We all know League of Legends is one of the most-played games in history. But per new data provided to The Esports Observer by research firm SuperData, Riot Games’ monolithic title is close to breaching a barrier many thought impossible—100 million monthly users.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]By the end of the year, the forecast states, League will have 99.7 million monthly users, up from 94.3 million last year. In addition, the game’s revenue is forecasted to be at $1.792 billion, well above last year’s mark. [/perfectpullquote]

These kinds of numbers are unprecedented, only dwarfed by top mobile games (explained by the availability and ease of use for mobile titles). But for a computer game that requires you to sit down and spend a half-hour or so playing, these kinds of numbers are incredible.

The game’s popularity and lasting power have long been attributed to the breakthrough free-to-play business model that arose in the mid-00s to challenge console models and World of Warcraft‘s subscription model. Free-to-play soon became an industry norm, particularly for mobile and browser games (though, it may soon be challenged by Overwatch‘s “pay-to-pay” model). Still, League was perfectly situated to take advantage of a stagnant gaming industry and arose from the ashes of the Great Recession as a top dog.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Many expect this weekend’s World Championships to become the most-watched esports event in history.[/perfectpullquote]

League has also remained popular by having the top esports scene in the world. Many expect this weekend’s World Championships to become the most-watched esports event in history—and with the recent inclusion of a crowdfunding drive, it will likely also be a top-grossing one.

The popularity of esports and breakthrough into mainstream culture has been a noticeable topic this year, with companies like Turner, ESPN, and numerous professional sports teams investing in the scene. SuperData also notes that by 2020, yearly revenue for the industry—separate from game sales—should be around $1.5 billion, and have 363 million viewers. That’s about a 50% growth from estimates for this year.