New research reveals the video game competitions, from Seattle to Seoul, that offer the biggest cash prizes as a reward for victory. Even the last on the list would earn the winner an easy $18,000, but topping the charts is The International, the biggest DOTA 2 game in the world, raking in an incredible $10,806,301 for the lucky champ!
Most of the championships are based in the US, including League of Legends, Call of Duty and Halo. However, a few are scattered on the other side of the globe – Counter-Strike Competitors would have to head to Changzou, China to take part, whilst those after the $150,000 prize for World of Tanks would find themselves in Warsaw, Poland. These are the games with the biggest available prizes:
- The International – Dota 2 – The International offers a massive $9,139,002 prize pot for the winning team, and $20,770,640 in total across the championship. And your parents said playing games wouldn’t get you anywhere.
- LoL World Championship – League of Legends – League of Legends is known for its dedicated fans and its iconic characters, but the World Championship should be known for its $2,028,000 top prize.
- Call of Duty XP Championship – Call of Duty: Black Ops III – While CoD’s popularity has dipped in recent years from what it was, it’s still one of the most-played games among people who wouldn’t traditionally consider themselves to be “gamers” – but the shooter offers an $800,000 prize for the team who does most dedicate themselves to it.
- World Electronic Sports Games (CS:GO) – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Counter-Strike is a veteran of the competitive circuit, and the original game, released in 2000, spawned a full franchise, including Global Offensive, from which winners can expect to receive a prize of $800,000.00.
- Halo World Championship – Halo 5: Guardians – Halo was originally released in 2001, and has only gone from strength to strength with spin-offs and sequels. The third shooter in the top five, the winners will find themselves with a $500,000 prize.
Though the top five competitions feature only MOBAs and shooters, fear not – if you’re more of a strategy player or a collectible card game aficionado, there’s other ways you can claim victory, including Hearthstone and StarCraft 2. You can find the full list on the MrGamez site here
