A Big Year For CS2 Viewership Comes To A Close
As IEM Chengdu wrapped up with FURIA lifting the trophy in front of a packed Chinese crowd, ESL also closed the book on the 2025 season of the Annual Club Incentive program. The system rewards teams based on their contribution to the ESL Pro Tour across the year, including attendance, viewership, and promotional activity. With the final event of the season now behind us, the 2025 standings are locked in, revealing who will take home a share of the massive 2.95 million US dollar pool.
As #IEM Chengdu 2025 wrapped up with @FURIA lifting the trophy, the first year of the Annual Club Incentive also concluded!
The $2,950,000 Annual Club Incentive has now officially come to a close and will be paid out in the first quarter of 2026. pic.twitter.com/CJ6rB3vFkB
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) December 8, 2025
Team Falcons finished the year on top, claiming the highest share of the payout after maintaining strong viewership numbers throughout 2025. Their position at the summit has hardly shifted since IEM Dallas, and they now walk away with 407,422 US dollars. The MongolZ made one of the biggest late-season jumps, climbing from fourth to second after an impressive IEM Chengdu run.
How ESL Calculated The Final Rankings
The final standings were determined using average concurrent viewers from the Group Stage of IEM Chengdu, sourced from Esports Charts. Sixteen teams were ranked by average viewership, with the top twelve earning viewership points according to ESL’s matrix.
IEM Chengdu 2025 Viewership Leaders
To close out the year, the last 108 viewership points were handed out in Chengdu. These results, paired with each team’s event attendance, produced the final weighted totals for the season. Notable highlights include:
- Team Spirit led the Chengdu viewership board with an impressive 209,650 average viewers.
- The MongolZ and Team Falcons followed closely, both earning the maximum 12 points.
- FURIA, fresh off winning the event, secured 147,275 average viewers.
- Teams like FaZe Clan, Virtus.pro, 3DMAX, and Lynn Vision failed to crack the top twelve, earning no viewership points from the event.
IEM Chengdu also marked the final chance for teams to benefit from the Event Multiplier, which rewards consistent participation across ESL events throughout the year.
Final Annual Club Incentive Standings For 2025
Across all ESL tournaments in 2025, 42 clubs were ranked, with the top 16 receiving a cut of the 2.95 million US dollar fund. Falcons, The MongolZ, and FURIA led the pack with high points totals and strong international visibility.
Top 5 Teams
| Placement | Team | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Falcons | 407,422 USD |
| 2 | The MongolZ | 295,313 USD |
| 3 | FURIA | 281,250 USD |
| 4 | Natus Vincere | 278,906 USD |
| 5 | Team Vitality | 262,500 USD |
Falcons’ position reflects their massive draw across the year, with stars like m0NESY and NiKo keeping viewers locked in match after match. The MongolZ capitalised on their late-season surge, while FURIA and NAVI rounded out a highly competitive top four.
Further down the table, Astralis and paiN Gaming squeezed into the top 16 at the last minute, knocking out Eternal Fire and GamerLegion.
What Happens Next?
The 2025 season is officially complete, and ESL will distribute the Annual Club Incentive payments in the first quarter of 2026. All standings will reset for the new year, meaning every team starts fresh with equal footing when the 2026 circuit begins.
The next chapter starts soon, with IEM Kraków kicking off on 28 January and running through 8 February 2026. With viewership shaping such a significant part of the payout, teams will be entering the new season ready to capture audience attention from day one.