Which Video Games Can Become Future Esports & Which Events to Pay Attention to in 2026

It's safe to say that esports do not become one by accident. The titles that break through usually share some similarities, such as clear win conditions and high skill expression.

Nowadays, you can access many of them, but this does not mean that we won't have any future esports titles. 2026 will be an interesting year, to say the least, so here are some of the games we expect to see more of.

ARC Raiders

The so-called extraction shooters are tricky as esports because they combine long-round variance with survival-heavy pacing. Nevertheless, there are different games in this genre that offer esports predictions, providing excellent opportunities for online bettors. This increases people's interest in them, which is why we believe Arc Raiders may be one of the future esports we'll be hearing more about.

The game has already demonstrated what an esports-learning extraction shooter can look like. The game offers readable third-person combat, strong PvPvE tension and a huge early player base that can support competitive ladders. The game launched in October 2026, and we think it has what it takes to become a future esport.

Arc Raiders offers team identity, spectator clarity and will most likely have mass adoption. What we do need to see, however, is standardized competitive formats, observer tools and different replay features. The last two things will help broadcasts immensely.

Deadlock

Valve is one of the most important video game companies in esports. This is the brand behind Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2, two of the largest esports titles right now with million-dollar prize pools in almost every event. 

One of Valve's games is called Deadlock, and it is something like a MOBA/hero-shooter hybrid. Needless to say, the game has been attracting competitive interest since early playsets, and we think it has what it takes to be an esport.

Deadlock offers an extremely high skill ceiling and has a clear role identity. Since it belongs to Valve, the company has a proven track record of supporting ecosystems that scale, so we think it's a matter of time before Deadlocks stands out.

Marathon

The second video game that we believe has the needed qualities to become an esport is Marathon. It is among the most anticipated games and should be available in early 2026. Judging from the information, the title supports ranked integrity, tournament lobbies and spectator features. As mentioned, all of these things add up to the overall "esportsness" of a title. 

The Esports Events to Pay Attention To

Whether we'll see the three games mentioned above as esports remains to be seen. What we will see, however, is different esports tournaments for some of the already popular titles. Learning more details about some of the most anticipated esports events of 2026 will help you prioritize which of them to follow, so let's share a few words about each one.

The International 2026 

Dota 2 fans know that this is the MOBA with the largest prize pools in esports (at least for now, Riot may change that soon). There are tons of Dota 2 events worth checking, but TI feels like the most important one. The 2026 version will take place in August and it will be in Shanghai, China.

We will see a total of 16 teams compete for a prize pool that will surely exceed $1,000,000. As most of you probably know, The International used to be the esports event with the largest prize pool in the world (it reached over $40M) at one point.

Esports World Cup 2026

We can safely say that the Esports World Cup is one of the biggest things that has happened to the industry in the last couple of years. Saudi Arabia's plan to become an esports hub has led to one of the year's biggest events. The Esports World Cup gathers the world's best players and teams and includes pretty much all popular esports titles. 

The 2026 edition will feature more than 20 different games and, as always, the competition itself will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. People who wish to watch it will have to tune in via livestreaming platforms between July 6 and August 23.

League of Legends World Championship 2026

It is really difficult to talk about esports and different events and not include League of Legends. Riot's top-tier game has been one of the leaders for many years now and the League of Legends World Championship (often called Worlds) is the pinnacle. The annual LoL esports event always includes the best teams from around the world as they play for fame and a pretty good prize pool.

Worlds 2026 will be held between mid-October and November, and is definitely one of the events you do not want to miss out on.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, the esports industry has never looked more solid than today. Millions of people from around the world play and watch their favorite players in action and we believe this will also be the case in 2026. Hopefully, we'll see even more esports titles to choose from.