Competitive gaming has produced thousands of championship matches, but only a small number keep resurfacing in conversations years later. Sometimes it’s the level of play, sometimes it’s the story around the teams, and occasionally it’s just one moment that refuses to disappear from highlight reels. A few finals also ended up shaping how tournaments were run, broadcast, or even funded. The matches below come from different games and eras, but each one left a noticeable mark on competitive gaming.
1. The International 2013 — Alliance vs. Natus Vincere (Dota 2)
Seattle’s Benaroya Hall hosted the grand final of The International 2013, where Alliance faced Natus Vincere for the biggest share of a $2.87 million prize pool. At the time, those numbers still felt unusual for esports.
The series went the full five games. Late in game five came the play people still bring up whenever TI history is discussed: Gustav “s4” Magnusson landing a clutch Dream Coil with Puck while Henrik “AdmiralBulldog” Ahnberg quietly split-pushed the base with Nature’s Prophet. Alliance won the series 3–2 and earned roughly $1.4 million.
2. League of Legends World Championship 2016 — SK Telecom T1 vs. Samsung Galaxy (League of Legends)
The Staples Center in Los Angeles was sold out for the Worlds 2016 final. SK Telecom T1, led by Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, met Samsung Galaxy in what many thought might be a quick series.
Instead it stretched to five games. Samsung pushed SKT harder than expected before the defending champions finally closed the final map. SKT claimed the title and the largest portion of a prize pool of around $5 million. When it ended, Faker looked more relieved than celebratory.
3. EVO 2004 — Daigo Umehara vs. Justin Wong (Street Fighter III: Third Strike)
The tournament took place at Cal Poly Pomona and the prize pool was only a few thousand dollars. Yet one round from that final has been replayed for more than two decades.
Justin Wong activated Chun-Li’s super expecting chip damage to finish the match. Daigo Umehara parried every hit with Ken — fifteen in a row — before landing the winning combo. The crowd reaction alone helped turn the clip into one of the most recognizable moments in competitive gaming.
4. The International 2018 — OG vs. PSG.LGD (Dota 2)
OG arrived at The International 2018 after a chaotic season and a roster rebuilt just weeks before qualifiers. Expectations were low even among their own fans.
Yet in Vancouver they reached the final against PSG.LGD, playing for the largest prize pool esports had seen — more than $25 million. Game five was tense and messy in equal measure. OG closed the series 3–2 and collected roughly $11 million.
5. Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2014 — Virtus.pro vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
Katowice was already becoming an important stop for Counter-Strike, but the 2014 IEM final helped turn it into something bigger. Virtus.pro faced Ninjas in Pyjamas inside the Spodek Arena in front of a loud home crowd.
The Polish team won the series 2–0 and secured the largest portion of a $250,000 prize pool. Jarosław “pashaBiceps” Jarząbkowski later joked that at times the arena noise made it difficult to hear teammates during rounds.
Trending on realmoneygamer.com
6. Overwatch League Grand Finals 2018 — London Spitfire vs. Philadelphia Fusion (Overwatch)
Barclays Center in Brooklyn hosted the first Overwatch League championship match in July 2018. London Spitfire faced Philadelphia Fusion for a $1 million first-place prize.
The series itself ended quickly, with London sweeping 2–0 under the format used that year. What stood out was the scale of the event: a packed arena, heavy production, and Blizzard’s attempt to position Overwatch alongside traditional sports leagues.
7. EVO 2016 — Tokido vs. Infiltration (Street Fighter V)
By the time the final started at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, more than 5,000 players had entered the tournament. Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi faced Lee “Infiltration” Seon-woo for the title.
Tokido’s Akuma won the set 3–0. After the final round he dropped to his knees on stage, a reaction that quickly became one of the most photographed moments in the fighting game community.
8. League of Legends World Championship 2022 — DRX vs. T1 (League of Legends)
San Francisco’s Chase Center hosted the 2022 Worlds final. DRX had entered the tournament through the play-in stage and few analysts predicted they would even reach the semifinals.
Instead they faced T1 and Faker in a five-game final for the largest share of a $2.2 million prize pool. DRX won 3–2, and Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu finally lifted a world title after nearly ten years as a pro.
9. The International 2016 — Wings Gaming vs. Digital Chaos (Dota 2)
Wings Gaming approached Dota differently from most teams at the time. During the tournament they used more than fifty different heroes, making drafts difficult to predict.
The final took place in Seattle, where Wings defeated Digital Chaos 3–1. The team secured about $9.1 million from a $20 million prize pool and left analysts debating their strategies for months afterward.
10. Call of Duty Championship 2014 — compLexity vs. Team EnVyUs (Call of Duty: Ghosts)
The 2014 Call of Duty Championship in Los Angeles featured a $1 million prize pool, unusually large for the series at the time. compLexity Gaming faced Team EnVyUs in the grand final.
The lineup of Crimsix, Aches, TeePee, and Karma won the series 3–1 and took home $400,000. That roster soon became one of the most recognizable teams in Call of Duty esports.
11. Fortnite World Cup 2019 — Bugha wins the Solo Final (Fortnite)
Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York hosted the Fortnite World Cup in July 2019. Sixteen-year-old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf entered the solo final as one of the favorites.
Across six matches he consistently placed near the top of the standings and finished comfortably ahead of the field. The victory earned him $3 million, one of the largest single payouts to an esports player.
12. StarCraft II WCS Global Finals 2018 — Serral vs. Stats (StarCraft II)
BlizzCon 2018 in Anaheim featured the StarCraft II World Championship Series final between Joonas “Serral” Sotala and Kim “Stats” Dae-yeob.
Serral won the series 4–2 and took home $280,000. The result mattered for another reason as well: he became the first non-Korean player to win the global title in a game long dominated by Korean professionals.
13. ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018 — Cloud9 vs. FaZe Clan (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)
The Boston Major final took place at Agganis Arena in front of a heavily pro-Cloud9 crowd. The North American team faced FaZe Clan for a share of a $1 million prize pool.
The deciding map, Inferno, went into double overtime before Cloud9 secured a 22–19 win. It was the first time a North American roster had won a CS:GO Major, a result that fans in the region had been waiting years to see.
Esports moves quickly. Rosters change, games evolve, and some titles fade while new ones appear. But certain finals keep coming up in conversations because they captured something about the moment — the crowd, the story around the teams, or a single play people still recognize instantly. Years later, the VODs are still easy to find. And fans still argue about them.
