Riyadh Esports World Cup 2025 is developing to form the biggest gaming event in the world this year. The total amount of the prize pool is more than $70 million, and several of the biggest names were present (Ronaldo would even attend), so the hype is very much real. However, despite the number of titles which are highlighted there, not all of them are being given an equal kind of attention.
We have examined hard confirmed sightings records, online viewership, social media and some fan buzz. This is the way the official games put in rank in regard to real impact rather than sound.
Top Tier: The Crowd Pullers
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
This one is far ahead. MLBB was the most viewed game last year, with a peak of 2.38 million viewers concurrently. The men’s tournament rules, particularly in Southeast Asia, where it’s more or less a religion. The women’s MLBB event performed well too, approximately 265K peak, which isn’t an easy task.
League of Legends
LoL doesn’t even need an intro. And this time at EWC, Riot’s golden child pulled about 1.10 million peak viewers. Not the highest, but extremely steady and global. Doesn’t matter if you’re in Korea, Europe, or Brazil, League’s pulling numbers.
Dota 2: Riyadh Masters
Legendary title. Riyadh Masters of Dota 2 reached 419K peak viewership, supported by $3M prize pool and the appearance of all major teams. Even though the game is old, the fans continue to come in large numbers.
Honor of Kings
Perhaps not a Westerner’s favorite, but don’t discount this one. HoK from Tencent achieved around 481K peak, led by China and the SEA regions. With Tencent driving global development, the figure may increase next year.
Counter-Strike 2
It’s CS, but newer. CS2 at last year’s EWC peaked at about 756K. Doesn’t set records, but steady as always. And with recent updates and new skins hype, it’s not going to slow down anytime soon.
VALORANT
Unexpectedly strong buzz on its inaugural EWC outing. No final numbers as of yet, but by Esports Charts’ projections, its EWC 2025 peak could even reach 1 million. Riot’s second horse is moving fast.
Mid Tier: Dominant But Not Unbeatable
PUBG Mobile
Large in India, SEA, MENA, and is still driving large viewership. Last year’s 566K high was no laughing matter. The mobile battle royale audience is surely dedicated.
Free Fire
Garena’s Free Fire continues to attract regional focus, particularly Latin America and parts of Asia. Hit 471K high at last EWC. Not glitzy but reliable.
Apex Legends
It’s lost some steam out in the West, but Apex still had a good EWC run. Pulled around 219K peak viewers. Not revolutionary, but good enough to remain relevant.
Street Fighter 6
The top-performing fighter at EWC. SF6 peaked at around 155K viewers, which is a respectable number given how niche the genre tends to be.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 & Warzone
These two fared fine. Viewership remained below 150K, and hype wasn’t as great as anticipated. Nonetheless, dedicated CoD players were there.
Overwatch 2
Blizzard’s ailing shooter did around 100K peak (using past EWC data). It’s falling behind but still clinging on. Barely.
Niche and Side Titles: Good, But Low Viewership
Teamfight Tactics
Fun to watch, not so much a significant viewing event. TFT reached only 35K at peak. Slow but strategic, hence not good for mass viewing.
EA Sports FC 25
The FIFA replacement attended EWC, but couldn’t repeat the glory. <110K viewers. Football may be huge, but digital football is not so this year.
Rocket League
Sweet, messy, but failed to cut through the noise. Marginally over 100K, not more.
Tekken 8 & R6 Siege
Both sat around 60K to 100K peak. Tekken had a decent offline, but online buzz wasn’t quite there. Rainbow Six? Pretty much the same thing.
Rennsport
The sim-racing game is highly niche. Data from last year demonstrates that it peaked in the low thousands. More of a specialty interest rather than mass entertainment.
Chess
Yes, there is chess. It’s having a gradual digital resurgence with younger viewers. But still early days. Viewership yet to breach significant thresholds.
Final Thoughts
In order to keep it really short and facts based, the blue-chips in terms of real viewership are Mobile Legends, League, Dota 2, and VALORANT/CS2. In the middle, stable but not viral, PUBG Mobile, Apex and SF6. What of the rest? They are local or micro.Therefore, in the event that you are after numbers and buzz, pursue the MOBAs and shooters. There the pulse of the EWC will be strongest at 2025.
