Esports is a billion dollar business with a global audience of 443 million. Big investors fund teams to compete at tournaments watched by millions. Certain esports games draw the most prize money. Some of the top earners have gaming chair partners. This article looks at the five top esports games and their gaming chair partners.
Here are the top 7 esports games awarding prize money:
- Dota 2: $219,691,674.51 (3,535 players, 1,291 tournaments)
- CS:GO: $90,046,442.39 (12,395 players, 4,464 tournaments)
- Fortnite: $84,475,824.64 (3243 players, 524 tournaments)
- League of Legends: $73,166,646.37 (6,784 players, 2,401 tournaments)
- Starcraft II: $32,236,822.33 (2,015 players, 5,625 tournaments)
- PUBG: $21,550,151.76 (2,241 players, 206 tournaments)
- Overwatch: $21,219,702.01 (3,382 players, 727 tournaments)
Starcraft II and PUBG aren’t partnered with gaming chair companies. The other games have official chairs, summarized below.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is the sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA). Released in 2013, this is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) published by Valve.
Valve is also the creator of the gaming platform Steam. Dota 2 is one of the most successful Steam games, with an estimated 11.19 million active users as of January 2019.
Dota 2 training demands
A typical Dota 2 game takes around 45 minutes. Success requires a frenzied mix of math, timing, variables, theories, teamwork and intuition.
Reaching pro levels requires heavy training – and sitting time. Players need the skills to make rapid decisions under constant pressure. As an example, pro Dota 2 player Dominik ‘Black’ Reitmeier spends around 10 hours per day gaming to stay sharp.
Dota 2 chairs: Secretlab Titan & Omega
Heavy sitting loads demands professional support. Secretlab’s Titan and Omega are the world’s first official Dota 2 gaming chairs. Limited special editions supported all players at the 2019 International (TI9).
Browse Dota 2 models on Secretlab
Titan and Omega special editions are also available for sale to the public. Upgrade your sitting experience using the same models used by the best pro Dota 2 players at TI9.
Ian Alexander Ang, Secretlab CEO, stresses the purpose of these models. That is, “to support the rigors and standards of the world’s most skilled Dota 2 professional players.”
Indeed, Secretlab makes some of the best pro gaming chairs in the world. These new models will delight fans and support long sessions of high-performance gaming.
What’s the best gaming chair for Dota 2? Secretlab’s official Dota 2 chairs are an obvious choice.
Browse Dota 2 models on Secretlab
Learn more abourt Secretlab on ChairsFX. Read reviews of the Secretlab Titan and Omega. Compare models in our Secretlab Brand review.
CS:GO
Developed by Valve, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a multiplayer first-person shooter. The fourth game in the Counter-Strike series, Valve released it in 2012. CS:GO is available for play on Windows, OS X, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
The game pits Terrorists against Counter-Terrorists. Terrorists work as a team to either plant a bomb or hold on to their hostages. Counter-Terrorists work to defuse the bomb or rescue the hostages.
CS:GO is one of the most-popular and user-friendly first person shooter (FPS) games. In August 2019, it averaged 17.22 million monthly active users.
CS:Go training demands
It takes around 3 hours for beginners to learn the CS:GO basics. These include shooting mechanics, weapon features, map details, team strategies and more. Pro success in CS:GO requires good aim, map reading skills and effective team coordination. The average competitive game lasts around one hour.
According to CajunB, a former player for Astralis, pro CS:GO training is intense. Players train 5 days per week for 8-10 hours per day. On a normal day, CajunB would spend 2-4 hours working on individual play. The rest of a training day he’d work with the team on strategies and tactics.
CS:GO chair: Maxnomic Pro
The Maxnomic Pro is one of the top esports chairs in the world. It’s used by the Team Liquid (#1 esports team) and Ninja (#1 streamer). It’s been a favorite of pro gamers since the start of the esports industry. The Pro is the basis of the official CS:GO chair. You get bright orange seams on black faux leather with dark blue inlays, plus an embroidered CS:GO logo.
The Maxnomic CS:GO edition gives you the same caliber of features that pros use. Features include premium materials, 4D armrests, and a 2-year warranty. Aside from the styling, nothing stands out, but there are many impressive small touches. For example, the 4D armrests come with subtle finger rests.
Expect luxurious padding, a super solid build and the perfect platform to rank up in CS:GO.
Fortnite
Released by Epic Games in 2017, Fortnite is an online game with three game modes.
- Fortnite Battle Royale: player-versus-player battle royale game for up to 100 players. You can play 1-1, with a partner, or in 3-4 person teams. Weaponless players airdrop onto the game’s map. Upon landing they scavenge for resources while trying to kill off other players. During a game, the map shrinks, forcing players into tighter spaces. The last ones standing win the game.
- Fortnite Creative: players create battle arenas, racecourses and more on an island. Epic reviews popular creations and rotates some into a Battle Royale map area called “The Block”.
- Fortnite Save the World: a cooperative shooter-survival game for up to four players. The goal is to fight zombies and defend fortifications.
Fortnite training demands
Fornite is beginner-friendly. A good way to get started is to plunge in for a few hours to learn the basic mechanics. Work on improving your response times and developing new tactics.
Pro play is a different matter. Pro player Nick “Marksman” Overton earned $500,000 playing Fortnite in 2018. He says the training is just as intense as with other esports games.
“Most pro players in Fortnite play for 5-10 hours a day consistently. Not all of that time is dedicated to hardcore practice, but a fair amount is.” Marksman added that most training focuses on mechanical skills and decision-making.
