A lot of popular esports titles nowadays are team-based video games that require a competitor to create or join their very own esports team. This might be great for some, but our options are slightly limited for the rest of us who don’t like to put our tournament fates in the hands of other people. However, not all hope is lost – there are great solo esports titles that are tailor-made for solo competitors, where they can compete and find success all on their own. Even better, these games also have competitive ecosystems driven by their communities, official leagues or circuits run by the game’s company, or both! Here are some of the best ones we could find.
Solo Esports – Tekken 8
Fighting games offer one of the most accessible paths to competitive gaming in the world of esports, and Tekken 8 is arguably the most popular of them, especially in PH. In addition to having their official esports circuit, the Tekken World Tour, numerous Tekken tournaments are held nationwide – walk in with your controller and start competing!
Alternative: Street Fighter 6
The only drawback that playing SF6 (and other fighting games in general) in PH has compared to Tekken 8 is that they have a smaller local community, hence fewer tournaments. In the international scene, though, SF6 is the more popular title by just a bit, and their own Capcom Cup tournament series probably has the biggest prize pool in fighting games so far.
Solo Esports – Teamfight Tactics
Autobattlers are a genre of games that enjoy a niche dedicated following, and arguably the biggest of these is Riot Games’ Teamfight Tactics. TFT has its own professional esports circuit that culminates in the Tactician’s Cup with a $450,000+ prize pool, and there are TFT Open tournaments held around the world – each with a $300,000 prize pool, that anyone can join in.
Alternative: Starcraft 2 / Age of Empires
Those with strategic minds and who are also mechanically capable might want to revisit what used to be the premiere esports genre back in the day – Real Time Strategy games. Both Starcraft 2 and Age of Empires have thriving esports scenes that occasionally hold tournaments, and some of them even have active, ongoing, community-run leagues.
Solo Esports – Magic: the Gathering Arena
Digital Card Games have traditionally been one of the go-to avenues for solo esports, but with popular titles like Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra discontinuing their esports circuits and Shadowverse resuming theirs in 2025, one of the best choices left would be MTG Arena. It’s a pretty good choice, though, as MTG is still one of the best card games around and has a nice premiere play program that ends in the quarterly $200,000 Arena Championship.
Alternative: Actual, physical Trading Card Games
This might be stretching it a bit, but playing actual, physical card games might be a better alternative rather than looking for another digital one. Most of the established Trading Card Games at present have their competitive programs, and most of them have generous prize pools as well. Plus, the “offline” nature of attending TCG tournaments also captures the essence of esports competition, arguably better than their online counterparts.
And if that sounds interesting to you, how about trying out the Flesh and Blood TCG at Calling: Manila later this month?
Read More:
Here’s The Best Beginner TCG (According To You) – VRSUS
Flesh And Blood Is The Best Trading Card Game That You Should Try Right Now – VRSUS
