Mobile esports continued to gain traction in 2024, with most major championships experiencing steady audience growth. Some games remained dominant in viewership, with their world events ranking among the biggest across esports. The likes of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Brawl Stars, PUBG Mobile, and Free Fire drew large crowds, while even smaller titles such as Battlegrounds Mobile India and Honor of Kings saw impressive numbers. With another season in the books, here’s a look at the year’s biggest mobile esports world events and their most-watched matches.
The Most-Watched Mobile Esports Events of 2024
Among the standout competitions, the M6 World Championship remained a top-tier event, not just within mobile esports but across the entire industry. Its Grand Final between Fnatic ONIC PH and Team Liquid Indonesia peaked at 4.13 million viewers. While it didn’t break past records for peak viewership, its general audience grew, cementing it among the most popular live-streamed esports events.
Another standout event was the Brawl Stars World Finals 2024, which reached 1.1 million peak viewers, setting a new benchmark for the game. The tournament’s rising popularity was driven by an increase in co-streamers, helping attract more European audiences as two teams from the region secured podium finishes. The event, part of Supercell SuperFest, saw major growth in watch time across multiple languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, and French. Twitch and YouTube continued to dominate as preferred streaming platforms, though TikTok saw increasing engagement, especially outside Asia.
Supercell’s esports portfolio had more to celebrate, with both the Clash Royale League 2024 World Finals and the Clash of Clans World Championship 2024 performing well. While these games cater to niche audiences, their strong community engagement keeps them relevant. Although their numbers don’t match mobile esports’ biggest titles, they maintain a loyal viewership, particularly on YouTube.
PUBG Mobile Esports (image via Getty)PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor See Record Growth
The PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2024 recorded over 985,000 peak viewers during the Grand Finals, marking one of its most successful editions. This surge was partly due to Dplus KIA, which became the first team to claim multiple world titles in PUBG Mobile’s competitive history. The tournament’s strong performance reaffirmed its place among the top mobile esports events of the year.
Meanwhile, the Arena of Valor International Championship 2024 saw its Grand Finals between Bacon Time and BanMei Gaming reach over 762,583 peak viewers. This made it the most-watched international AoV event and the game’s third-most popular tournament ever. Viewership spikes across Asian markets, particularly in Vietnam, Thailand, and China, contributed to its record numbers.
Honor of Kings also enjoyed a strong year following its global release in 2024. The Honor of Kings Championship’s Grand Final, featuring Black Shrew Esport from Malaysia and Indonesia’s Dominator Esports, peaked at 481,212 viewers. The tournament became the most-watched Honor of Kings esports event to date, with Black Shrew Esport making history as the first non-Chinese world champion. As both AoV and HoK share gameplay similarities and now have a global presence, it remains to be seen how Level Infinite will handle their competitive scenes in the future.
Free Fire and Call of Duty Mobile Face Different Trajectories
Free Fire’s global championship, the Free Fire World Series – Global Finals 2024, attracted just over 750,000 peak viewers. The tournament saw changes in its esports structure, but Brazilian side Fluxo’s victory helped drive interest. The game continues to command a dedicated audience despite evolving competition in the mobile battle royale genre.
On the other hand, the Call of Duty Mobile World Championship struggled to maintain traction. Held as part of DreamHack Atlanta, the tournament had the lowest viewership among the game’s three global championships. Several key teams exited early in the Playoffs, including Luminosity, GodLike Esports, and Wolves, while former champions Tribe Gaming failed to make it past the Swiss Stage. Despite Uplift’s historic win as the first Philippine and Garena region team to claim the title, Western audiences lost interest as only one Western team reached the Playoffs.
Mobile Esports (image via Getty)Other Notable Mobile Esports Events in 2024
Two Pokémon esports tournaments were among six events featured in this year’s Pokémon World Championships, drawing steady interest from the franchise’s dedicated fanbase. Meanwhile, the SWC2024 World Finals for Summoners War, a turn-based strategy MMORPG, saw a thrilling contest where Taiwan’s Kelianbao narrowly defeated China’s Lest 4:3. Despite the exciting competition, the event ended as one of the least-watched Summoners War championships in history.
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Monster Strike had strong years, with several events ranking among their most popular ever. Even niche games like Critical Ops continued to hold global championships, focusing more on community engagement than achieving record-breaking viewership figures. These titles demonstrate that while mobile esports is driven by its biggest names, smaller games still play a crucial role in the ecosystem.
