Brandwave

ESL vs FACEIT:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, FACEIT had more branded searches than ESL among esports platforms worldwide. FACEIT had about 5 million branded searches, while ESL had 246,000. FACEIT made up 93.5% of all esports platform searches we track, and ESL accounted for 4.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about esports platforms, FACEIT appeared in three of the five answers and ESL in none.

Among esports platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

FACEIT, about 20 searches for every 1 for ESL

FACEIT 5M searchesESL 246K searches

Who does AI mention more?

FACEIT, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, ESL in 0

FACEIT in 3 of 5ESL in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

FACEIT, the only one of the two named

FACEIT first in 3ESL never named

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Top esports platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, FACEIT was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. ESL did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Battlefy1st
  2. FACEIT2nd
  3. start.gg3rd
  4. Challengermode4th
  5. Toornament5th
  6. ESL–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Battlefy5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • start.gg4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Challengermode4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • FACEIT3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Toornament3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • ESL0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about esports platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is ESL or FACEIT more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for ESL and FACEIT by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six esports platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

ESL and FACEIT among esports platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for FACEIT, ESL. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFACEITESLstart.ggBattlefyChallengermodeToornament
Oct 202586.7%9.5%1.6%1%0.86%0.31%
Nov 202590.2%6.6%1.6%0.6%0.73%0.22%
Dec 202591%6.7%0.9%0.49%0.74%0.22%
Jan 202690.5%6.7%1.3%0.6%0.6%0.27%
Feb 202692%5.5%0.91%0.61%0.74%0.22%
Mar 202690.3%6.6%1.3%0.73%0.73%0.27%
Apr 202691.4%5.5%1.4%0.74%0.74%0.22%
May 202691.5%5.5%1.7%0.61%0.61%0.18%
Jun 202690%6.6%2%0.6%0.6%0.15%
Jul 202692.2%5.5%1.1%0.5%0.5%0.18%
Aug 202693.2%4.6%0.92%0.62%0.51%0.12%
Sep 202693.5%4.6%0.76%0.51%0.51%0.1%

How has the ESL and FACEIT comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • FACEIT was ahead of ESL in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ESL’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide moved from 9.5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, FACEIT’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide moved from 86.7% to 93.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7M to 5M.

How did search popularity change for esports platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. FACEIT’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 90% to 93.5% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for ESL worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 246K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ESL’s and FACEIT’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

ESL

1 branded search term

  • esl

FACEIT

1 branded search term

  • faceit

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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