When it comes to competitive video gaming, there are a lot of different type of games that are being played, heck, even games as trivial as Super Mario are subject to this. However, of all these games, there are really 3 giants when it comes to competitive gaming. They share similar attributes: they’re fun, engaging, action-packed and hard to master. Here’s a look at them. 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 

First person shooter game that dates back to 1999, Counter-Strike has been a sensation ever since it first came out. The interesting thing about Counter-Strike is that when it was released, it was not a game on It’s own. It was simply a game modification in other game called Half-Life. It is sort of ridiculous that one of the biggest known multiplayer games came to be simply through a game mod of some other game. Counter-Strike:GO later, in 2012, became a game on it’s own and the viewership and playerbase skyrocketed ever since it was released.

Players are separated in two teams, the Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists and the objective is simple. Terror team works towards their objective, which is to blow the place up. And the Counter-Terrors are there to stop them. Now, what this game truly showcases is the beauty of tactic and strategy when it comes to topic like that. It’s amazing to see two teams brawl on many different maps, trying to outsmart and outshoot each other. The thematic of the game is really a unique one, and it draws a lot of people to watch it and be a part of it. But the gameplay itself is also a thing of uniqueness, i mean, who doesn’t like playing as a special ops unit or a bad guy? Come on now.  

When it comes to competitive Counter-Strike, it’s sitting on top of the eSports throne right now. 

Counter-Strike has a system of few “Major” tournaments each year, and teams work through smaller tournaments to earn their place to compete in the Majors. It’s fun to watch and follow these teams compete throughout to year and in the end see if they can claim the big prize. When it comes to that, prize pools are usually around $1 Million spread across multiple teams and players.

So if you ever happen to be in the mood to some first-person shooting game, this one is the right one for you. Give it a try, Counter-Strike never fails to deliver.  

Counter-Terror team defusing the bomb. 

Dota 2

Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients) is a tad bit different than what you would expect. Much like Counter-Strike, it came to life as a mod in a game called Warcraft 3. There’s just something about the game mods man, right? It was released in 2003 and it became a hit as soon as it was released to public. Players loved it. 10 years later, it also became a game on it’s own, now named Dota 2.

So in DotA, you have a small, square shaped map, two teams on each side, with a base of their own. The objective is to destroy the enemy “Ancient” and thus, win. It’s mostly played 5 vs 5.  

You control units called “Heroes”, there are 115 of them so there is a lot of diversity when it comes to tactics, strategy & gameplay. And that’s the beauty of games like this, each new game is an experience of it’s own. You work with your hero, you earn gold, you buy items to make your hero stronger and brawl against 5 other enemy players. Game lasts about 30 minutes and each new game is a new experience, as there are so many different ways you can work to destroy the enemy Ancient. In the end, it’s all up to your creativity and skill level. There are no limits to how far you can go and that’s what makes it special.

5 versus 5 fight is happening, crowd is cheering

When it comes to competitive, DotA is surely a hit, it’s fun to see tension in this game build up, and then reach it’s climax near the end. It’s a 30+ minute of build-up for the final battle to come and it’s engaging for you as a spectator. The final tournament is called The International, where 16 teams battle throughout the year, to earn the spot at this final championship tournament. Players from all around the world come to fight their way to the top and it’s satisfying to see their stories come to the conclusion at this one last tournament of the season.  

Dota holds a record for prize pool when it comes to eSports, most of it was crowd funded through in-game merchandise and it reached an incredible number of $20 Million last year.

So the winners of The International automatically become millionaires, imagine that.

League of Legends 

And for the end, i left the biggest one of them all, League of Legends. The interesting thing about League is that it was created based on the concept of DotA, so it’s really just a game of DotA with it’s own style and story. Dating back to 2009, League became a huge hit and pretty much single handedly revolutionized eSports. The thing that made League appealing to the players was It’s simplicity, clarity and ease when it comes to learning and playing the game. While DotA was a tad bit complicated to grasp and master, League brought a much more defined game with clear and simple gameplay. The good (or bad, as many would argue) thing about League is that unlike DotA, it has more sense of accomplishment. The longer you play, you get to unlock more heroes to play with, while in DotA they are all available to you as you start. So by playing it, apart from enjoying and playing with your friends, you also get to progress and achieve rewards the more you play it. The concept however, is about the same, you have a map, 5 heroes on each side and you work towards destroying the opposing base. It’s fun, engaging and it will leave you with strong emotions whether you win or lose, trust me, I’ve spent years playing it.

Teams fight for Dragon, a mini objective in League of Legends 

When it comes to competitive League of Legends, this is where it truly shines. LoL has a system much like other traditional sports. Teams play in regional leagues and they compete in their own regions to earn a place in end of the year World Championship. In the end, we have the best of the best from each region battling it out for trophy and their name on League’s hall of fame. So basically, one League of Legends season is split in two with a final Championship tournament in the end, fans can watch games from their favorite regions/teams/players each week and then finally see them compete for the trophy.  

Video games are action-packed, fun to watch and very engaging. It really is hard to explain what makes the games THAT good, but i guess millions of players are there to witness for their greatness. Are you going to give them a shot and see for yourself what made millions of people so attracted to it..?