League of Legends and Counter-Strike 2 lead trader sentiment in the Esports Awards 2026 Game of the Year market, reflecting their entrenched global scenes, consistent high viewership, and recent roster achievements such as Bilibili Gaming's League of Legends performances and Team Vitality's Counter-Strike 2 successes. Nominees were finalized in late September and early October, aligning with ongoing fan voting that closes November 10 ahead of the November 17 ceremony in Miami. Counter-Strike 2 benefits from multiple strong teams in contention for related awards, while League of Legends carries momentum from its 2025 win. Lower-priced titles like Valorant and others trail due to comparatively narrower or less dominant competitive cycles in the current period, though all remain eligible through the combined jury and community process.