is huge, however. Overwatch came in fourth at 81 million hours watched last year. There’s only so much Overwatch people can see, though, because the only place people can watch competitive Overwatch is through the Overwatch League and various Contenders leagues around the world.

From these stats, it doesn’t look like League is going to slow down soon in terms of worldwide popularity. With its growing regional scene and constant patches, the game should continue to lead the competition into a fresh year of esports success.