Global esports prize pools exceeded $270 million in 2025, a 15.5% increase year-over-year, according to new research from eSportRanker. Despite this growth, prize money remains concentrated. Saudi Arabia, China, and the United States together hosted roughly half of all prize money across the world’s top ten esports nations, highlighting how a few markets dominate major tournament hosting.
The analysis draws on Esports Charts host-country data covering more than 10,500 tournaments across 100+ esports titles worldwide. The research examines not only how much prize money was distributed, but where tournaments were hosted and what structural factors allowed certain countries to rise to the top.
Saudi Arabia ranked first globally with $39.66 million in hosted prize pools, driven largely by the Esports World Cup circuit in Riyadh, which staged tournaments across titles including Dota 2, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Honor of Kings.
China ranked second with $34.82 million, supported by its publisher-controlled domestic league system, including Tencent’s King Pro League Grand Finals 2025, which alone carried a prize pool of nearly $10 million.
The United States placed third with $23.12 million, reflecting a diversified esports ecosystem with tournaments across multiple publishers and game genres.
