CSGO overtakes Dota 2 on Steam in monthly hours played in October

Dota 2 and CSGO are Valve’s most popular video games. Not only are they the most popular titles on Steam, but they’re also among the most popular esports titles in the world with millions of dollars to be won on both top-tier professional scenes each year. For the first time in around seven years, CSGO has overtaken Dota 2 in monthly hours played on Steam according to the website Steam Charts.

CSGO catches up with Dota 2

The sighting was initially pointed out in a tweet by Twitter user TDM_ByeZeus.

This is it! CSGO is officially the #1 game on steam, finally eclipsing Dota 2 after ~7 years! pic.twitter.com/0MTRLMD6dj

— TDM_Heyzeus (@TDM_Jesus) October 20, 2019

Those number, however, only represent hours played this October, not total hours played. Nevertheless, despite many claiming that the rise of hours played is due to the raid of AFK bot case farming, the hours were more or less just as high prior to the release of the CS20 case in CSGO. Despite claims of Counter-Strike being a “dead game,” especially after going free to play, the numbers speak for themselves. The professional scene is growing, and while it is difficult for newcomers to become popular via Twitch streaming, top-tier tournaments and pro streams are still among the most popular streams.

CSGO and Dota 2: Valve’s gems continue their battle

Many CSGO fans have accused Valve of not giving enough attention to the FPS title and rather focusing more on their MOBA title. The accusations rise especially around the time of huge Dota‘s The International where the prize pool reached a whopping $34,330,068 this year. Meanwhile, CSGO‘s prize pool for a Major is a measly $1,000,000 in comparison. The difference is striking, but it lies in the fact that the Dota 2 pot is generated by players and fans actually buying things, the revenue of which then goes to The International’s prize pool. Perhaps this month’s CSGO player numbers and hours played will inspire Valve to mix up how it creates its prize pools.

What do you think of the rise of hours played in CSGO? Let us know in the comments. As always, remember to follow us at Daily Esports for all your latest news in Dota 2, CSGO, and other major esport titles.