Which Esports Game Dominated Twitch in Q1 2025?

Twitch continues to dominate as the premier platform for PC gaming content in early 2025, with several esports titles drawing massive audiences during the first quarter of the year.

According to new data from Esports Charts, Counter-Strike was the most-watched game on Twitch during Q1 2025, pulling in nearly 100 million Hours Watched (HW) over the three-month period. The title’s dominance was powered by a stacked tournament calendar, with IEM Katowice 2025 leading the charge as the most-watched CS event of the quarter and boasting the highest peak viewership across all CS events.

League of Legends and Valorant Hold Their Ground

Coming in hot at number two was League of Legends, kicking off its 2025 season with major changes to the competitive ecosystem across both Asia and the Americas. While several regional tournaments contributed to its total viewership, the LEC (League of Legends European Championship) was the standout for Twitch audiences—fueled by passionate engagement from the European fanbase.

Valorant followed closely behind, narrowly edging out Dota 2 in overall viewership. Interestingly, while Valorant stacked up more hours watched on Twitch, its peak concurrent viewer numbers were actually higher on YouTube. The game’s biggest moment of the quarter came during VCT Masters Bangkok 2025, which served as the first international championship of the year and drew the most attention across both streaming platforms.

Dota 2 Solid but Overshadowed in Peak Viewership

Dota 2 had a solid showing with a fuller Tier-1 calendar compared to previous years, helping it stay competitive in total HW. However, the game struggled to hit standout peak numbers. It ranked fifth in peak concurrent viewership on Twitch—surprisingly falling behind Rainbow Six Siege, a game with generally smaller audience pull.

Siege Sneaks Into the Top 5 with One Big Event

Rainbow Six Siege secured its top-five spot almost entirely on the back of the Six Invitational, Ubisoft’s flagship esports event traditionally held in February and March. Despite having fewer tournaments overall, the event alone pushed Siege past games like Rocket League and Overwatch 2 for the quarter.

A Competitive Quarter Reflecting Platform and Regional Trends

The data highlights a key trend: only six games crossed the 10 million Hours Watched mark on Twitch in Q1, whereas YouTube had as many as eight.

It’s also a reminder of how platform dynamics vary. Twitch remains the go-to for Western PC esports, while YouTube continues to thrive with mobile-first titles and viewership from regions like Southeast Asia and Latin America.