LoL Worlds 2023 breaks record as most-watched esports tournament of all time

In a League of their own.

T1 team in Worlds 2023 Championship
Screengrab by Dot Esports via Riot Games Twitch

League of Legends has seemingly reached new heights with the Worlds 2023 broadcast’s viewership on Twitch.

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League remains a giant in esports, evident by the Worlds Finals 2023 earlier today, during which T1 lifted the trophy as Faker became a four-time world champion. As intrigue grew about Faker and T1 ascending back to the top, the tournament broadcast itself set new records, reaching a whopping 6.4 million peak concurrent viewers and becoming the most-watched esports tournament of all time, according to Esports Charts.

Not only did Worlds break the record for the highest viewership of an esports tournament, but three separate broadcasts (Korean, English, and Vietnamese) also broke records within the first match of the finals. This is an incredible achievement and one that’ll likely have other esports tournaments try in vain to match the enormous massive numbers amassed for League of Legends.

For reference, the most-watched CS:GO Major, PGL Stockholm 2021, hit a peak of 2.7 million viewers, while the Call of Duty League Championship earlier this year peaked at just under 300,000, a positive number for the FPS esport in its own right.

Worlds 2023 demonstrated its strength not only as an esports event but also for League of Legends as a video game which remains at the top as a long-standing esports game. Its numbers prove that League of Legends may never die, and with a viewership like this, it’s easy to see why anyone would think that.

T1’s impressive run solidified their place as world champions and the tournament proved once again League is king and still rising. Will another game ever dethrone League of Legends? Only time will tell, but Worlds 2023 is a true testament to the game’s 14-year hold the world of esports.

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Image of Hadley Vincent
Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.