CS2 dethrones LoL on Twitch in 2025 — the resurgence is structural

CS2 4.1B hours, LoL 3.6B, Valorant 2.8B, Dota 1.4B. The Counter-Strike resurgence is the structural story of the year.

CS2 surpassed League of Legends in Twitch hours watched in 2025 — the first time Counter-Strike has held the top esports spot since 2018. Figures across the four majors: CS2 at 4.1B hours, LoL at 3.6B, Valorant at 2.8B, Dota at 1.4B.

The structural story is the Counter-Strike resurgence. CS2 launched rough in 2023, fixed itself in 2024 with the major engine update, and the 2025 Major calendar — Belo Horizonte and Cologne — produced two of the highest-rated tournament broadcasts in CS history. Valorant in third is the surprise; the agent treadmill that drove viewership is hitting diminishing returns.