PGL Arlington 2022 becomes second-most viewed Dota 2 Major ever

Dota 2’s PGL Arlington Major 2022 has become the second-most viewed Dota 2 Major ever after recording a peak viewership of 708,359, according to esports viewership metrics platform Esports Charts. 

The tournament, which also recorded an average concurrent viewership of over 305,000, concluded yesterday following Team Spirit’s victory over PSG.LGD. 

As a result of its win, the Russian esports organisation took home a significant stake of PGL Arlington Major 2022’s $500,000 (~£414,600) prize pool. 

Despite these figures, The Kyiv Major 2017 remains Dota 2’s most viewed Major, garnering 842,585 peak viewers.

Dota 2’s recent viewership figures highlight somewhat of a resurgence for the title’s esports scene. Out of the top ten most viewed Dota 2 events, six have occurred in 2021 or 2022. This includes Dota 2’s most watched esports tournament, The International 10 (2.74m peak viewership). 

PGL Arlington Major 2022 took place offline at the Esports Stadium Arlington and was the tournament organiser’s first Dota 2 Major this year. The tournament’s commercial portfolio included the likes of gaming chair manufacturer SecretLab, betting site GG.BET, Sony gaming gear brand INZONE and cryptocurrency exchange Bitget, among others. 

According to Esports Charts, the most viewed esports team in the tournament was Team Spirit, followed by PSG.LGD, OG and Chinese organisation Team Aster. Additionally, viewership largely came from Russian and English-speaking streams – 370,014 and 230,048 peak figures, respectively.

This is Dota 2’s second Major of 2022. This year’s ESL One Stockholm Major became the fifth most popular Dota 2 event — outside The International’s — with a peak viewership of 589,021. PGL Arlington Major was also the last Major of the Dota 2 Pro Circuit 2021-2022, which will ultimately conclude with The International 11, Dota 2’s premier global tournament. 

The International 11 is set to commence this October in Singapore at the Suntec Centre and Singapore Indoor Stadium.