Valve’s Dota 2 had a great year in 2025. The MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game has attracted a steady viewership in the many tournaments it has been featured in, especially The International, its own esports event. With prize pools almost reaching $3 million, there’s been no better time to get into Dota 2, both as a player or a viewer.
However, for 2026, there’s plenty that Dota 2 can do better for esports. Games like Battlefield 6 and Fortnite are dominating the battle royale genre, as well as VALORANT, Counter-Strike 2, and Overwatch 2, doing the same for free-to-play first-person shooters.