2021 has not had the best starts, most notably because of the current pandemic which we are all currently facing and suffering the effects of. That said, it has brought some tiny strands of light in certain aspects which can help shape the future, especially that of Esports and online gaming. The world of Esports has been in the limelight in recent times, especially online gaming because of the offline restrictions which make big events impossible. Still, online gaming has been quite a good alternative.

Online gaming is thriving at the moment, majorly because of a lack of any other alternatives, but also because of the ever increasing pool of titles which players can pick from. You can find the latest picks and news for the upcoming tournaments in Esports with a quick search online, but we’re going to go over our own list of top Esport titles of 2021, looking at current and potential titles which can compete to be on the list of best Esports games of the year.


CS:GO
One cannot start a list of best Esports without mentioning Counter Strike Global Offensive. The Valve colossus has been top of the world in Esports ever since its official release, and it continues to be dominant worldwide thanks to its multitude of tournaments being organised all year long, the player base which has been incredibly strong ever since its release and the opportunity to follow each and every single event through streaming.

CS:GO has really paved the way for Esports to flourish, with its momentum carrying through for more than five years now, and with the potential to keep going strong for a couple more. The introduction of Valorant has not slowed Valve’s shooter, but has given it a worthy competitor in the FPS scene.


Valorant
Valorant is another top Esport in 2021, and is set to go head to head with Global Offensive for the title of best shooter of the year. Valorant has had quite an amazing launch, with the streamer beta ahead of the closed beta, which attracted thousands upon thousands of players to flock to Twitch streams in hopes to get a key drop to access the beta. Launching then in June, Valorant has been at the top of Twitch streamed games along with other top Esports such as the previously mentioned CSGO and League of Legends, which we shall go into shortly.

That said, Riot’s FPS has been slowly growing throughout the few months it has been available to the public, and expectations show it will keep on growing in the next months as well, with the big task of dethroning Counter Strike as THE first person shooter. Having an amazing backing as that from Riot can only help in such a quest, and we are the lucky ones to see them go head to head.


League of Legends
Speaking of Riot games, their most popular and successful title so far, League of Legends, is still dominating the MOBA scene. Even a classic such as DotA2 could not hold a candle to the viewership numbers that LoL is able to generate, and that is due to the immediate f2p approach which League took. This made the game gather a huge player base in the space of months. The game has then evolved and become the giant of today, with plenty of concurrent players still playing regularly every day.


FIFA
One cannot mention Esports without inserting the annual FIFA title in the list. In recent years, EA have elevated greatly the importance given to FIFA as an Esport, with FIFA17 being the first in a series of games to benefit from great exposure and a huge number of tournaments throughout the year to crown the best in the game. What was once modest prize pools have now become huge sums of money awarded to the winner of each tournament, making it even more of an incentive to be the best player around.

Organizing tournaments such as the FIFA eClub World Cup and the FIFA Global Series has made sure that players around the world keep training and waiting for their right moment to shine, and the number of different champions from different countries and regions keeps proving that the game is very flexible, meaning no one player will keep on dominating for a whole year.

That said, Esports as we know it is undergoing changes upon changes even as we speak. What was once a hobby or a game to win lunch is now potentially a job, with the opportunity to earn a living from playing games, which for some is a dream come true.