The Top 5 Most-Watched Mobile Esports Games in 2022
In the world of esports, mobile games are taking the stage and dominating the industry. 2022 saw some significant changes in the viewership statistics of various mobile games due to tournaments, events, and restrictions in different countries. Here’s a list of the top five most-watched mobile esports games in 2022.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
For the second year in a row, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang topped the charts as the most popular mobile esports game. Despite a decrease in Hours Watched by 14.4%, the game’s airtime increased by almost 7%. The MPL ID Season 9 finals were watched by over 2.84M Peak Viewers, while the MLBB Southeast Asia Cup 2022 attracted 2.8M Peak Viewers. The highly anticipated M4 World Championship will take place in January 2023.
- PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile clinched the second spot in the most-watched mobile esports games of the year. Even with the entry of two new regions in the PUBG Mobile Pro League, the game’s viewership statistics saw a significant drop. However, it won the title of “best esports mobile game of the year” at the Esports Awards 2022. The most popular tournament was held as part of the 31st Southeast Asian Games sports event and attracted over 903K Peak Viewers. The final stage of the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2022 will take place in January 2023 and is expected to draw a large audience.
- Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor climbed one position to take the third spot in the most-watched mobile esports games of the year. The game generated almost 103.9M Hours Watched, a 25% increase from 2021, mainly due to an increased number of tournaments. The most popular tournament was Arena of Glory Winter 2022, which was watched by almost 644.4K Peak Viewers. The HoK International Championship 2022, with a record prize fund in mobile esports of $10M, will see teams from two versions of the game (AoV and HoK) compete together for the first time.
- Free Fire
Free Fire held the fourth spot, down one position from last year, due to a decrease in the number of tournaments by almost 67.6%. The most popular tournament was the World Series 2022 Sentosa, which generated 4.89M Hours Watched and attracted over 1.47M Peak Viewers. However, Free Fire was blocked in India in February 2022, which led to a decrease in viewership statistics. Despite being most popular in Brazil, Hindi still remains in the top 3 broadcast languages for Free Fire tournaments.
- Battlegrounds Mobile India
Battlegrounds Mobile India, an Indian version of PUBG Mobile, topped the charts for the second year in a row, generating 29M Hours Watched, a 50% increase from last year. The most popular tournament was the iQOO Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2021, with over 460K Peak Viewers. The Launch Party BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA show championship was attended by pro players and popular streamers, reaching a Peak Viewers mark that was almost 17% higher than last year’s figures.
Mobile esports games continue to grow in popularity and viewership, with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang maintaining its position as the most-watched game for the second year in a row. While some games experienced a decrease in viewership due to various reasons, others saw significant growth, such as Battlegrounds Mobile India. With new tournaments and events on the horizon, the mobile esports industry is poised to continue its upward trend, and it will be interesting to see which games will dominate the charts in the years to come.