From any angle you look at it, eSports has grown so much to become a recognized industry on the internet and beyond. It serves as a product of entertainment, competition, sports and also a career opportunity. We have individuals and teams that play in different categories and compete at different levels. The significance of this industry has brought us to the point where we would like to take a look at the most money won in a single eSports tournament.

Just like you have it in other mainstream sports like football and basketball, eSports has become very organized and is quickly catching up with the kind of organization in those sports. Now, in eSports you have seasonal tournaments like the Fortnite World Cup, LoL World Championship and The International. These tournaments are played by teams who compete against themselves, and the wins for now, apart from the trophies, come with prize money.

Most of the time, when we want to classify teams in eSports, we use such criteria as their performance in competitions. An even easier way to gauge performance is in prize money won. However, recently there has been some interesting developments. This has a lot to do with how the industry is growing. Endorsements, sponsorships, advertisements and several other sources, key among crowdfunding, have motivated a swell in the amount of money flowing into eSports. This also reflects in the amount won in tournaments. Below is a description in detail of the most money won in a single eSports tournament.

When Was The Most Money Won In A Single eSports Tournament?

In what would pass as a typical representation of growth in the eSports industry, the most money won in a single eSports tournament was in 2019. This was recorded at “The International 2019” where a total of $34,330,069 was won by the participating teams. A total of 18 teams participated in the tournament, comprising of 90 players.

Where Was The Most Money Won In A Single eSports Tournament?

For “The International 2019” tournament, a total of 18 top teams of the season gathered in Shanghai, China. The game in which they competed was Dota 2, and the tournament lasted between 5th August, 2019 to 25th August 2019.

How Was The Most Money Won In A Single eSports Tournament?

As mentioned above, the source of the prize money won in The International 2019 is primarily from crowdfunding from members of the community. Even while the competition had begun, crowdfunding continued and surpassed the previous tournament prize money of $25,532,177 of The International 2018.

Who Was Responsible For The Most Money Won In A Single eSports Tournament?

As already mentioned above, the record prize money is an accumulation of the different prizes won by the participating teams. Altogether, 18 teams played in The International 2019. The following table provides a list of the teams, their order of performance and prize money won.

Conclusion

The post above does not only reflect how much the eSports and online gaming industry has grown. It also shows a continuing trend that gives us an idea of the games that are in true leadership in the industry.

Take for instance, in the same year 2019, the Fortnite World Cup Finals 2019 recorded a total prize money of $15,287,500. However, this is a solo competition, and remains in leadership in the solo category. For team tournaments, Dota 2 has shown to be in lead.

Several other games and categories exist, all of which are contributing to the visible growth that is happening in eSports. For now, The International 2019 provides us with the most money won in a single eSports tournament.