The most popular game among global celebrities has been revealed
Movie stars, famous football players, musicians, and other celebrities have their favorite games. While some prefer single-player RPGs or quests, many are avid fans of esports. It's not uncommon for celebrities to use competitive games to relieve stress or to get into the right mindset to perform spectacularly on stage, on the football field, or to get into character.
Hawk.live analyzed the preferences of world-famous celebrities to determine which esports game is the most popular among stars.
Dota 2
It turned out that Dota 2 is not only a popular pastime among celebrities but also a means of investment. While Hollywood star Keanu Reeves loves Dota 2 and relaxes by playing this MOBA, former NBA star and Olympic champion Magic Johnson decided to invest in esports and bought the club Team Liquid, which is the richest esports organization in the world. Thanks to participation in tournaments, they managed to earn tens of millions of dollars.
Some stars are not strangers to esports themselves. For example, Jeremy Lin, NBA star playing for the Brooklyn Nets, is an avid fan of Dota 2 tournaments. He has repeatedly attended The International and other championships and even became the honorary captain of the team Vici Gaming. The same goes for Eva Elfie, a famous adult film actress, who is crazy about the MOBA created by Valve. She admits that she is not a very good player, but this does not stop her from enjoying the matches and supporting her favorite teams at the Dota 2 World Championship. Moreover, at several tournaments, she was not just a fan but also a host and even interviewed famous esports players.
Some celebrities even try themselves as esports players. This applies to Ian Nepomniachtchi, a well-known vice-champion in chess. He does not hide his love for Dota 2. Moreover, he was even a participant in the DotA Allstars team and won the ASUS Winter 2011 tournament.
Celebrities who play Dota 2:
Keanu Reeves (movie star)
Asa Butterfield (movie star)
Eva Elfie (adult film actress)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (chess champion)
Pia Wurtzbach (Miss Universe 2015)
JJ Lin (pop star)
DEADMAU5 (DJ)
Counter-Strike 2
Many celebrities are not very fond of MOBAs, but they are extremely engaged in shooters. Numerous actors, sports stars, and even musicians love playing CS2. Many of them have been playing the game since the CS
version, participating in matches, relaxing after a hard day, or just having fun in custom games. One of the most famous CS2 players is the football legend – Neymar. He is known for his genuine love for this shooter. Moreover, he took lessons from Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo and regularly communicates with young esports players from Brazil. He also played in matches for Furia Esports and showed excellent performance.
Basketball star Yao Ming also does not hide his passion for CS; he wasn't shy about showing his love for the game back in 2004, becoming one of the athletes who started popularizing video games.
The most famous actor who plays CS2 is probably Henry Cavill. The actor loves video games so much that he recently starred in a series based on The Witcher – a well-known series of books and video games. He likes to relax with a game, but one of his main hobbies is Counter-Strike.
Celebrities who play Counter-Strike 2:
Henry Cavill (movie star)
Yao Ming (basketball player)
Neymar (football legend)
Hafthor Bjornsson (movie star)
Casemiro (football player)
Oleksandr Zinchenko (football player)
Logic (musician)
Mark Hunt (fighter)
Doug Polk (fighter)
Soulja Boy (singer)
League of Legends
Not only athletes and movie stars are interested in video games. Some politicians also love to play MOBAs. For example, American Congressman Jared Polis loves playing League of Legends and does not hide his love for video games. The well-known billionaire and video game fan Elon Musk also enjoys LoL, and at one time, there were rumors that he wanted to buy Riot Games. Although this information did not turn out to be true, he has often been seen at tournaments dedicated to LoL or Valorant, which is also developed by Riot Games.
If Eva Elfie is a fan of Dota 2, another famous adult film actress, Mia Rose, loves playing LoL. Moreover, she not only enjoys matches but also streams and actively discusses the game with fans.
Writer Jim Butcher is also an avid MOBA fan. Once on Reddit, he admitted that he might be playing LoL even more than is healthy for him, but he still continues to enjoy Riot Games' creation. It is also worth mentioning that famous singer Justin Bieber is a fan of the game, who once admitted that Teemo is his favorite champion.
Another famous adult film actress, Sasha Grey, has streamed the game several times and enjoyed playing matches in LoL.
Celebrities who play League of Legends:
Justin Bieber (singer)
Elon Musk (billionaire)
Jared Polis (politician)
Mia Rose (adult film star)
Jim Butcher (writer)
Sasha Grey (adult film actress)
Chris Kluwe (athlete)
Aisha Tyler (actress)
Simon Pegg (comedian)
Gordon Hayward (basketball player)
Call of Duty
Call of Duty, or CoD, is a significant competitor to Counter-Strike. This shooter has become incredibly popular among celebrities. They often stream it, relax after work, or even set up matches with friends. One of the most famous fans of the game is Snoop Dogg, a well-known rapper and movie star who loves this game and frequently streams it.
It's hard to believe, but Hollywood actress Mila Kunis also loves shooting in CoD. Although she has often mentioned her love for playing World of Warcraft, she won't turn down a few matches in CoD's shooter modes. Another famous celebrity is Eminem, who also loves this Activision game and even collaborated with the company by writing a song that can be heard in the game.
The well-known actor and comedian Robin Williams was also a fan of video games, with the Call of Duty series being one of his favorites, which earned the affection of the movie star.
Celebrities who play Call of Duty:
Snoop Dogg (singer and movie star)
Mila Kunis (actress)
Eminem (singer)
Robin Williams (movie star)
Michael Phelps (athlete)
Will Arnett (actor and comedian)
Olivia Munn (actress and writer)
Tito Ortiz (athlete)
Ice-T (singer and actor)
Andy Murray (athlete)
Which game is the most popular among celebrities?
Although the calculations are quite subjective, and some stars are fans of multiple games, the smallest number of celebrities play Dota 2. Many note the complexity of the matches, which requires deep immersion in the game.
CS2 fares slightly better. The game is more focused on tactics and reaction during shootouts, but it has been around for quite a while, so it's mostly played by people who came from CS or even earlier versions.
The second place goes to the CoD series. It is important to note that this is not a single game but a series of shooters that have also become a popular esports discipline. This game has become especially popular in the USA, where tournaments are held. Activision's creation has managed to win the love of many world-class stars.
Although the margin was quite minimal, and many stars even admitted to playing several games from the list, the favorite turned out to be League of Legends. Politicians, musicians, athletes, adult film actresses, and Hollywood stars played it. Riot Games' MOBA made a splash among players.
For a broader view of how esports is transforming gaming culture, take a look at our other research. It offers fresh insights into key trends and innovations.
