In 2025, the biggest story in esports wasn’t who lifted the trophies, but which tournament emerged as the most watched esports event—revealing where fans were truly spending their time.
While the glitz and glamour of global finals still grab the headlines, the real power shifted toward long-term regional loyalty and the unstoppable rise of mobile gaming.
Whether you were watching from a PC in Seoul or a smartphone in Jakarta, the 2025 viewership numbers prove that the way we experience competitive gaming is becoming more localized, more accessible, and more intense than ever.
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From Korea’s marathon League of Legends seasons to the record-breaking mobile explosions in Southeast Asia, the landscape has evolved into a global map of distinct, high-energy hubs.
This year’s Esports Charts report takes a detailed look at the tournaments that actually defined our year as esports fans, breaking down which events kept us glued to our screens and which ones set the standard for the next generation of the sport.
What the most watched esports event reveals about esports growth in 2025
The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) proves that consistency is king. By moving away from split seasonal tournaments and embracing a single, massive 2025 Season format, Korea’s premier League of Legends league didn’t just grow—it dominated.
Between April and September, fans racked up over 161 million hours watched, a record-breaking total that actually outperformed the year’s biggest global championship.
Earlier in the year, Hanwha Life Esports struck gold first by winning the LCK Cup, narrowly edging out Gen.G in the final to secure a major home title.
Not backing down, it was Gen.G who went on to claim the LCK 2025 championship after defeating rivals Hanwha Life Esports in the finals, cementing their status as the region’s top domestic team.
It turns out that having a steady, high-stakes narrative over several months is exactly what fans wanted to stay engaged.
On the international stage, Gen.G carried their form to the 2025 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) in Vancouver, where they defeated T1 3–2 to successfully defend their MSI crown.
Korea’s season concluded at the 2025 League of Legends World Championship in China, where T1 emerged victorious in a dramatic 3–2 final against KT Rolster, earning a record-extending sixth Worlds title.
It’s no surprise then that the 2025 World Championship remains the peak for prestige, even if the total watch time told a different story. Clocking in at 136.4 million hours watched, the dip from the previous year’s 190 million wasn’t due to a lack of hype, but a significantly leaner broadcast schedule.
Fans were still there in droves, with a massive peak of 6.75 million concurrent viewers for the T1 vs. KT Rolster grand final, proving that when the stakes are highest, the world still stops to watch.
Meanwhile, Dota 2 fans had plenty to celebrate as The International 2025 saw a resurgence, jumping from 55 million to over 63 million hours watched.
Counter-Strike also held its ground, with the BLAST.tv Austin Major and the StarLadder Budapest Major both securing spots in the top ten most-watched events of the year.
Mobile Legends and the Southeast Asian audience surge
If you want to see where the raw growth is, look no further than mobile. MPL Indonesia has officially become a powerhouse that rivals almost any PC-based esport.
With two separate seasons landing in the top five for total viewership, it’s clear that mobile-first regions are no longer secondary markets—they are the core of the industry.
The MLBB Mid Season Cup at EWC alone saw a staggering 73% year-over-year growth, proving that accessibility via smartphone is the ultimate engine for bringing in millions of new fans. This year, it was Team Liquid PH that dominated the Mid Season Cup, defeating Selangor Red Giants OG 4–1.
Other MLBB esports highlights of the year include Malaysia winning the MLBB title at the IESF World Esports Championship with a 3–0 sweep over Cambodia, Team Vitality going undefeated to claim the MLBB Women’s Invitational, and ONIC Philippines defeating RRQ Hoshi 4–1 to take the SPS Mobile Masters crown.
