Continuing with our 2023 Esports Results, Esports Charts turns its attention to Valorant and its most-watched teams. The game continues to go from strength to strength, with its competitive scene becoming one of the most much-see attractions on the calendar every year.
2023 saw Valorant award the highest cumulative prize pool across all its events since its introduction mid-pandemic in 2020. It couldn't match the all-time high tournament count set in 2021, but that's understandable given that the whole year was spent in full or partial lockdown.
There were also the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo and the Valorant Champions 2023, two of the most popular competitions in the discipline ever. The first-person tactical hero shooter also ended as the fifth most viewed esports discipline last year.
#5 DRX
One of the most consistent sides in the division, DRX was unable to improve on its third-placed finish from 2022 but still enjoyed a decent year. Its best finish was second place at the S-Tier VCT 2023: Pacific League and the A-Tier TEN Valorant Global Invitational, while its most popular match, at 773.8K Peak Viewers, came against LOUD during the Semifinals of the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo.
The South Korean roster played 40 matches across 2023, the highest in the top five and one of only two sides — alongside EDward Gaming — to cross this mark among the ten most-watched teams. It was also the only top-five entry to cross 100 hours of airtime, although it was also the only name in these standings not to surpass one million Peak Viewers.
#4 Paper Rex
Fourth is Paper Rex, which jumped four spots from 2022's leaderboard, with 28.5M Hours Watched. Its most popular game was the one against Evil Geniuses during the Grand Final of the Valorant Champions 2023, which did 1.29M PV. It was a revenge encounter for the American side, which would avenge its Upper Bracket Final loss to the former to emerge as the world champion.
Having begun the year with a first-round exit at the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo, the Singaporean squad did exceptionally well to peak towards the end of the year and end it on a high. This included a second-place finish at the A-Tier AfreecaTV VALORANT LEAGUE after a 0:3 loss to Sentinels in the Grand Final.
#3 Fnatic
The first side in the top three is another highly consistent one, with Fnatic accruing 33.2M HW, one of only three sides to cross this mark. Its most popular game came in the Grand Final of the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo, where it beat home favorite LOUD in a series that did 1.44M PV. It is also the only European side to make it to this top-five list.
Fnatic and Paper Rex had almost similar airtime and played the same number of games at 31, but what helped the British side place higher was its three significant wins across the year. These successes also helped it climb up three places from the 2022 rankings and enter the podium for this year.
#2 Evil Geniuses
At number two is Evil Geniuses, which kept peaking with each event it played, culminating with its win at the Valorant Champions 2023. Its win in Los Angeles also continued a pretty quirky run at the discipline's most prominent event, with the winners coming from three different continents across the three editions so far.
Intriguingly, ahead of the 2024 season, it also saw a reshuffle of its entire roster, so fans will keep a keen eye out on the American side's results at the start of the year to see if it can continue with its stellar results. It also ended in eighth on the table of most popular esports organizations for 2023, thanks majorly to its Valorant roster's performances.
#1 LOUD
Ending the year atop the mountain after just missing out in 2022 is this highly popular Brazilian organization. LOUD was by far the most watched and popular side in Valorant esports last year, ending as the only one to hit 40M HW and attract at least 500K Average Viewers across the 12 months.
The roster achieved these numbers despite having the least airtime and matches count among the top five, apart from only notching one S or A-Tier win all year, proving just how sought-after it is, especially among Portuguese-speaking audiences.
Two of Valorant's most viewed sides — Fnatic and Evil Geniuses — also made the top ten list of most-watched esports organizations in 2023. Moreover, compared to 2022, only five teams — LOUD, DRX, Paper Rex, ZETA DIVISION, and Fnatic — made the top ten in 2023. The Brazilian roster continued to be the most supported, reflecting the country's undying love for all things shooting and the pride its fans take in their regional sides doing well globally.
Special mention must also go to EDward Gaming, the busiest side last year. It logged close to 150 hours of airtime and played over 50 matches, easily beating out any other team on both counts, which also helped it make the top ten most-watched table despite the absence of stats from Chinese platforms.
Most popular Valorant sides from other regions in 2023
When it comes to Eastern Europe, Natus Vincere was the most-viewed side and also made the top ten of the overall list. It finished seventh here, beating out the likes of EDward Gaming, Sentinels, ZETA DIVISION, T1, and Cloud9.
Moving to South America, the most-watched team in 2023 was Leviatán Esports. This Argentine side actually saw a fall in its yearly rankings on the overall table from 11th to 15th, a reflection of its performances dipping and results not matching the expectations set in the 2022 season.
Most watched Valorant teams in 2023
| Ranking
|
Team
|
Hours Watched
|
|---|---|---|
| #1
|
 |
45.00M
|
| #2
|
 |
34.82M
|
| #3
|
 |
33.25M
|
| #4
|
 |
28.51M
|
| #5
|
 |
25.76M
|
With the new Valorant season underway and a lot of tournaments to come, fans and Riot Games will hope 2024 ends up being a successful one. After all, success will mean that the changes and additions for the year, including the introduction of the fourth partner league — VCT China — were met positively by fans and organizers.
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