10 Best Esports Games for Beginners 2026

Not all games are cut out for eSports. Some genres simply do better than others, particularly highly intense, competitive ones, with a high spectator base and thriving community. You’ll find local competitions and tournaments often feature these types of games that have proven to be a magnet for a high viewership and, hence, amass lots of opportunities for a gaming career. 

And these are the eSports games you’ll want to practice and perfect on your journey to becoming a professional gamer. Let’s look at the best eSports games for beginners, which are relatively easier to get into and help build the required skills and strategy for competing in eSports. It certainly doesn’t hurt if these games have the incentive of attractive sponsorship deals and a huge prize pool.

10. Dragon Ball FighterZ

Think of Dragon Ball FighterZ as your everyday 2.5D fighting game, just dressed up with the Dragon Ball anime characters and theme. But don’t let its familiarity fool you. The gameplay can be easy to learn, but it takes lots of practice and patience to master. Not to mention that the matches are high-speed, intense 3v3 tag-team battles that make for the perfect competitive gaming scene.

And eSports, sure have capitalized on the game’s competitive nature. You’ll find players learning unique strategies and play styles, from mastering aerial combos to Ki blasts. And going on to compete in so many tournaments, including local, online, and world tours.

9. Fortnite

Today, Fortnite is a universe of so many cool things to do. This free-to-play, cross-platform battle royale has expanded into different genres like racing and adventure games, and even concerts and live events, all built by users in the Fortnite universe. But it’s the battle royale that began as a fun gig, amassing resources and weapons to compete against 99 other players for the final win, to now, lots of lucrative tournaments and a thriving competitive scene. 

8. Counter-Strike 2

Perhaps, you might want to get more technical with Counter-Strike 2. It’s also a free-to-play tactical FPS, where players team up and complete objectives in a vicious terrorists versus counter-terrorists cycle. From defusing bombs to rescuing hostages, the matches in CS demand understanding the map layouts, communicating with your teammates, and following through on cunning strategies.

7. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is also not to be messed with. While relatively as competent as Fortnite’s battle royale, this offers a more realistic, military playthrough focused on both physical and vehicular combat. So, strategy and skills differ, given that you can shoot both on foot or while driving. It creates lots of chaotic moments of traversal and ramming into opponents’ vehicles. 

6. Honor of Kings

Over on mobile platforms, you’ll find worthy contenders for the best esports games for beginners. Honor of Kings is among the most popular MOBA games. As always, varied classes await: warrior, assassin, mage, etc. But also lots of unique mythological heroes with unique skills and background stories. Then, the fast-paced 5v5 battles ensue, forcing you into melee and ranged clashes against opponents. 

5. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Another popular mobile eSports game is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. While also a 5v5 MOBA game, with a variety of classes and unique heroes, this goes beyond pure skill, into teaching you map awareness, resource management, and strategy. And it does so with grace, boasting among the most easily accessible MOBA games around. It can even be a fun pastime, winding down from fast-paced matches. 

4. Dota 2

You hear “over 100 heroes,” and probably find it overwhelming. But Dota 2 has a way of having you stick around for longer. Since 2013, it has been a staple in the MOBA scene, with RTS gameplay that surpasses the test of time. Now, beginners may have to take it slow at the start, learning the ropes first before diving into professional matches. You’ll also need a team, which shouldn’t be too difficult to find with the passionate millions of fans globally.

But without question, you’ll enjoy Dota 2 matches, challenging at times, with deeper, more strategic hero roles and offense and defensive tools than usual, but forever among the best MOBA games ever made. 

3. Apex Legends

Team-based hero shooters have also been pretty common among the best eSports games for beginners. And if you’d like to play the best one, look no further than Apex Legends. This game has a sheer wealth of content, whether legends (heroes), maps, or game modes. Characters aren’t just tools of destruction, but actually have personality and motivations, relayed through comics and animated cutscenes. 

There’s such a rich lore of stories and environments that you’ll find yourself invested in the world.  And the prize pools are in the millions of dollars range. So, mastering the gameplay can pay off.

2. Call of Duty: Warzone

Folks who’ve been playing Call of Duty for years may get the better of you. But it’s never too late to jump into Warzone, especially with its consistent updates. Currently at Season Two, the matches are some of the smoothest, most responsive you’ll find, allowing you to focus purely on finessing your skills and meta progression. 

Even if joining amateur competitions at first, practice and regular training make perfect, as you sweat it out on the massive, free-to-play combat arena. 

1. League of Legends

Arguably, the team-based 5v5 MOBA game that kickstarted all the hype, League of Legends, continues to dominate eSports events even today. Over 140 heroes await your selection, as well as teammates to destroy the enemy Nexus with. But because LoL has been around for a long while now, the learning curve can be a bit steeper for beginners.

Still, LoL has some of the biggest eSports events, with millions of fans tuning in. This means equally overwhelming content on YouTube and streams. It’s also free and receives consistent updates. Thus, maneuvering and casting spells at enemies across the Summoner’s Rift manages to feel refreshing, even if the sheer wealth of item choices, stats, active, and passive abilities takes a minute to learn and optimize.