CS:GO joins Dota 2 in surpassing $100 million prize money mark

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) recently joined Esports' exclusive club of games by crossing the massive $100 million prize money mark. According to Esports Earnings, CS:GO's lifetime total is currently at $100.09 million, distributed across their 5160 events. The only other game to do so is Valve's other popular offering – Dota 2. 

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CS:GO joins Dota 2 in passing $100 million prize money mark

While CS:GO has offered rewards over $100 million, Esports Earnings report that Dota 2 is the only game to have crossed the $200 million mark via tournament payouts. Their crowdfunded championship – The International – which takes place every year, is the main contributor of these high figures. Comparing both Dota 2 and CS:GO, Valve provides more funds to the former. Every year, Valve has reportedly provided CS:GO only $1 million for major tournaments. The increase in prize money, however, is a direct result of increasing large-scale events and competitions organised by a third party offering millions of dollars. 

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Currently, Dota 2 and CS:GO are the only two games in the $100 million club. Epic Games come close, as they provided $100 million for the inaugural Fortnite season. However, the prize money is currently listed under $93.3 million. Fortnite is the only game close to crossing the $100 million benchmark.

League of Legends is in fourth place, with $76.9 million over 2453 tournaments. However, with crowdfunding and third-party payments, League of Legends will take some time to reach $100 million. The fifth place is occupied by Starcraft II, with 5885 events. As of now, the Big Three – CS:GO, Dota 2 and League of Legends – and Fortnite are offering much more than their competitors, considering the number of global tournaments and tournaments organised by the developers themselves. 

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What is the biggest Esports prize money offering?

According to Esports Earnings, the top five highest prizes awarded in a tournament belong to Dota 2, followed by Fortnite in sixth and seventh place. PUBG and Rainbow Six Siege are the only two games other than Fortnite, Dota 2 and League of Legends in the top 20. CS:GO, as per Esports Earnings, has crossed the $100 million mark due to a higher number of tournaments. The largest prize offered by CS:GO was $1,500,000.00 during the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) in 2016. The WESG 2017 (CS:GO Male) also offered $1,500,000.00. On the other hand, Dota 2's International 2019 offered a whopping 34,330,069.00, divided between 18 teams and 90 players. 

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(Image credits: Counter-Strike blog)