From PGL Astana to The Games of the Future: Key Esports Championships in 2025

In the coming year, viewers will have the opportunity to witness numerous major tournaments, from the Fed Cup in Turkmenistan to the anticipated Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, with prize pools of $60 million and $10 million.

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Six Invitational 2025
Six Invitational is the annual world championship for Rainbow Six Siege, organized by Ubisoft. In 2025, the tournament will take place in the United States for the first time, bringing together the top 20 teams from around the world to compete for the championship title and a significant portion of the prize pool. The tournament consists of three stages: the group stage, playoffs, and finals. The prize pool is $3,000,000.

When: February 3–16
Where: Boston, MGM Music Hall at Fenway

DreamLeague Season 25
One of the seasons of the prestigious Dota 2 league, gathering the strongest teams from Europe and the world. The tournament begins with two groups of eight participants playing match series. The top four teams advance to the second stage, where eight teams compete in best-of-two matches. In the playoffs, matches are best-of-two, and the final is best-of-three. The prize pool is $1,000,000.

When: February 16 – March 2
Where: Online

BLAST.tv Open 2025 Season 1
BLAST Open is a tournament featuring 16 teams, 12 of which will be selected from the 12 teams with the highest ratings in the global Valve ranking, while the other four will qualify through regional qualifiers. Teams will compete for a total prize pool of $400,000 and "permanent participant tokens," which will enhance competition and interest in the events.

When: March 18–30
Where: Lisbon, MEO Arena

PGL Astana 2025
For the first time in Central Asia, a major LAN tournament for CS2 will take place, organized by PGL. This will be the first such event in the CIS region in the last six years. 16 world-class teams will compete for $1,250,000—the largest prize pool in the history of CS2 tournaments.

When: May 8–18
Where: Astana, Barys Arena

Esports World Cup 2025
The annual world championship brings together over 500 teams and 1,500 of the best esports athletes with a prize pool of over $60 million. It offers an exciting format with cross-game competitions, awarding prizes for individual games and team performances, along with qualifiers and various events for fans.

When: July–August 2025
Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The International 2025
This year, six teams will qualify through open and regional qualifiers, along with teams receiving direct invitations. Details about tickets and the schedule will be announced later. In the meantime, you can follow professional matches to identify the strongest teams. The prize pool is $1,600,000.

When: September 1–14
Where: Hamburg, Barclays Arena

VALORANT Champions 2025
The main tournament of the year for VALORANT, organized by Riot Games. It will feature 16 of the strongest teams in the world, four from each region: Americas, EMEA, Pacific, and China. The tournament consists of a group stage and playoffs. The group stage will follow a GSL format, while the playoffs will use a double-elimination system. The prize pool is $2,250,000.

When: September 12 – October 5
Where: Paris, France

The Games of the Future
The Games of the Future is a multisport tournament in the phygital concept, combining traditional sports and esports using VR/AR technologies. The total prize pool will be $10 million.

When: November 21 – December 5
Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates