Jens Hilgers provides an update on his Esports Games Tiers

In his logical and data-driven approach, games are tiered by a fixed set of criteria, two out of three must be met:

Tier 1: 8m+ MAU, 5m+ USD annual prize pools, 20m+ monthly hours watched.

Tier 2: 1.5m+ MAU, 1m+ USD annual prize pools, 2m+ monthly hours watched.

Tier 3: 500k+ MAU, 100k+ USD annual prize pools, 200k+ monthly hours watched.

Hilgers states that it’s “not a perfect chart” but it delivers a structured approach to understanding game relevance in Esports. “Historically, on average, every three years a new Tier 1 contender is produced. Statistically, a new Tier 1 game is due. The question is will it be Overwatch, or an entirely new IP that will launch this year?”, Hilgers said.

17 relevant games are mentioned, and Hilgers believes that another Tier 1 addition will be a significant accelerator to Esports growth.

Read more on Esports Games Tiers here.

Game Links on TEO Database

Tier 1 (4 games): League of Legends , Dota2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , Hearthstone .

Tier 2 (7 games): Heroes of the Storm , Overwatch , Smite , Call of Duty , StarCraft II , Halo , World of Tanks

Tier 3 (6 games): Rocket League , Super Smash Bros. , Vainglory , CrossFire , Point Blank, Fifa .

Full disclose: Hilgers is a seed investor in eSports Business Solutions UG, the company behind The Esports Observer brand and its verticals.