2024 will go down in history as one of the most polarizing years in gaming. This year, it had massive wins from titles such as Black Myth: Wukong, Warhammer 40K, and Final Fantasy Rebirth, while it had various massive flops, such as Unknown 9: Awakening.
That said, most of these games are either single-player or non-competitive, just like esports titles. On the other hand, Esports continues to grow steadily, with an upward trend in its projected global revenue.
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2024 is a massive year for esports, with the first-ever Esports World Cup happening in Riyadh last July. History continues to be made by players like Faker, and as more esports titles become available to different gamers, esports will continue to grow in numbers and viewership.
Suppose you are a massive fan of the biggest esports titles such as Dota 2, League of Legends, etc. In that case, we've collated 2024's esports highlights from all your favorite esports titles and the upcoming tournaments you should never miss.
Counter-Strike 2
This year, Teams NAVI, G2, and FaZe Clan have dominated the major CS2 tournaments. From PGL Major Copenhagen to the BLAST Premiere World Finals in Sentosa, Singapore, these three teams have been battling their hearts out with Valve's latest Counter Strike 2. Counter-Strike 2's Esports World Cup tournament also declared NAVI the ultimate CS2 team, winning them a grand prize of $400,000.
Tournaments such as the Intel Extreme Masters and ESL Pro League are prominent this year, and new seasons will start in early 2025.
If you feel you are late to the CS2 esports party, fret not. Perfect World Shanghai Major will still be held on November 30.
That's 15 days of non-stop Counter-Strike 2 action, so be sure to practice your aim and frags because CS2's tournaments will surely get you back in the firing range again.
Dota 2
Despite finishing second to the Gaimin Gladiators in most tournaments in 2023, Team Liquid defied all odds and claimed the Aegis in this year's The International in Copenhagen last September.
Team Liquid lost to Gaimin Gladiators in 5 grand finals matches in 2023, which made their Aegis win so much more meaningful. The team won the massive $1,249,445 grand prize after crushing Gaiming Gladiators with a 3-0 sweep during the grand finals.
While Gaimin Gladiators dominated last year, they fell short this year. Team Falcons has won the most tournaments in the Dota 2 pro scene, including ESL One Birmingham last April.
Three more major tournaments to conclude for Dota 2 this year are DreamLeague Season 24, Blast Slam 1, and ESL One Bangkok. Dota 2 tournaments will be spicier this time, with the new Dota 2 hero Kez now released along with the final Crownfall Act.
League of Legends
League of Legends has a different tournament leg in each region, culminating in the game's most prestigious event, the League of Legends World Championship. Each stage of the LoL World Championship is held in different major cities, showing how huge the tournament is.
In addition to winning major qualifying tournaments, teams can qualify for the World Championship by winning regional finals. Last September, T1 won the League of Legends Champions Korea regionals, which earned it a slot in the World Championship.
This year's World Championship is as historical as any other, but it is made special by T1 and Faker, who managed to win the championship 5 times. They won the $445,000 grand prize aside from the coveted Worlds trophy.
It is undeniably impressive. This shows that the team has dominated for far too long, and it is time for other teams to step up their game in 2025.
VALORANT
VALORANT's esports scene mainly revolves around the VALORANT Champions Tour, or VCT. Hosted by Riot Games, each region will have its own VCT tournament leg, leading up to the Valorant Champions 2024.
Team Sentinels won the VCT Masters in Madrid, and Gen.G Esports won the VCT Masters in Shanghai. While both teams dominated this year with significant wins, Team EDWard Gaming won the ultimate VALORANT Champions 2024, with a grand prize of $1,000,000.
The VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2024 will take place from November 8 to November 17, 2024. Don't miss out on the opportunity to support and watch your favorite VALORANT teams clash in this year's last tournament.
Tekken 8, Street Fighter, and Major Fighting Games
Each major fighting game title has a separate tournament but is considered part of a larger pro scene. Tournaments such as the EVO Championship Series, Esports World Cup, and Ultimate Fighting Arena have different events within the tournaments that will focus on different fighting game titles.
Some notable wins this year in the fighting games category are from the following events and players.
- Esports World Cup 2024: Each champion wins $300,000
- Street Fighter 6: Xiao Hai
- Tekken 8: ULSAN
- EVO Championship Series 2024: The championship grand prize varies from each title
- King Of Fighters VX: Xiao Hai with $12,000
- Tekken 8: Arlan Ash with $18,604
- Mortal Kombat 1: SonicFox with $12,000
- Street Fighter 6: Punk with $21,116
While only two months remain in 2024, esports for fighting games still offer much to professional players and fans. The upcoming Tekken World Tour Finals 2024 will have a prize pool of $300,000 and will be held in Tokyo from December 5 to December 8, while the SNK Championship Series 2024 Finals will conclude on December 1 with a $42,080 prize pool.
In 2024, a lot happened in the esports space, and as the year draws to a close, many more tournaments are to come. While major gaming companies such as Nintendo and Sony made massive announcements, such as the Switch 2'sbackward compatibility and the launch of PS5 Pro, esports fans still have reasons to celebrate their beloved titles with massive tournaments coming next year.
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