2025 is going to be an electrifying year for esports. Expecting what promises to be one of the biggest lineups of tournaments ever, audiences are sure to be captivated all around the world. Long-standing championships to new groundbreaking events will make this year a benchmark in competitive gaming. Here's a look at some of the top esports tournaments to watch in 2025.

1. Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Series

The IEM series is still one of the pillars in the esports calendar. The best Counter-Strike 2 tournaments will take place in it. Main events for 2025 include:

IEM Katowice: January 29 – February 9, 2025, at the legendary Spodek Arena. It is popular for high stakes and a very emotional crowd.

Wikipedia
IEM Dallas: May 19 – 25, 2025, this event brings the best teams to the heart of Texas for intense competition.

Wikipedia
IEM Cologne: Scheduled on 23 July -3 August, 2025 in Germany. The event has also been popularly known as the "Cathedral of Counter-Strike" as it forms an important part of history in the esports world.

2. Esports World Cup 2025

The Esports World Cup in Riyadh returns for its second iteration in June 2025 and is a fantastic festival that consists of various kinds of games played, including Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG Mobile. While it does focus on high competition, the bigger focus for the country is for Saudi Arabia to become an esport hub of the world.
Rivalry

3. VALORANT Champions Tour 2025

The VCT 2025 will host various events of its kind, like

Masters Bangkok: Early 2025 the number one teams in the world are coming together to compete for supremacy in Southeast Asia.

Sports Illustrated
Masters Toronto: Will be held later this year, keeping alive the spirit of bringing action-packed VALORANT here in North America.

4. Olympic Esports Games 2025

For the first time in history, the International Olympic Committee declared it would be organizing Olympic Esports Games at Saudi Arabia. This is a much giant step towards massive mainstream recognition of esports through a global athletic platform, connecting traditional sports and competitive gaming.

5. League of Legends Esports Events

League of Legends is still living, with all that action.

League of Legends Pro League (LPL) 2025 Split 1: Home to some of the best teams in China, this league is a breeding ground for international caliber talent.

Esports.gg

League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) 2025: The best teams from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the LEC remains one of the most prominent events on the esports calendar.

6. PlayStation Tournaments: XP

Sony is releasing a live tournament series that kicks off with a London event on January 18, 2025. It will feature games like Tekken 8, EA Sports FC 25, and Fortnite. The series will cater to amateur as well as professional players who want to participate.

7. DreamLeague Season 25

For fans of Dota 2, the DreamLeague Season 25 is going to promise matches more thrilling as it features the best teams competing for highly lucrative prizes.

Sports Illustrated
The 2025 esports events are the growth of a formerly niche, but rapidly expanding and now widely embraced industry. Those events that can range across numerous games with comprehensive global participation open up exciting experiences for all who participate- player and spectator- and have taken their place as permanent fixtures in the entertainment landscape.

Largest Esports Tournaments in 2025

Reuters
Saudi Arabia to stage first Olympics Esports Games in 2025, IOC confirms 
   
The Verge
PlayStation hosts its first ever esports tournament series live event in London.