Sports are competitive by nature. Whether it is football teams or esports teams, the job is based on fighting for titles. And so, players and teams are constantly trying to prove themselves.
You probably think that esports teams sound a lot like traditional sports teams, though. And a distinction may seem arbitrary. If so, you’re not wrong. There are a number of similarities between the two.
For example, the better a team is, the more opportunities they are likely to get. These opportunities look like invites to compete in the best leagues against the best teams. But unlike traditional sports where you’d have the best of the best going to the Olympics, esports teams participate in games hosted on YouTube and Twitch.
Also, esports teams typically have a different following when compared to traditional sports. Younger people are more interested in esports. And since esports is a relatively new industry, fewer people follow esports teams globally.
However, the industry is growing exponentially every year. A report by Goldman Sachs puts esports viewership in 2021 at 250 million and 276 million in 2022.
Additionally, the esports teams names on this list inspire viewers and fans to pursue their love for gaming. If you’re one of these enthusiasts, you should definitely look into these top 12 esports teams.
The metric for esports teams names
There are a number of ways to define success. Is a team with a greater following more successful than a team with a bigger market value? Or does a team need to have both to be successful? We think it’s the latter. You need to have a blend of both.
Therefore, this list is based on a blend of different metrics. A team’s value, popularity, and performance were taken into consideration because each factor is important. Additionally, the number of tournaments for each team has been mentioned. This will help you understand their experience.
The best esports teams
1. Team Liquid
Total tournaments: 1,854
The incontestable first on the list of best esports teams names are Team Liquid. They are absolute beasts and dominate whatever tournament they participate in. Based in the Netherlands, this group, like other esports teams, started off as a small community. Specifically, they were a StarCraft community.
Team Liquid started building their empire in 2012 when they found a Dota 2 team. And when the team began signing big names, they made their success inevitable.
From TL’s Dota 2 players winning ‘The International 2017’ to being the finalists at ‘The International 2019’, consistent performance is one of the biggest reasons why Team Liquid is never left out when discussing the best esports teams names.
Another prominent team in the group is the League of Legends team. They’ve won four LCS Championships and show potential for even more wins.
It doesn’t end there though. Their Counter-Strike – Global Offensive and Fortnite esports teams are also phenomenal.
Forbes puts the esports teams value at $310 million.
2. Team SoloMid
Total tournaments: 624
Owned by Andy Dinh, TSM has made strides in the esports business. And it comes as no surprise that they are on a list of esports teams names.
TSM has esports teams participating in competitive Hearthstone and League of Legends. However, they perform particularly well in battle royale titles like PUBG and Fortnite. And excellent performances here get them popularity.
From performance to this esports teams value, there is nothing they aren’t doing well in. In fact, according to Forbes, they were the most valuable team by the end of 2020 with a whopping $410 million worth.
Ending the year on a high, Team SoloMid set the stage to take 2021 by storm. And we can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us.
3. Fnatic
Total tournaments: 939
If we were to make a list of all the esports played competitively and then one of all the one Fnatic participates in, it’d take you a while to find a difference. From PUBG to FIFA and Dota 2 to League of Legends, the team was founded in 2004 and now participates in a wide range of esports.
They are best known for the title of the first League of Legends World Champion. Fnatic got the title in 2011 and since then they have refused to stop grinding. In 2015 and 2016 Fnatic was the team to beat in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, winning over $4 million prize money.
With a legendary lineup, Fnatic won six LAN tournaments. As a cherry on top, these were six consecutive competitions. Additionally, they achieved Legend Status after winning twelve majors.
One last notable achievement is their performance in the European League of Legends Split Championships. They’ve taken part in 13 and won 7. Not only is that win rate exceptional, but few other teams even come close to this record.
You can list esports teams names all day and never come across a team as diverse and consistent as Fnatic.
#4 eSports Teams – FaZe Clan
Total tournaments: 367
FaZe clan is, without a doubt, one of the most famous esports teams in the world. FaZe Clain is almost always one of the first teams people think of when listing esports teams names. And the credit for this goes to their massive social media.
When FaZe started out, they went by the name FaZe sniping. But ever since they dipped their toes in esports, the name changed. Now, they are a competitive team based in California playing Fornite, FIFA, Rainbow 6, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, PUBG, and Valorant.
The team’s lineup features Nickmercs. He’s super famous and one of the most highly played gamers. According to Forbes, he is “Twitch’s most subscribed gamer” and a “superstar.”
#5 eSports Teams – Cloud9
Total tournaments: 766
Next on the list is Cloud 9. Jack Etienne acquired the League of Legends esports teams from Quantic Gaming in 2013 and rebranded it.
A few years, Cloud 9 grew into a force to be reckoned. They won the North American League of Legends championship series and became the topic of discussion whenever esports teams names were brought up.
Then in 2015, their Heroes of the Storm team took the Champions title for their respective championship. And in 2018, the Cloud Counter Striker Global Offensive team won against FaZe Clan and became the first team from their region to ever win a Major.
