In contemporary society, the perception of gaming has evolved significantly. Electronic gaming, commonly known as eGaming, has become an increasingly popular pursuit among the younger generation, offering the potential for earning through honing their gaming skills. Despite prevailing preferences for traditional professions like doctors, lawyers, or engineers, many fail to recognise the vast opportunities presented by digital innovation.

The world of eGaming has made a substantial impact on the global stage, marked by high-stakes world championships, substantial investments in teams and professional gamers, comprehensive training programmes, and the inclusion of dedicated coaches. This shift in perspective has given rise to a list of prominent e-gaming platforms that host prestigious world championships with lucrative prize offerings.

Dota 2

The International 2021:

The International (TI) is an annual eSports international tournament for Dota 2, the 5v5 video game. Valve, the game's developer, organises this event, which serves as the final of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) and features 20 teams. The International is well-known for offering high-stakes e-gaming prizes. The 2021 edition set the record for the highest single-tournament prize pool in eSports history, with Team Spirit of Serbia winning a whopping $40 million. This terrifying group not only won The International 2021 but also became Grand Champions at The International 2023, earning USD 3,380,455 and becoming only the second team in history to win the title twice. They won all of their matches, dropping just two, and proved they were the greatest Dota team in the world by winning the Grand Finals with a convincing 3-0 score.

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) developed by Valve Software as an expansion to the community-made mod "Defence of the Ancients" for the computer game "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos." At 30.82 million dollars, Dota 2 is said to have held the record for the largest tournament prize pool in 2023. This sum greatly outweighed the prize pool of the runner-up, Arena of Valour, which within the same year had a total of 20.59 million dollars.

Arena of Valor

The Honour of Kings International Championship 2022:

This championship introduced a brand-new World Championship series for Honour of Kings. It replaced the Arena of Valor International Championship and succeeded the World Champion Cup. The Honor of Kings International Championship 2022 had a massive prize pool for eGaming Championships. The prize was a whopping USD 10,000,000.00, won by China's Wuhan eStarPro team. The event was conducted in Shenzhen, China, and Seoul, South Korea, from December 3 to December 30, organized by Level Infinite and VSPN, and the VIVO iQOO 11 made its world debut as the official gaming device for the series. 

Arena of Valor is an international variant of the Honor of Kings game, formerly known as Strike of Kings.

The Arena of Valor World Cup 2022 was cancelled, leading to a combined World Championship incorporating content from both Arena of Valor and Honor of Kings. In 2022, Honor of Kings introduced KIC as a new World Championship series, becoming the sole championship for both Honor of Kings and Arena of Valor.

However, the 2023 series, which began on November 29 and ended on December 30, saw a reduced prize pool of $9,747,685 bagged by the Chinese team AG Super Play.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

M5 World Championship:

The M5 World Championship served as the culmination of the MLBB 2023 Competitive Season, where 22 top MLBB teams globally competed for the title and a share of the $900,000 prize pool. Teams excelling throughout the year qualified for this prestigious event, which introduced the Wildcard stage and saw a prize pool increase from $800,000 to $900,000. This marked the first time the World Championship took place in two different countries (Malaysia and the Philippines).

The championship, following a 5v5 format, commenced on November 23 and concluded on December 17. In a historic achievement, the Filipino team AP. Bren (formerly known as Bren Esports and M2 winners) secured the crown by defeating the crowd's favourite team, ONIC Esports from Indonesia. This victory marked the first time in the series that a team accomplished such a feat in their home country. Additionally, this win elevated players FlapTzy and Pheww and coach Duckey to the exclusive group of individuals who have won the M-Championship twice, joining Karltzy (of ECHO Philippine), an ex-Bren Esports member and winner of M4.

The 2023 M5 Championship, with the slogan "Better Than Great," was organised by Moonton, and the ROG Phone 6 was the official device used by the players in the tournament.

League of Legends

The League of Legends World Championship 2018:

The League of Legends 2018 World Championship is another championship on the list with a high prize stake. It started on October 1, 2018, and concluded on November 3, 2018, with 24 teams competing for a prize pool of a whopping $6,450,000.00, with Invictus Gaming emerging as the winner. The event, organised by Riot Games and sponsored by MasterCard, took place in South Korea.

In contrast, the 2023 World Championship started on October 10, 2023, and ended on November 19, 2023. It brought together 22 teams from all game regions, competing over several months to win the Summoner's Cup. However, the championship experienced a significant reduction in the prize pool, which amounted to $2,225,000, won by T1 from South Korea. In this World Cup tournament, Riot introduced a new Swiss format, replacing the group stage from previous years. Additionally, they conducted a fresh qualifying series to decide the last spot between the 4th Seed of Europe and North America.

In conclusion, esports gaming championships with high prize pools have revolutionised careers in the gaming world. They've become super popular, especially among young folks who can earn money by improving their gaming skills. These championships not only give pro gamers a lot of recognition but also bring financial rewards. Overall, eSports and eGaming have created a new pathway for career success in the gaming industry.