Although there are thousands of teams in Esports across hundreds of titles from League of Legends to CS:GO, we usually see the same few teams in the large tournaments and majors. It’s important to know why these teams are consistently here, and how they have been performing.
Esports has seen a lot of investment from around the globe this year, prompting teams to go the extra mile for the grand prize. This may bring out some new teams to compete at the top and we could see this list change in a few months time. For now, here are your top 10 teams in 2023.
10. Cloud 9
If you’re even remotely invested in the Esports industry, you’ve probably heard of Cloud9. Founded back in 2013, the team quickly made a name in CS:GO with players such as Shroud and n0thing.
Unfortunately, the team has found themselves off the podium in multiple titles but the second half of 2023 may give them a chance to return to the top spot.
9. Fnatic
Fnatic is one of the oldest organizations in Esports with teams across multiple titles
With their recent 1st place victory in the VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo against Evil Geniuses, the team is riding high and looking for their next challenge.
Some recent roster changes have allowed the team to adapt into the champions we all thought they could be. They will have to defend their crown in the next major and we’ll see if Evil Geniuses will bounce back…
8. Evil Geniuses
Evil Geniuses was founded in Victoria, Canada over 20 years ago. Over 2 decades the team has found success across the board in games such as CS:GO, Dota 2, and Valorant.
Their recent loss in the final of the VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo Final was a heavy hit to the organization. However, we expect them to bounce back and find themselves back in the final very soon.
With over 180 titles, only time will tell where EG will get their next one.
7. Team BDS
Team BDS is a relatively new team on the scene with its launch back in 2019.
Since then the team has really made a name for themselves, particularly in Rocket League and Rainbow 6: Siege. Recently, the team won the Gamers8 tournament in Riyadh and took home the grand prize of $750,000 (Rainbow 6: Siege)!
In 2022, the team won 4 major tournaments across 5 months in Rainbow 6: Siege alone. I recommend you keep an eye on the Team BDS roster as we can expect them to be challenging top teams in 2023 to keep their crown.
6. Talon Esports
Talon Esports is most commonly known for its incredible partnerships with big brands such as Paris Saint-Germain and KFC. However, this is not the only factor in Talon’s success.
In the Dota 2 Riyadh Major 2023, Talon took home the bronze medal and a whopping $1,700,000. Unfortunately, Talon’s Valorant team has been struggling in the last year with a highest finish of 5th in the VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier.
5. Team Spirit
Since the organization’s launch back in 2015, Team Spirit has grown into one of the largest Esports organizations in the world. In 2023 alone, Team Spirit has over $5,000,000 in earnings – this is more than any other team across all titles.
Although the majority of these winnings come from their 1st place finish in the Dota 2 Riyadh Major, it is still an impressive feat for any team to reach this figure. It will be interesting to watch how this team develops for the next major and whether they can hold their title against other massive organizations.
4. FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan is an iconic name in Esports and gaming entertainment. The organization started as a group of YouTubers playing Modern Warfare 2 (the original game, not the most recent re-release). FaZe gained a reputation for “trickshotting” primarily using snipers.
This humble beginning has now grown into a massive organization with a presence in over 10 titles. In CS:GO, FaZe has already won two massive titles with the Intel Grand Slam and the ESL Pro League. If they can continue this dominance, we may see them competing at the top once again.
3. Vitality
Vitality is dominating across the board right now. With a 1st place finish at the Gamers8 2023 and the BLAST.tv Paris Major, their CS:GO dominance may continue as we move into the later stages of 2023.
The team has also seen some huge wins in Rocket League in 2023 with a win at the World Championship and the Spring Split Major – beating Team BDS both times 4-0 and 4-1 respectively. I have a feeling we are moving into an era of Vitality dominance with few teams stepping up to the plate to challenge them.
2. G2 Esports
With their launch back in 2013, G2 has firmly planted themselves into the Esports history books with incredible moments through many titles. Whether it’s League of Legends, CS:GO, or Rainbow 6: Siege, it’s likely you’ll find their roster competing at the top.
Back in March, the organization announced its 3rd all-women roster with the addition of “Oya”. This goes to show how G2 is constantly breaking the mold the industry has set – and doing so with style!
1. Team Liquid
Since the organisation’s birth in 2000, we have seen multiple teams compete at the top level under Team Liquid.
After many years of StarCraft dominance, Liquid announced that the team had curated a CS:GO roster. Not only did this increase their fanbase, but they also went on to sign popular streamer pashaBiceps to increase their viewership.
Even after 20 years of competition, the team is showing an extremely high level of play with a 2nd-place finish at the Dota 2 Riyadh Masters. This puts them 2nd in the highest-earning teams of 2023 (Team Spirit is 1st) with 133 tournaments since the start of the year.
