Update 20/09/2023 5:30 pm: Esports Charts has updated its database to include additional World Series of Warzone streams. As a result, the number has changed from 308,289 to 382,483, The article has since been updated to include the latter figure.
The World Series of Warzone 2023 Global Finals has become Call of Duty: Warzone’s second most popular event after recording 382,483. peak viewers.
The season-ending event, which took place at London’s Copper Box Arena, accumulated average viewing figures of around 245,000 across the event’s five-hour air time, according to esports data platform Esports Charts.
The most popular Call of Duty: Warzone event for peak viewership is still the Twitch Rivals x Call of Duty World Series of Warzone #1 which tops the charts with 441,145 viewers.
The first iteration of the World Series of Warzone Global Finals was won by Team Biffle from North America, securing $100,000 (~£80,749) in prize money. In addition to the team competition, all 150 players competing participated in the ‘Solo Yolo’ match, with Skullface taking home $100,000 for being the last player standing.
After launching in 2020, the 2023 World Series of Warzone Global Finals is the first event to take place on LAN. The viewing figures show promising signs for Call of Duty: Warzone as an esports spectacle. With the 2023 season concluded, Activision is yet to share details on the 2024 World Series of Warzone.
The 2023 World Series of Warzone Global Finals is the first event to take place following the conclusion of the 2023 Call of Duty League (CDL) season. The season-ending playoffs, played on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, garnered a peak viewership of 294,178, approximately 4.6% less than Warzone.
Call of Duty is no stranger to the Copper Box Arena. In 2019, the Call of Duty World League (CWL) hosted an event and in August 2023, esports and gaming company Gfinity hosted a LAN event.
London, in particular, continues to act as a hotbed for esports events in the UK. In 2023, the likes of the Apex Legends Global Series and League of Legends’ MSI have taken place in England’s capital.