Esports aren’t just “a thing” anymore – they’re THE thing. From massive tournaments to million-dollar prize pools, esports has made the art of playing video games at home its very own sport. New legends are being made live on stream, along with lots of trash talk that’s somehow both savage and hilarious – and many people across the world are watching it all unfold. But what even is it?
Esports is short for electronic sports, and it’s the act of competitive video gaming. It’s viewed as a competitive sport and involves plenty of professional and amateur gamers competing in organized leagues. They train like athletes, play like professionals, and win like masters. The esports space is huge, and we’re watching it all happen before our eyes.
If you’re wondering where to start, or even which games are running the esports world in 2025 — we’ve researched so you don’t have to. Here’s the one-stop guide to the games everybody’s freaking out about for 2-25 — and exactly why we love them.
🎮 League of Legends
Genre: Multiplayer Battle Arena Game
League of Legends, or LoL if you want to sound like the gamer pros, is a 5v5 strategic team game where players pick powerful champions and battle across a three-lane map. The goal of the game is to destroy the enemy team’s Nexus (basically their home base) before they destroy yours.
Choose your champion, team up with four other players (friends or not), level up by slaying minions and enemies, and coordinate team attacks to push down towers and take over the map. This game needs some super smart teamwork and killer mechanics to win the day – but the tournaments that you could get to with this are BIG and definitely worth every second.
These tournaments are the ones that bring in bettors from around the globe to watch esports unfold before their eyes. You pick your favorite team, place a bet, and watch as the esports teams fight to the end. You can place your bets pretty much anywhere that offers regular sports betting, like esports betting at Bovada, and many more.
2. 🚀 Valorant
Genre: Hero Shooter Game
Valorant took everything we know and love about CS, and made it into a fast-paced shooter game that’s loved by the many. It’s a tactical shooter game where two teams of five face off against each other using sharp gunplay, character-based abilities, and smart strategy. Think Counter-Strike meets superhero powers all rolled into one perfect gameplay. Just pick your Agent, buy your gear, and get ready to attack or defend!
Oh, and watching Valorant tournaments is already super intense — but if you’re looking to turn up the excitement even more, many gaming lovers jump into esports betting at Bovada to make those clutch plays feel even bigger and more impactful. There’s nothing quite like watching the matches unfold when you’ve got a stake on your favorite team or player, and it brings you into the action with unquestionable clarity. No longer just a spectator, you’ve got skin in the game and you really care what’s going on: that’s the joy of esports betting.
Of course, before you make a bet, it’s worth spending some time learning about the teams and figuring out who the top players are. This will both up your engagement and increase your chances of making a good bet, so it’s very worth the effort!
3. 🎯 Counter-Strike 2
Genre: Tactical First-Person Shooter Game
Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) is the long-awaited upgrade to one of the most legendary shooters ever. With this game, there’s no hiding; it’s just clean, cold, mechanical skill. It’s a team-based game where terrorists and counter-terrorists face off across bomb defusals, hostage rescues, and all-out tactical warfare. You need pure aim and pure strategy, and there are absolutely no second chances.
Just pick a side, buy your weapons carefully at the start of each round, and work with your team to either plant (or defuse) the bomb or eliminate the enemy squad. Watch out, because one shot makes a huge difference every time.
4. 🧙♂️ Dota 2
Genre: Deep-Dive MOBA Game
Let’s be honest, Dota 2 is a whole lifestyle. It’s complicated, brutal, and sometimes feels like it requires a Ph.D. to understand it – but once you get there, trust us, it’s worth every second. The game itself is a 5v5 competitive battle where two teams fight across a massive map to destroy each other’s Ancient (their base). It’s endlessly complex, and packed with strategy at every turn. One tiny mistake can cost your team everything, so this one’s a great game for betting on when the tournaments are in swing.
Just pick your hero (character) from a list of over 100 unique characters, each with wild abilities – and get ready to attack your enemy’s Ancient.
The Era of Esports is Here
It doesn’t matter if you love strategy, shooting, or just generally surviving, there’s an esports game out there for you.
The level of skill on display today is always jaw-dropping — and honestly, the hype just keeps growing because of this.
And if you want to level up your viewing experience, don’t forget that esports betting makes every round, every frag, and every ridiculous last-second play that much more exciting.
We’ll see you on the leaderboards.
