With a global audience of some 650 million people, esports teams and players can become multimillion dollar brands in their own right. Of course, many gamers still define this by competitive victories - and esports betting is a big deal too. But other teams, while still chasing titles, tend to define their success through financial metrics and brand reach. 

37119e31 50fa 4161 98a8 17ca341c86be

This article will look at a cross section of the best teams, based on those definitions. The most historically and continually successful teams in terms of titles and accolades. The biggest teams in terms of brand awareness, revenue and global reach. And then, via the magic of betting odds and form analysis, some teams that might break into the elite tier over the rest of the season.

The Biggest Brand Successes Continue their Domination 

Doublelift Team Liquid

The four best esports teams in 2026 in terms of brand awareness, revenue - and some good competitive results - is debatable. But these three teams should certainly be in with a shout for anyone's list.

  1. Team Liquid 

Team Liquid is one of the most successful esports organizations of all time. It tops the leaderboard for most cash from esports tournament winnings ($57 million) by some distance. In 2026 they continued to have top teams in Dota 2 and Mobile Legends Bang Bang as well as decent teams in Valorant and a dozen other esports.

  1. FaZe Clan 

Although it has had its dramas since late 2025, no organisation or team has been more broadly influential on esports than FaZe Clan. Encompassing hundreds of members over the years, and billions of dollars in revenue, FaZe still has competitive teams and players across a dozen esports in 2026.

  1. G2 Esports 

Although arguably not truly the best in any one game, G2 have been consistently very good - and occasionally excellent - across as many esports titles as anyone. They have high level teams in League of Legends, CS2 and many others, and have made just shy of $20 million in tournament winnings. Let alone merch, sponsorship deals and other revenue streams.

Competition-Focused Teams and Upcoming Tournaments

League Of Legends World Championship

Those are the big, historically successful brands. But who has been the most winningest teams across 2025 and early 2026?

To look at that it's good to compare historic forms and other factors. You could that yourself, but who knows than better than bookmakers?

Sharp bettors, in India or elsewhere, often compare esports teams and event odds across different sportsbooks. Resources such as Oddspedia, which also highlight offers like the Stake bonus, provide a clearer view of available markets, helping users track pricing and promotions relevant to their region.

For example, sportsbooks now have odds in on the upcoming CS2 Blast Rivals tournament. Team Vitality are priced at an average of 1.1 (or a 99% probability) to win their opening game against FUT Esports - illustrating how dominant they are as competitive team. On the other hand, giant global business FaZe Clan - which many times Vitality's revenue - is averaging 4.8 (or around 20%) to win their opening match against NaVi. Showing that commercial dominance doesn't always translate to in-game results.

  1. Team Vitality 

By far the most winning team of 2026 so far, Team Vitality has dominant squads in CS2 and Valorant, while having strong teams in many more esports including League of Legends and Rocket League. In the first four months of 2026 so far they have tournament winnings of over a million dollars between them.

One of the original waves of popular French esports orgs, Vitality has managed to hold that audience consistently over 12 years while also maintaining top tier winning rosters - and expanding into India. The team even uses the massive Stade de France in Paris for its training center.

  1. Team Spirit 

Team Spirit could arguably have gone in the above bracket, but their dominant success in various esports hasn't really translated to global brand awareness in the same way as FaZe or Liquid. Still, they were the third highest earning esports team by tournament earnings in 2025 at $3.79 million and they have highly competitive teams across in CS2 and DotA as well as many others.

  1. Team Falcons 

Backed by big Saudi Arabian funding, Team Falcons has been one of the fastest growing and most successful esports orgs in the world for several years now. While Falcons have elite level teams in many esports, none of their rosters have yet established a dominant era in any one game like their top rivals have.

However, big money and branding behind them few would bet against it being a long time before everything clicks with one particular Falcons team.

Who are the New Teams on the Scene?

Outside of the existing big contenders then, who are some rising names it might be worth thinking about in upcoming tournaments? Esports is an ever-evolving game, and although it takes a lot to stay on top, there are always hungry newcomers snapping at the heels of the big players. These are two of those teams in 2026 - and interestingly both are from France.

  1. Karmine Corp 

Representing a regional success story, Karmine Corp has quietly built one of the fastest growing fanbases in European esports. As well as building big teams in Rocket League, League of Legends and Valorant, Karmine is consistently known for its focus on fan engagement and brand loyalty.

Lots of merch and a fan-driven content system on social media - backed up by some strong in-game performances at big events - has made them of one the esports teams to watch for 2026.

  1. Gentle Mates 

Probably the biggest breakout success of 2026 so far has been France's Gentle Mates. This cosily named team had some crushing performances on their way to winning several big Rocket League titles so far in 2026. Which continues to build on 2025 which was their first million-dollar tournament winning year.

The team also leans into the growing community aspect of French esports through their social media content. Their underdog to serious contender expansion story is attracting them a lot of attention.