Respawn Fornite chairs
In late 2019, Epic Games partnered with Respawn on a series of official Fornite gaming chairs. From a branding perspective, it’s a natural fit. “Respawning” is a feature in Fortnite Battle Royale’s team-based modes. The gist is that you can ‘respawn’ fallen team members to get back into play.
From a professional esports perspective, it’s a curious match. Respawn made their mark in the industry making cheap gaming chairs.
So how are their Fortnite chairs? Do they meet pro standards, or are they for casual users?
There are six chairs in the Respawn Fornite collection. Out of those, the RAVEN-X Fornite chair is the one best suited to pro play. It’s the most expensive model in the collection and comes with impressive Fortnite styling.
Compared to the best pro gaming chairs, RAVEN-X features are mediocre. Beyond standard gaming chair features, there are 2D adjustable armrests and a 2-year warranty. These features are comparable with other mid-range, sub-$300 gaming chairs.
Respawn rep Alex Gonzalez said the plan is to continue offering “… high-quality products at affordable prices to all gamers.” He added that these chairs are meant to serve both pros and casuals. “… whether they’re aiming to compete at the highest level or play a couple of hours a week casually.”
TLDR: If you’re looking for a pro-style gaming chair without a premium price tag, this model is a decent option.
League of Legends
League of Legends (aka LoL) is a multiplayer online battle arena video game by Riot Games. Inspired by Defense of the Ancients (Dota 1), the game released in 2009.
Games match players into groups of five. Each player chooses one of 138 “Champions” to play as for the duration. Teams work together to destroy the Nexus, the main building of the opposing team.
Each Nexus spawns hordes of minions. Killing minions scores gold that you can use to unlock abilities. In the early stages of the game, the aim is to slaughter minions and rack up skills. That will leave you in the best shape to battle champions in the later stages of the game.
By 2012, League of Legends became the most played PC game in North America and Europe. In 2019, Riot announced that LoL now averages 8 million concurrent players every day.
LoL player demands
League of Legends matches usually last between 20 minutes to an hour.
As with the other games on the list, reaching the pro level is a grind. Nathan “Rippii” Mott is the founder and CEO of the OPL’s Dire Wolves. On Gameplanet, he described the team’s typical training day.
“We would do nine hour days of solid scrims… at the end of the day, people would do their own solo practice… potentially people could be practising for 12 hours a day.”
Secretlab Titan & Omega chairs
In early 2019, Secretlab signed a multi-year partnership with Riot Games. Secretlab is the third global LOL sponsor, joining Mastercard and Alienware.
As part of the deal, Secretlab has produced Chairs for:
- World Championships
- Mid-Season Invitationals
- League of Legends Championship Series
Secretlab CEO Ian Alexander Ang commented that Secretlab chairs are the best for the job. That’s because they “… support the standards required by the most skilled League of Legends professional players.”
All models come in both Titan (larger) and Omega (snug fit) variations. The World Championships design includes champagne gold trim and stitched detailing of the Summoner’s Cup on the back.
Browse League of Legends models on Secretlab
Learn more abourt Secretlab on ChairsFX. Read reviews of the Secretlab Titan and Omega. Compare models in our Secretlab Brand review.
Overwatch
Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter by Blizzard Entertainment. The game launched in 2016 to big acclaim as one of the best games of all time. Critics and users raved about the diverse characters, accessible play and cartoony style.
It generated US$1 billion in revenue within a year of release. Blizzard last reported active users in May 2018, when they hit 40 million.
Overwatch assigns players into two teams of six. Each player chooses a hero from a roster of 30. Players work together to defend points on a map or escort payloads across the map in limited time.
Overwatch training demands
The mechanics in Overwatch are easy to pick up, but the game flow will take time to make sense of. Overwatch mixes rapid FPS action with team-based MOBA strategies. That means you need to master your hero, and also cohesion with teammates.
At the pro level, training is arduous. For example, China’s Overwatch League team Shanghai Dragons trains 72 hours each week.
Says their manager: ” Our daily schedule starts at 10.30am… return to our houses around 10.30pm to 11.00pm. We train six days a week with one day off.”
Secretlab Titan & Omega Overwatch Editions
20 years ago in Overwatch lore, a massive Omnic Colossus attacked South Korea. Rising from the East China Sea, it caused catastrophic damage.
In response, the South Korean government developed a mechanized drone unit called MEKA. But the monstrosity adapted. Desperate, the government turned to pro gamers to serve as pilots.
Hana Song, also known as “D.Va.” is a fierce competitor who plays to win at all costs. She has a well-earned reputation for showing no mercy to her opponents.
Secretlab’s D.Va. Overwatch chair comes in pink Softweave fabric. This material is ultra-breathable and more durable than PU leather. If the pink is too much for you, there’s also a general Overwatch edition. That model uses Carbon PU leather with bright orange trim.
Browse Overwatch models on Secretlab
The quality of both the mesh fabric and PU leather is superb. Both come with Secretlab’s industry-leading 5-year warranty.
Browse Overwatch models on Secretlab
Learn more abourt Secretlab on ChairsFX. Read reviews of the Secretlab Titan and Omega. Compare models in our Secretlab Brand review.
Conclusion
Five of the seven top esports games in the world have official chairs. The chairs complement the games in both style and function.
Going from beginner to pro in any of these games will demand hundreds of sitting hours. Gaming chairs are good for your back and support healthy sitting for long periods. If you’re a fan of any of these games, the official chairs can give you the support you need to game at your best.
The Secretlab and Maxnomic models are the same chairs used by the world’s top esports players. The RAVEN-X Fortnite is not a pro class chair, but rather a decent mid-range model.
That said, all models are a massive upgrade over office chairs. If you love these games but need better support, these chairs are all excellent options.
