Why Call of Duty Is Becoming More Popular in Latin America's Esports Scene

Latin America is one of the world's most vibrant esports hubs. Mexico and Brazil alone are home to thousands of active esports players, and they're expected to generate a revenue of over $20 million by 2027. Esports viewership in the region is similarly strong. A quick look at the 2022 closing season of the Liga Latinoamérica—the main League of Legends tournament for the continent's Spanish-speaking countries—reveals that it hit a peak of more than 94,000 spectators.

Of course, some competitive titles garner more attention in Latin America's esports scene than others. Aside from League of Legends, Dota 2, FIFA, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are some of the most frequently played and watched esports games in the region. However, other titles are slowly gaining more traction here. Valorant's Latin American following, for example, is experiencing so much growth now that even Lionel Messi owns an esports team for the game.

Yet, out of all the globally famous esports titles becoming more prevalent in the region, Call of Duty is arguably among the most notable. Though most played in countries like the US, China, and the UK, it's getting more popular in Latin America thanks to moves by Activision to cater to the region's esports preferences. Here's how:

Reaching Latino Streaming Fans

One of the main ways esports fans tune into competitive matches is via streaming platforms—and the biggest one is Twitch, which is especially popular in Latin America. Its app is downloaded millions of times by thousands of fans every month, and Latino streamers like Juan Garnizo boast some of the biggest followings on the platform. That's why it's no surprise that Call of Duty developer Activision frequently organizes streaming events that engage the region's viewers. In March 2024, for example, Activision partnered with Twitch to give fans the chance to win rewards just by streaming Call of Duty on the platform. Collaborating with Twitch content creators like the Mexico-based Machika, the 36-hour celebration event compounded rewards like tokens, player cards and charms, and vapor skins for viewers who tuned in for longer—encouraging extended watch times. By reaching out to Latin American viewers on a platform they frequent and through content creators they're most likely to follow, Activision is helping Call of Duty solidify its fanbase in the region.

Expanding Tournaments to the Region

Call of Duty is a sprawling video game franchise—and among its many installments, Call of Duty: Warzone is hugely popular. A new map and updated movement mechanics make the game fresh and exciting for new and experienced players alike. It's even spawned a whole new Call of Duty esports tournament: World Series of Warzone. This competition is particularly enticing for esports players thanks to its unique twist on the Battle Royale trios format—and, of course, its $1 million prize pool. Many fans even get in on the action themselves: they go beyond passive viewership and bet on Call of Duty outcomes in this new tournament. One of the most popular platforms for this is Thunderpick, which allows fans looking for a completely different viewing experience to speculate on World Series of Warzone matches in real time with flexible fiat and crypto payment options. They can also do so at the in-game open qualifiers all the way to the Global Finals. So, how is Activision spurring the popularity of this game in Latin America? The developer made it an expansion region for the most recent slew of World Series of Warzone tournaments. By finally including it in the competition series, Activision helped give Latin American players and fans alike access to all the perks mentioned above—from qualifier registration to the ability to watch, support, and bet on regional teams during matches. This strategy significantly helped spur Latin American participation in the 2024 World Series of Warzone program: the series' Latin America South Finals alone saw more than a dozen players and teams vie for the top two spots to advance to the Global Finals, and it hit a peak viewership of nearly 26,000.

Catering to Mobile Gaming Demand

Mobile gaming is especially popular in Latin America. Over 70% of adults from countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru play mobile titles on a regular basis—comprising nearly a quarter of the world's mobile players. That's why it's no surprise that Activision constantly pushes Call of Duty's mobile-optimized titles in the region. In 2022, for example, the developer included Latin America as one of the five regions in the circuit for that year's Call of Duty Mobile World Championship. With a prize pool exceeding $2 million, the competition was open to players of all levels from the region. All one needed to do to qualify was complete ten ranked games in multiplayer mode with a minimum of 60 points.

Activision went even further to localize these mobile esports events the following year. That's when it partnered with the ESL FACEIT Group to launch a dedicated Latin America series for Call of Duty: Mobile. It was organized as part of the Snapdragon Pro Series, the world's largest mobile esports competition covering multiple genres. The tournament's format allowed veteran and novice players to battle it out on Samsung Galaxy devices for a prize pool of over $1.5 million. By specifically targeting Latin American mobile gamers, the developer was better able to foster Call of Duty's popularity in the region. In fact, Latin America is now the third most competitive region for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile worldwide.