Esports has taken the world by storm, but before that storm, esports was already big in Korea. While there are esports games that are popular worldwide, they are not that popular in Korea. Walking in the streets of Seoul, you will find several game rooms near most subway stations. The local government allocates almost $60 million to the gaming sector! Here are the 10 most popular esports in Korea.
10 Most Popular Esports in Korea
#1 League of Legends
League of Legends, commonly known as LOL, is Korea’s most popular esports title. This multiplayer online battle arena has its impact on the global esports scene, where millions of dollars in prize pool are on the line. The game contains champions who have special abilities, and their objective is to destroy the opponent’s main base.AS you progress in the game, your champion will upgrade its strength level.
#2 PUBG
PUBG or Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is a battle royale game where 100 players parachute into the map. There are various modes available in this game, and in PUBG corporation, the developers release consistent updates. Players must search for loot as soon as they land by parachute and try to survive. The player’s objective is to kill each other to be the last one standing.
#3 Overwatch
In 2016, Blizzard announced Overwatch, which surpassed PUBG in terms of popularity at one point. This game is also known as a hero shooter, and it contains two teams of six players in each team. There are over 30 special characters or heroes with unique abilities. Players have to defend and secure control points or payload. Overwatch generates over $1 billion in its first year and has 40 million online players.
#4 Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor is becoming more popular in Korea due to its MOBA-based nature. The game may not be as popular as League of legends, but many Korean plays this game regularly. The players’ main objective is to destroy the core and take control of the turrets. The main mode of this game is the 5v5 grand battle mode, where players compete to increase their ranks.
#5 FIFA Online 4
Fifa Online 4 was once the number one game in Korea regarding revenue and traffic. It is a multiplayer online football game that is a successor to the massively popular game Fifa Online 3. There is no denying that Korean loves football, and Fifa Online 4 provides them a platform to show their love. This game was launched in 2018 with Fifa partnering with Nexon. Moreover, players’ data and progress from Fifa Online 3 can be transferred to Fifa Online 4.
#6 Starcraft: Brood War
Starcraft: Brood War is a massively popular game in Korea, and it has a remastered version that brings back the nostalgia of many Korean gamers. Starcraft was launched by Blizzard back in the late 90s, and it has instantly become a part of Korean culture.
#7 Heroes of the Storm
The official tournament of heroes of the storm was called off, and it did not create a positive impact on the game. The game is slowly losing its peak period; however, many Koreans still love to play this game. It is a crossover of MOBA-style games, and it is developed by Blizzard. Players use different heroes and apply their skills in various battlegrounds.
#8 Starcraft II
Starcraft II is a fairly late release from Blizzard for their timeline of the Starcraft series. This is not as popular as Starcraft Brood War, but many pro Starcraft players switched to this game. There are three species available in Starcraft II, and each species have a different set of powers. This game has many big sponsors like Samsung and SK for many esports organizations.
#9 Dota 2
Dota 2 is not the most popular esports game in Korea, but it is certainly very popular in the world. It is a MOBA game from Valve Corporation and is similar to League of legends, one of the reasons why it is not the most popular game in Korea. Dota 2 is the most played game on Steam, and it is considered the greatest game of all time.
#10 Hearthstone
Hearthstone is an online card game that was once the hottest esports game in Korea. This game is based on RTS and is similar to Warcraft, where you can see characters, elements, and relics resembling Warcraft. Hearthstone is a cross-platform functionality where players from different devices can come and play together.
Final thoughts
These are the Esports game that is most popular in Korea. Make sure you check out the games you haven’t tried before. We assure you that you will enjoy them, especially if you love competitive online games.
