Being born an esports player is a possibility, considering that nurturing someone into an esports athlete is an option. The context of the person’s childhood, like playing video games or having friends to celebrate wins with, fosters growth to potentially become an esports athlete.
What about the nationality and regions? How do they affect esports and why? In this article, we will examine which countries dominated esports internationally from the early 2000s to modern day, as well as uncover the reasons behind these regional esports superpowers.
The 2000s: Early Dominance of Esports
I received a meme not long ago that depicted the absurdity behind esports prize pools like this:
“A friend just sent me this prize structure for a StarCraft tournament from 2010, and I can’t stop laughing.
● Prizes:
● 1st place: $500
● 2nd Place: $250
● 3rd place: $150
● 4th Place: $100
● 5th-8th Place: 25 BitCoins”
There is a high probability the world has changed, but the 5th to 8th place contestants have most likely sold these bitcoins, or, even worse, lost the passwords to the file that has the said bitcoins. During a certain period, these people did not have strategies in place which can be termed as profound. Today’s CS tournaments, such as the one in the US this year, BLAST Austin Major 2025 , grant the winners with half a million dollars. Now, wait a moment while we rewind…
The real shift in esports took place in the early years of 2000. Prior to this new century, different regions had set a name for themselves, like South Korea, which was a dominant player during that period. They were so good at RTS games such as Starcraft, that the One Lee Life and Lim BoxeR gave birth to a competitive culture along with national heroes to praise. With the emergence of cyber cafes, the country started to establish professional leagues like the OSL (OnGameNet StarLeague) and MBCGame, which were highly viewed to the point of being televised.
Korea wasn’t the only country that took the world by storm. China and Other parts of Europe, especially Sweden, were heavily involved in esports. In China, Warcraft 3 and Dota gained so much popularity that players like TongFu and DK started their rise in prominence. For Sweden, the country was known for Counters Strike FPS. The game had it’s set of best players and tournament dominators like NiP (Ninjas in Pyjamas). If we talk about state if NiP during the CS 1.6 era, then they were on quite the legendary win streak, which is, let’s be honest, a dream for any esports player.
However, the latter part of the 2000s saw a change in the esports scene. The new opportunities brought on by the development of League of Legends and Dota 2 increased competition on a global scale, allowing for new regional rivalries along with new teams to rise to the top.
The 2010s: CS:GO
Everything looked different just around ten years ago. For instance, the prize pool of $100,000 at ESL One: Cologne 2015 would stand out, but in today’s world is nothing compared to the prize money for a CS2 tournament which easily surpasses 1 million. The period of time when CS:GO was popular is best described as a phase in the evolution of esports — a sort of adolescence. It is still a very important time of the esports ecosystem that gave rise to many names that are still very well known in the competitive gaming community.
Esports reached new heights in the 2010s, with CS:GO gaining popularity massively and esports divisions being established in many countries. During this entire decade, there was increased investment at the professional level of gaming as emerging powerhouses in Central and Eastern Europe, consisting of Poland, Ukraine, Denmark and Sweden, produced world-renowned teams and esports athletes.
One of the most prominent milestones was the expansion of CS:GO with the esports ecosystem. Fnatic (Sweden), Astralis (Denmark), and Virtus.pro (Poland) Emerged as influential figures in the CS:GO scene. These teams triumphed in major tournaments such as ESL, DreamHack, and IEM, emerging as champions over and over again. NaVi, who is currently one of the most famous teams from Ukraine, also cited as a csgo era powerhouse, was always at the forefront of the tournaments, proving to the world that Eastern Europe has superb skill and intelligence.
After all these years, the world of esports has evolved to a more interconnected system. For example, the BLAST Austin Major in 2025 will host some of the best teams of the world like Natus Vincere, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, Vitality from France, and a lot over Europe will fight and further prove their superiority, from Central Europe and Eastern what fierce will prevail.
Impact of CS2 Tournament
With the arrival of CS:GO’s custom successor, CS2, we can observe two iconic exponents of the esports world, CS2 and the competitive scene, coexist. The CS2 esports tournaments are now growing in fame with stars such as Fnatic, NaVi, and G2 Esports running the scenes and proving their abilities as some of the strongest competitors in the world. Those teams that came from CS:GO are using their muscle memory from the previous title, as the old mechanics give them the ability to continue performing at the peak level, which further shows the overwhelming skill and experience from this region.
While Fnatic has struggled in CS2, they have completely dominated the esports world for over a decade with origins in Swedish esports. Mouz Esports, another top-tier European team, has also begun to polish up their game in the CS2 tournaments, increasing Europe’s dominance as the mecca of competitive Counter-Strike. NaVi from Ukraine, is still incredibly adored by the fans. This is due to the calm, strategic and aggressive approach to gameplay, which makes them a great esports team.
Analyzing European Teams: The Heart of Esports
For the last ten years, Europe, and particularly Eastern and Central Europe, has dominated the esports scene. Other perennial outperformers from this region include: G2 Esports from France, Astralis in Denmark, and Fnatic in Sweden. These teams are far better compared to the rest of the world because all of these countries have well developed regional infrastructures, which include professional training facilities, well stocked coaching staffs and competitions of ample level.
These countries instill a career oriented culture of esports, which is useful for junior gamers. With the support of esports academies and sponsors, these players easily accelerate their career progression, which is why European teams are better of compared to other countries.
Analyzing US and Middle Eastern Teams
European teams rule the esports Kingdom, however some with great potential from North America and the Middle East are also emerging. The challenge here is that these regions have not yet been able to match European prowess in a sustainable manner. With the Cloud9 and Team Liquid duo taking center stage in the US, CSGO and Valorant are gaining a lot of attention. Both of these teams perform relatively well in international tournaments, but are constantly falling behind the undisputed European champions due to lack of consistency.
In the Middle East, teams such as NASR Esports (UAE) and FATE Esports (KSA) are starting to grow in reputation, but they are still far less impactful than European or even Asian teams. With Structures for esports being set up quickly and government programs, the region is trying to bolster its standing on the world stage in the coming years.
Conclusion: The Global Nature of Esports and the Dominance of Central and Eastern Europe
So, is it possible to be an esports player in any country? Yes. In theory, any individual can be an esports champion irrespective of region. However, taking a look at the competitive esports world, there is a notable trend based on region. Unlike any other region, Central and Eastern Europe stands out for giving the world some of the most renowned teams in history, including Fnatic, Vitality, Astralis, and NaVi. These regions have managed to establish a strong esports culture along with the necessary infrastructure and a talented player base that performs exceptionally well consistently.
Esports is full of people representing numerous countries around the world, but it is obvious that these regions have a winning mix of historical acclamation, resources, and zeal towards gaming that puts them head and shoulders above everyone else. Wherever you are located, Sweden, Denmark, or Ukraine, the scope in esports is infinite.