Statistics from Esports Charts reveal the top esports games by live viewership in Q1 2026:
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang secured the top position in peak concurrent viewership (PV), driven by the impact of the M7 World Championship. The event reached a scale of 5.68 million live viewers, setting new benchmarks for mobile esports at both global and local levels. This performance established a substantial gap between the leader and the rest of the market, as the next highest peak for any title was approximately 73% lower.
League of Legends followed with a peak of 1.5 million live viewers. This high point occurred during the LCK Cup 2026 rather than its international First Stand. The surge was driven by intense interest in T1 during their series against Dplus KIA. After T1 built a 2:0 lead, Dplus KIA completed the reverse sweep, a defining moment for the title during the quarter.
Counter-Strike held the third position among the quarter’s leading titles, reaching a peak of 1.39 million viewers. CS2 maintained high viewership levels throughout its Tier-S calendar. The successful debut of the IEM Krakow series kept audience engagement consistent with previous years, supported by a Tier-S calendar that consolidates large simultaneous audiences around its premier championship circuit.
Valorant secured the fourth position with 883,000 peak viewers, a result centered on the Santiago Masters. The title’s inclusion in the quarterly rankings was anticipated, as the event served as the cornerstone of the international winter circuit. The grand final featured two representatives from the Pacific region, Nongshim RedForce and Paper Rex, currently the region driving most of Valorant’s viewership. The peak came during the opening map, as the one-sided nature of the series limited further growth. Nongshim RedForce went on to win 3:0, with the only real competition coming in the first map.
Rocket League claimed the fifth spot, marking a notable shift for the title. The game reached 624,300 peak viewers during the RLCS Boston Major, setting a new record for the title since 2023. The result was helped by an expanded viewership rewards system that increased engagement throughout the event.
