PandaScore esports data shows that player preference has changed slightly as the new season of tournaments reignites interest.
Many esports players are starting the year off with a bang. The Counter-Strike community returns from their Christmas holidays, League of Legends players fire up the engines and Dota2 prepares itself for the new field. Valorant kicks off its Kickoff Tournaments.
We can now look back at the data that shows the changes in the betting habits and forecast what the future holds for esports gambling.
Most popular esports titles Q1 2024
When we reviewed the performances of all the esports games in 2023, Dota 2 overtook LoL to become the second-most popular title based on turnover among the clients of odds and data platform PandaScore.
In 2024, LoL was back in second place with the start of the new season. Domestic competitions from China and Korea were also gaining popularity and North American gaming experienced a revival.
We’re also seeing now the effects of Dota 2 returning to a decentralised model of tournaments last year. This is similar to Counter-Strike. Valve, the Dota creator, discontinued their Dota Pro Circuit in September 2023, stating that it was “less fun, less exciting and less diverse.”
eBattles’ performance in Q1 (eSoccer, eBasketball and eSoccer) and its popularity also showed the strong relationship between the vertical and the sports calendar. eBasketball accounted a third for the total eBattles revenue as the NBA’s regular season neared its end.
Live Betting on the Big 3
The strong live betting opportunities available in Q1 helped the three big titles to maintain their top positions. These titles are Dota 2, Counter Strike and LoL. Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Assault were still split 60-40 between pre-match and live betting. Dota 2 was more correlated to live betting.
Dota 2 has a higher live betting presence due to a number of factors. Live betting in Dota 2 is more popular because of its complexity. Bettors who are confident and familiar with gameplay can make better decisions during matches. Live markets are available for longer matches, which last between 40-60 mins.
The most popular tournaments of Q1
Counterstrike’s PGL major was the most important event in Q3 in terms of turnover, with its main tournament and European qualifiers both ranking among the top 10.
It was the first time a major tournament had been played using Counter-Strike 2 instead of the older game CS:GO. It was a thrilling event for both fans and betting enthusiasts. The tournament placed above the second-ranked IEM Katowice which is one of most powerful turnover generators each year.
The Dream League is a popular betting competition for Dota 2. However, with the move away from the Dota Pro Circuit, this new tournament has stepped up and offered fans and punters more.
LoL’s overall strong performance is supported by the top-performing tournaments. China’s LPL is consistently a top performer. Korea’s LCK is also a regular.
This quarter, the surprise is the North American LCS’s return to the Top 10. The league’s viewership and revenue suffered when it moved to the midweek time slot last year. But now that the league has returned to the weekends, they have mostly recovered to their former selves.
Operators could expect to see more diversity in their performance through the second quarter, thanks to major events like LoL’s Mid-Season Invitational and Valorant’s regional leagues or Shanghai Masters.
