Esports was one of the few industries to weather the first year of the coronavirus crisis reasonably well. In contrast, industries like construction, manufacturing, and contact-intensive services suffered severely. Esports organizations saw a high spike in popularity.
Esports have a massive capacity for growth. Last month, a report by gaming data company Newzoo found that the global esports audience is reaching 532 million this year, including 261 million “esports enthusiasts” who watch more Esports content.
All eSports have a different tournament structure, so it could take 1,000 words to explain the point distribution for ten other eSports. Let’s face it; you’re probably here for the rankings anyway, so without further ado, here are the fastest growing esports organizations in the world this year as of May.
1. TSM FTX // Market Cap- $540M
TSM is a $410M Los Angeles-based esports organization with half of its estimated $45M in revenue coming from esports is the top dog on the list.
TSM, which changed its name to TSM FTX after signing a $210M partnership with the exchange, is valued at $540M, making it the most valuable esports company in 2022.
Increased percentage: 32% Revenue generated: $56M
Games with active roaster: League Of legends, Valorant, Apex Legends, BGMI, DOTA-2, GS: GO
2. 100 Thieves // Market Cap- $460M
100 Thieves emerged as the second most valuable esports company at a valuation of $460M, fuelled by a $60M Series C funding round in December 2021. There are four training rooms, a content studio, a clothing store, broadcast modules, and several business areas.
Increased percentage: 142% Revenue generated: $38M
Games with active roaster: CoD: Vanguard, League of Legends, Valorant, Apex Legends
3. Team Liquid // Market Cap- $440M
Team Liquid’s parent company, aXiomatic Gaming, raised $35M in a round announced this week that values Liquid at $415M, making them one of the top guns in the industry.
Last year, the company launched the community initiative Liquid+ and had a video content production arm at 1UP Studios and an influencer management agency at Liquid Media while still owning the wiki network Liquipedia.
Increased percentage: 42% Revenue generated: $38M
Games with active roaster: CS: GO, League of Legends, Valorant
4. FaZe Clan // Market Cap-$400M
FaZe Clan rounds out the top 4 with a valuation of $400M, a 31% increase over 2020. FaZe Clan announced plans in 2021 to merge with blank check company B. Riley Principal 150 Merger Corp. to go public, valuing the combined company at $1B. The deal would give FaZe the highest rating for an esports company, beating TSM.
Increased percentage: 31% Revenue generated: $52.9M
Games with active roaster: CoD: Vanguard, CS:GO, Valorant
5. G2 Esports // Market Cap- $340M
G2, back-to-back League of Legends LEC champions, an MSI win and a place in the World Finals; boy, oh boy, have accomplished a lot in the previous year. As of 2021, G2 has announced apparel deals with Adidas, Ralph Lauren and New Era. The company is also aiming for global expansion, focusing on the United States.
Increased percentage: 94% Revenue generated: $31M
Games with active roaster: CS: GO, League of Legends, Valorant
6. NRG // Market Cap-$240M
NRG Esports, the American veteran esports organization based in Los Angeles, California, have featured teams in Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Clash Royale, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Fortnite, and Gears of War, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Rocket League and Valorant in addition to multiple streamers on Twitch.
Increased percentage: 55% Revenue generated: $28M
Games with active roaster: Overwatch, Valorant, Apex Legends, CoD: Warzone, Fortnite, Rocket League
7. T1 // Market Cap- $220M
T1 Esports is a South Korean esports team operated by T1 Entertainment & Sports. They may not have the highest dollar value, but they’ve expanded their reach beyond competitive Gaming to include entertainment streamers and Twitch personalities. They recently signed popular Twitch streamer Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp as their content creator.
Increased percentage: 47% Revenue generated: $17M
Games with active roaster: League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Dota 2, League of Legends: Wild Rift
8. Cloud9 // Market Cap- $380M
Cloud9 is a veteran in the esports industry with many big sponsors, including HTC esports, Amazon Catalyst, Corsair Gaming, RedBull, and BMW. Cloud 9 is the most fan favourite, with 625K Facebook followers, 1.1M Twitter followers, and 723K Instagram followers, and has created famous names like Shroud, Tarik, Hiko etc.
Increased percentage: 9% Revenue generated: $35M
Games with active roaster: CS: GO, League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant
9. Fanatic // Market Cap- $260M
Fanatic is the most fan favourite organization in the esports industry, so it’s no surprise that they are on the list. They are also one of the predominant groups worldwide. $16 million in tournament funds has flowed into Fanatics’ coffers. Fanatic launched an entirely NFT based club app for enthusiasts in March.
Increased percentage: 31% Revenue generated: $26M
Games with active roaster: CS: GO, League of Legends, Valorant
10. Gen-G // Market Cap- $250M
Gen.G signed more endorsements for the total transaction value in the first quarter of 2022 than in 2021, putting it on track to grow revenue by 100% year over year. One particularly notable partnership is with cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, as Gen.G is linked to Web3 technologies.
Increased percentage: 35% Revenue generated: $17M
Games with active roaster: League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant
