CS2 ranked among the top three most popular esports titles in the world at the start of 2026

Counter-Strike 2 secured a place in the top three most popular esports disciplines based on the results of the first quarter of 2026. This is according to data from the analytics portal Esports Charts, which published a ranking of games by peak tournament viewership.

The leader of the list was Mobile Legends: Bang Bang with a peak of 5.68 million viewers. League of Legends took second place, with its matches reaching a peak of 1.5 million viewers. CS2 followed immediately behind: Valve’s shooter reached a peak audience of 1.39 million viewers. That result was recorded during IEM Krakow 2026, which currently remains the most popular Counter-Strike 2 tournament of the year.

CS2’s strong position in the global rankings is also supported by other metrics from the season. For example, the recently concluded IEM Rio 2026 also drew significant viewer interest. The tournament, which was won by Vitality, reached a peak of 1.12 million viewers and ranked second among the most popular Counter-Strike championships of 2026.

IEM Rio 2026 became one of the most popular CS2 tournaments of the year

As a result, CS2 continues to maintain its status as one of the key disciplines on the global esports scene. Despite strong competition from mobile and MOBA titles, Counter-Strike confidently retains high audience engagement and remains one of the most in-demand games among viewers in 2026.