Needless to say, Cloud9 is one of the best esports teams around right now. Also, they’re one of the richest with a value of $350 million.
6. Evil Geniuses
Total tournaments: 855
EG or Evil geniuses is older than the other esports teams on this list. It was founded in 1999 by Alexander Garfield in Washington as a Counter-Strike team. But over the years, it has spread its wings and entered various fighting games like World of Witchcraft and Halo.
Since 2014, its Dota 2 team has been winning big and earning seven figures. For example, they were “The International” Champions in 2015, which helped them bag $6.6 million. And in 2018, the COD team won the Call of Duty World League Championship and $1.5 million.
Putting all their winnings together brings the total to about $24 million and earns them third place in the list of esports teams names overall earnings.
#7 eSports Teams – OG
Total tournaments: 101
In 2015, players N0tail and Fly decided they could do well on their own and separated from their esports teams. A little later, they put together Team OG. And ever since they have carved out a permanent space for their team in Dota 2 Tournaments.
OG won both the 2018 and the 2019 ‘The International’ tournaments and won $26.6 million from the two combined. This huge earning placed them at the very top of the esports teams names globally.
Recently, they have stepped out of their comfort zone and formed teams for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Super Smash Bros. It seems that OG esports teams are eyeing tournament titles here too.
8. Virtus Pro
Total tournaments: 515
Based in Russia, Virtus Pro is another competitive esports team. It was formed in 2003 and now has players taking part in esports from StarCraft 2 to Quake Champions and Paladins.
Virtua Pro’s most successful teams are the Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams. They have contributed $9.4 million and 3 million respectively to the team’s total earnings. Their total earnings are super high and put them in fifth place when compared globally. But their success isn’t just monetary.
Virtus Pro’s Dota 2 team has won 5 Majors and their League of Legends team won the League of Legends Continental league in 2017. The Counter-Strike team is considered one of the best in the history of this esport. Over the years this team has won the Electronic Sports Major League One Katowice 2014 Major and multiple other elite competitions.
#9 eSports Teams – Newbee
Total tournaments: 231
Newbee was founded in 2014 by Xiao8. And it is sponsored primarily by the billionaire Wang Yue. At the start, this esports team was named Dream Team 2 because of rumors about who was on the team. However, once the team list was announced in late 2014, the name dissolved and Newbee settled in.
Team Newbee is proficient in Dota 2 and won the champions title in The International 2014. This win helped them become one of the first esports teams globally to win $5 million from one tournament. Overall they have about $14 million in total earnings.
Presently, they have four Dota 2 teams who have won over $13 million. They also have teams competing in Hearthstone, Warcraft 3, and StarCraft 2.
10. Team Secret
Total tournaments: 279
Before leaving to form Team OG, N0tail created Team Secret with a friend Kuroky. They both left their esports teams, i.e., Team Fnatic for N0tail and Team NaVi for Kuroky. Each brought a friend and they started a Dota 2 team.
And seeing how this team turned out, the shift was clearly a good idea.
Since 2014, they dominated their competition in Dota 2 and won over $10 million in just one division. Additionally, they formed teams for Fortnite and Age of Empires winning $200,000 and $120,000 in each respectively.
In 2020, Team Secret won the Omega League Europe Immortal Division. To say that this was the biggest Dota 2 tournament last year would be an understatement. The win was crucial in securing Team Secret’s place among the top esports teams names of 2021.
11. Invictus Gaming
Total tournaments: 506
At number 10, we have Invictus Gaming. It was founded in 2011 by the son of one of the wealthiest men in Asia: Wang Sicong. He bought Team CCM, changed the name, and used it to promote esports in China.
This esports teams name is on the list because of their performance and grit. On IG’s list of accolades, you can find Champions titles for The International 2012 and the Leagues of Legends World tournament 2018.
Generally speaking, Invictus Gaming brings in quite a bit of revenue and comes in 9th place with $11 million in total earnings. While most of this comes from their League of Legends and Dota 2 teams, they also participate in Starcraft 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
#12 eSports Teams – Vici Gaming
Total tournaments: 305
Vici Gaming was formed in 2012 and played competitive DotA. They even won multiple titles for it. But then Dota 2 dropped and everyone thought Vici Gaming’s days were over. However, they adapted immediately and proved they belong on this list of the best esports teams names.
Very soon, Vici Gaming became a serious contender in Dota 2 and destroyed their competition. In 2014, they were the Runners Up of The International and in 2020, they won the National Electronic Sports Tournament.
Over the years they have also added teams for League of Legends, StarCraft 2, FIFS, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Hearthstone.
Currently, they have over $10.5 million in total earnings across the different groups. And since they improve every tournament they participate in, we expect to see Vici Gaming dominate 2021.
That concludes our list of the top 12 esports teams names of 2021. We hope you enjoyed reading it!
