Image credit: EVO
TL;DR
Many exciting competitive esports events have been held throughout 2025.
Some events were held for a single tournament, while others featured a lineup of competitions for different games.
The Fortnite Pro-Am was incredibly fun for competitors and viewers alike, as it placed athletes on teams with popular community streamers.
The Esports World Cup featured a lineup of various competitive titles, making it one of the biggest tournaments of 2025.
This list will walk you through a few of the best esports competitions in 2025 that are still worth watching as gamers head into 2026.
Esports have been a blast in 2025. Looking to the new year, here’s a comprehensive list of excitement-packed tournaments that took place throughout the year.
There are many top contenders fighting for the title of best esports tournament of 2025, so we’re going to show you a few highlights to reignite your passion for competitive gaming. Between shooters, MOBAs, and fighting games, 2025 was a truly standout year for esports.
5. ALGS Open
Image credit: ALGS Open
The ALGS Open was one of the biggest competitions for Respawn’s Apex Legends ever, and it featured top Apex athletes like Verhulst and ImperialHal. Taking place in New Orleans in early May 2025, the ALGS Open hosted 160 teams from the Apex esports scene.
Between the lighting effects and giant Nessie, the ALGS Open was a blast. The real twist came from Team Falcons, who struggled in the beginning of the tournament but just barely won its place among the finalists in the winners’ bracket, narrowly surviving the elimination round.
In the end, Team Falcons secured an inspiring victory against second-place Team Alliance, with ImperialHal of Team Falcons being declared the MVP of the entire competition.
4. BLAST.tv Austin Major
June 2025 was a great month for esports, especially due to the Blast.tv Austin Major, which increased the number of teams from 24 to 32 in a historic change to the competitive CS2 ruleset. Team Vitality defeated The MongolZ in the final match, further securing its spot as one of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams in esports history.
Though The MongolZ didn’t take home the gold, one of its players, Senzu, pulled off some impressive plays, including a 1v3 ace against the famous FaZe Clan. Both Team Vitality and The MongolZ performed impressively, and this was an important tournament for building the latter team’s notoriety.
Counter-Strike 2 is a fantastic shooter for competitive play, and the talented CS2 athletes proved that more than ever during the Blast.tv Austin Major.
3. Evo 2025
Registration leaderboard for Evo 2025 / Image credit: EVO
The 2025 Evolution Championship Series took place in August, attracting thousands of competitors for various games. The tournaments featured Tekken 8, Guilty Gear: STRIVE, Street Fighter 6, and numerous other popular titles.
The Tekken 8 tournament was the most notable highlight of the Evo 2025 since Arslan Ash won his sixth Evo title. Additionally, Marvel vs Capcom 2 returned to the roster of titles at Evo 2025, allowing athlete Khaos to secure his first win for MvC2.
The sheer size of the Evo 2025 was exciting enough, but appearances by top athletes like SonicFox and MenaRD truly secured its place as one of the best esports tournaments of the year.
2. Fortnite Pro-Am
Champions of the Fortnite Pro-Am 2025 / Image credit: Fortnite
The Fortnite Pro-Am was an explosive Los Angeles tournament held in May, mixing popular content creators on teams with professional esports athletes. Twenty pairs of duos competed in the Reload game mode, with $500,000 hanging in the balance as the prize pool.
Peterbot and Aussie pulled off the win with 71 points, though Zemie and Cooper weren’t far behind at 67. This tournament further showcased Peterbot’s skill to a global audience, as the Fortnite athlete had already proven himself by winning the 2024 FNCS Global Championship.
The Fortnite Pro-Am included 40 popular competitors and offered a chance for streamers to compete alongside athletes, which is why it earned the second spot on our tournament list.
1. Esports World Cup
Esports World Cup 2025 trophy / Image credit: Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup is a giant esports event that blends together tournaments of games in various genres. A few highlights include Apex Legends, Tekken 8, VALORANT, League of Legends, and many more popular titles.
The League of Legends competition was particularly notable because the finals had nearly eight million viewers. The large viewership shone a light on Gen. G’s impressive victory during the second week and helped display just how popular LoL is as an esport.
Athletes competed for a $70 million prize pool, with over 750 million viewers in total. The Esports World Cup truly proved that competitive video games are gaining popularity globally, and that likely won’t change anytime soon.
Conclusion
Between the overwhelming size of competitions like the Esports World Cup and fun-focused tournaments such as the Fortnite Pro-Am, there were tons of action-packed events in the esports scene in 2025 that you should watch if you haven’t already.
Shooters were a large focus of esports in 2025, though fighting games also had a great year of competitive tournaments. As 2026 begins next week, we’re looking forward to a fresh year of non-stop competitive action.
FAQs
Which esports tournament was the best in 2025?
The best esports tournament of 2025 was the Esports World Cup due to its massive size and long list of popular competitors.
What was the most fun esports tournament of 2025?
The Fortnite Pro-Am featured duos of one content creator and one athlete per team, making it particularly fun for casual and competitive Fortnite fans alike.
