5 Steam Gift Ideas Perfect for eSports Fanatics

Any avid video gamer will talk your ears off about the significance of Steam. Gamers rely on digital PC storefront Steam for their gaming needs.

Launched in 2003, the storefront was initially designed to deliver patches for Valve titles like Counter-Strike and Half-Life. Eventually, however, Valve made the decision to turn it into a store for third-party games. As of March 2024, Steam has 132 million monthly active users and a library of about 103,000 games — more than any other mainstream video game distribution service. As a result, Valve was valued at $6.5 billion in 2021.

By now, different types of gamers buy their games on Steam. This is true whether you're a casual or cozy gamer, or a competitive esports title player. Steam gifts are an ideal go-to if your friend is an esports fanatic. Below, we'll be sharing five Steam gift ideas that are perfect for any esports fan:

1. Call of Duty

Call of Duty is one of the oldest shooter franchises around. Since Call of Duty 2 in 2005, Activision has successfully released a new Call of Duty title every year. Known for its fast-paced and chaotic gunplay, Call of Duty has a lively esports scene, including the Activision-backed official Call of Duty League that sees teams battle it out for significant prize pools annually. Another aspect that has grown due to its popularity is Call of Duty betting, which lets fans put wagers on their favorite teams. Online betting platform Thunderpick offers various bonuses for patrons, including monthly gift cards and a VIP club for an exciting betting experience.

If your friend already owns a copy of Call of Duty on Steam, however, you can opt to gift Call of Duty Points or other in-game content instead. This includes bonus in-game content like character and gun skins, while CoD points are good to ensure your friend can get the current season's Battle Pass.

2. EA Sports FC

If your friend or loved one isn't a fan of the shooter genre, another popular esports go-to is the sports simulation games. EA Sports FC, previously widely known as the FIFA franchise from EA Sports, releases a new game annually that incorporates changes and updates based on how real-life teams and players are doing. For the upcoming EA Sports FC 25, online leaks have recently revealed cover star Jude Bellingham as well as an Ultimate Edition featuring multiple soccer stars from Gianluigi Buffon to Zidane and David Beckham.

Alongside the official game cover reveal, the upcoming EA Sports FC 25 also recently suffered from online leaks revealing the price, editions, and an early access period. The game is also set to debut brand new features like Playable Icons in Career Mode and FC IQ, a feature that allows players to control how their team moves and plays in specific formations.

3. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege

Another form of team-based first person shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege is slightly older than other entries in this list. However, the game is still widely played and streamed on video game streaming platform Twitch. The game's esports scene is also still thriving. Despite demands from fans, however, a Rainbow Six: Siege sequel is unlikely to happen anytime soon, with creative director Alexander Karpazis stating the game can "last forever" and succeed off consistent updates and patches.

This makes it a great game to gift on Steam. In case your friend already has a copy of the Rainbow Six: Siege, however, you can also opt to gift them the Rainbow Six bundle instead, or other in-game content such as weapon skins.

4. NBA 2K‍

If your friend is a sports and esports fan hybrid, another go-to game you can gift on Steam is NBA 2K. Like Call of Duty and EA Sports FC, NBA 2K releases a new game every year featuring virtual counterparts of real-life NBA players and legends. 2K is set to reveal the gameplay of the upcoming NBA 2K25 via a Twitch live stream, and fans are understandably excited to see cover athletes Jayson Tatum, Vince Carter, and A'ja Wilson.

Some of the additions teased and announced for the new 2K game is the inclusion of a Bill Russell Era into the MyNBA Eras mode in-game. The game mode would allow players to relive and engage with one of basketball's "golden ages". Players are also anticipating how the Connected MyCareer update would play out, a feature that allows enhanced multiplayer interactions within the game's career mode.

5. Street Fighter 6

Finally, video games extend far beyond shooting and sports. Street Fighter 6 was released in 2023 and is the sixth main entry in the Street Fighter franchise. The game features a range of game modes that contain local and online versus battles as well as training and arcade modes. There is also a single-player story mode featuring a customizable player avatar exploring 3D environments for players to get immersed in.

Like the other games on this list, you also have the option to gift your friend other editions of the game — like Deluxe or Ultimate — instead for a more complete Street Fighter experience. There are also Character and Ultimate Passes you can gift to your friend for additional in-game content and in-game currency, as well as a digital copy of the game's original soundtrack if your friend is a hardcore fan.

If you found this post useful, you can check out our "10 Gift Ideas for Your Gamer Husband" post for additional gift ideas you can get to complement your Steam esports gift, whether a new gaming PC, a gaming chair, or even a retro gaming console.