Twitch statistics for 2025, published by Esports Charts on Twitter, once again showed that stability beats hype. Despite new formats and emerging titles, viewership remained concentrated around established esports, with Counter-Strike 2 finishing the year as the most-watched game on Twitch — surpassing League of Legends in total hours watched. Long-running ecosystems built around regular LAN events and strong co-streaming cultures continued to dominate the platform across major regions.
The big picture: who defined Twitch esports in 2025
The top five esports games of the year on Twitch:
- Counter-Strike 2 — 372.65M hours watched
- League of Legends — 307.17M hours watched
- Dota 2 — 213.09M hours watched
- Valorant — 185.1M hours watched
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege — 34.76M hours watched
The gap between the top four titles and Rainbow Six Siege is significant, yet even fifth place highlights the strength of a smaller but highly loyal audience.
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Counter-Strike — dominance through an open ecosystem
Counter-Strike’s first place finish in 2025 was no coincidence. It was the result of a unique open tournament model. A packed calendar featuring dozens of international LAN events, Majors, regional leagues, and independent organizers ensures a constant flow of content throughout the year.
Another crucial factor is co-streaming. Professional players, analysts, and creators significantly expand the reach of official broadcasts, offering alternative viewing experiences and entry points for audiences. Combined, these elements allowed Counter-Strike not only to maintain leadership but to set a new high in total viewership, overtaking League of Legends in hours watched.
League of Legends — stability and peak viewership power
Although League of Legends fell behind Counter-Strike in total hours, it remained the number one esports title by Peak Viewers on Twitch in 2025. Its franchise-based system — with regional leagues, seasonal splits, and a climactic World Championship — continues to perform reliably.
Strong narratives, historic rivalries, and clear seasonal structure help LoL maintain a solid baseline audience between major events while delivering massive spikes during international finals. This is not explosive growth, but controlled, predictable dominance that still forms the backbone of Twitch esports.
Dota 2 — the power of flagship events
For Dota 2, 2025 once again followed a familiar pattern: The International remains the center of the ecosystem. Nearly 30% of the game’s annual hours watched came from TI 2025 alone. Between flagship events, viewership was supported by DreamLeague seasons, the Esports World Cup, PGL tournaments, and other third-party events.
While Dota 2 may never return to its peak-era daily dominance, its ability to command massive attention during key moments keeps it firmly in Twitch’s top three.
Valorant — co-streaming as a growth engine
Valorant once again proved itself as a streaming-first esports product in 2025. Riot Games’ deep integration of co-streamers into the VCT ecosystem allows creators and pro players to amplify official broadcasts and sustain strong numbers throughout the season.
This approach delivers high engagement not only during Valorant Champions, but year-round. Valorant continues to balance competitive integrity with creator-driven content — a model that looks especially strong heading into 2026.
Rainbow Six Siege — smaller audience, strong loyalty
Rainbow Six Siege rounds out the top five, but its numbers should not be underestimated. Six Invitational 2025 once again served as the title’s annual peak, while overall performance highlighted excellent retention among its core fanbase. It is not a mass-market esport, but a stable tactical shooter with a clearly defined place on Twitch.
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The era of legacy esports continues
Twitch esports in 2025 was a story of stability rather than disruption. Titles with long competitive histories, clear tournament structures, and mature co-streaming cultures continue to outperform newer entrants. Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Valorant are not merely holding their ground — they define the platform itself.
If current trends persist, 2026 is unlikely to bring a shift in leadership. Instead, we can expect further consolidation of dominance by legacy esports ecosystems.
