How Much Money Do Esports Players Make?
Contents
How much money do esports players make? This is a question that is often asked by those who are new to the world of competitive gaming. While there is no simple answer, we have put together a comprehensive guide that will give you a good idea of the earning potential for professional gamers.
Introduction
The answer to how much money do esports players make? is not as simple as you might think. While there are some big names in the industry who are earning millions of dollars a year, the majority of professional gamers are still only earning a small fraction of that amount.
That being said, the prize money for esports tournaments is growing every year, and so too is the amount of money that sponsors are willing to pay to have their brands associated with professional gaming teams. This means that the career earnings of even the best gamers are only going to continue to increase in the years to come.
So, if you’re wondering how much money do esports players make?, the answer is that it depends. Some are earning millions, while others are only earning a few thousand dollars a year. But one thing is for sure: if you’re good enough, there’s definitely potential to make a lot of money from playing video games professionally.
How Much Money Do Professional Gamers Make?
Professional gamers make a lot of money. The top players can make millions of dollars a year, and even the lower-tier players can make six-figures. This is largely due to the popularity of esports and the fact that there is a lot of money in the industry.
Salaries
Professional gamers, or eSports players, can make a pretty penny just by playing video games. The most successful gamers earn millions of dollars per year from salaries, sponsorships, prize money, and more.
The best-paid professional gamers in the world take home millions of dollars per year. The precise amount depends on many factors, including the game they play, their skill level, their team’s success, and the size of their audience. The best-paid player in the world is reportedly Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein of Denmark, who earned more than $6 million in 2019. Other top earners include Amer ‘Miracle-‘ Al-Barkawi of Jordan (more than $5 million), Anathan ‘Ana’ Pham of Australia (over $4 million), and Saahil ‘UNiVeRsE’ Arora of the United States (over $3 million).
In addition to salaries, many professional gamers also earn money from sponsorships and advertisements. The biggest eSports tournaments also offer prize money to the winning teams, which can be split among the players. For example, the winning team at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup took home $3 million.
Tournament Winnings
The very top echelons of pro gamers can make a good living from tournament winnings. Not all tournaments have the same prize pool, but the largest ones easily dwarf those of traditional sports. For example, The International, an annual Dota 2 tournament hosted by developer Valve, had a prize pool of $34 million in 2019. That’s more than triple the $13 million prize pool for golf’s Masters Tournament that same year.
Of course, not every player at The International is going to walk away with a multimillion-dollar payout. The prize money is split among all the players on a team, and it’s not uncommon for teammates to share equally in their earnings. And while $34 million is a staggeringly large sum of money, it’s worth noting that it was crowdfunded by Dota 2 fans purchasing in-game items, so it doesn’t necessarily reflect what the organizers themselves are putting up.
Still, even smaller tournaments can have sizeable prize pools. For example, one recent Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament had a prize pool of $250,000. Again, that would be split among the five players on each of the winning team’s roster, but it still adds up to some serious cash.
How Much Money Do Amateur Gamers Make?
There are a lot of aspiring gamers out there who hope to one day make a living playing video games. The thought of getting paid to play the games you love seems like a dream come true. But how much do amateur gamers really make?
Sponsorships
In order to make money as an amateur gamer, you will need to find a way to get sponsored. This is generally done by either being very good at a particular game or by becoming popular on streaming platforms like Twitch. The better you are at a game, the more likely you are to be sponsored by a team or organization. If you are popular on Twitch, you may be able to get sponsorships from companies that want to advertise to your audience. Either way, it is important to remember that sponsorships are not guaranteed and that you will need to work hard to find them.
Streaming
In order to make money as an amateur gamer, one of the most common ways is through streaming. When it comes to streaming, there are a few different ways that gamers can make money. The first and most common way is through viewers’ donations. This is where viewers of the stream will donate money to the streamer. The second way is through ads that are played before or during the stream. These ad revenues are then shared with the streamer. Lastly, some platforms also offer paid subscriptions, where viewers can pay a monthly fee to support their favorite streamers.
Conclusion
On average, professional esports players make $60,000 per year. The top tier of players can make up to $1 million or more per year. However, most esports players make significantly less than the top tier players. The vast majority of esports players make between $10,000 and $50,000 per year.