How Much Do Esports Gamers Make?

How much do esports gamers make? This is a question that is often asked by those looking to get into the competitive gaming scene. The answer, unfortunately, is not a simple one.

The Top Earning Gamers

If you’re wondering how much do esports gamers make, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll be discussing the top-earning gamers in the world. We’ll also be talking about how much they earn and how they make their money.

Faker

Faker is a South Korean professional League of Legends player. He is the mid laner for SK Telecom T1, a top lane for SK Telecom T1 S, and a substitute for SK telecom T1 K. He was previously known as GoJeonPa and Nether. Faker is widely considered to be the best League of Legends player of all time.

N0tail

Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is a Danish professional Dota 2 player who is currently the position 1 player and Captain for OG. He is the most successful Dota 2 player of all time, having won 10 Major Championships and 2 Internationals, with his most recent being The International 2018. His total prize earnings are currently at $6,885,591 USD, making him the highest earning esports gamer of all time.

Anathan

Anathan is a 21-year-old professional gamer who goes by the alias “Ana”. He is one of the top earning gamers in the world, with his estimated net worth being $6 million. Ana started playing video games when he was just a child, and his parents were supportive of his gaming career from the beginning.

Ana’s big break came when he joined the professional esports team “OG”. With OG, Ana has won several major tournaments, including The International (TI), which is considered to be the most prestigious event in all of competitive gaming. Ana’s earnings from his tournament winnings are only a small part of his overall net worth, however. The majority of Ana’s wealth comes from endorsement deals with companies like Logitech and Red Bull.

As one of the top earning gamers in the world, Ana serves as an inspiration to aspiring professional gamers everywhere. His story proves that it is possible to make a living playing video games, and that there is real money to be made in the world of competitive gaming.

How Much do they Make?

The best esports players in the world make a lot of money. The top players can make millions of dollars a year, and the lower tier players make tens of thousands of dollars. So, how much do esports gamers make?

Salaries

While it’s hard to ballpark an average salary for eSports players, we do know that the top tier of professionals can make very good money. For example, the world’s top Dota 2 player, Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, made over $4 million in prize money in 2018 alone.

That being said, most eSports athletes don’t make nearly as much as the very top tier pros. In fact, the vast majority of eSports gamers are what we would consider to be “mid-tier” or “amateur” players. These players might make a few thousand dollars a year from prize money and sponsorships, but they probably wouldn’t be able to make a living solely off of their gaming earnings.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. For example, some mid-tier Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players have been known to make upwards of $100,000 per year from salary, prize money, and sponsorships. But again, this is far from the norm and most professional gamers should expect to make less than six figures per year.

Tournament Winnings

Tournament winnings are the most unsurprisingly common way for professional gamers to make a living. While many amateurs play games for fun or to boast to their friends, the professionals take it very seriously as their job. Depending on the game, tournaments can have massive prize pools with some of the largest ones reaching over $20 million. The first place team in these tournaments can take home several million dollars each. Obviously, this is an unreliable income as gamers can only win prize money when they place high up in tournaments. Furthermore, many games only have a few major tournaments each year with smaller competitions in between. As a result, most pro gamers will supplement their incomes with other forms of earnings such as sponsorships and content creation.

Sponsorships

While there is some big money to be made in esports, the vast majority of gamers are not earning millions of dollars per year like the most popular players. In fact, most professional gamers are only earning a few thousand dollars per year from sponsorships and winnings.

The best way to make money as a professional gamer is to compete in tournaments and events. The prize pools for these events can range from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the size and popularity of the event. The very top gamers can make a good living just from competing in these events, but most players will need to supplement their income with sponsorships.

Sponsorships are one of the most important sources of income for professional gamers. These deals can be worth thousands of dollars per year, and they help players cover their travel and other expenses. Many sponsors also provide gamers with free or discounted products, which can save them a lot of money over time.

To get sponsored, athletes will need to build up a social media following and prove that they are good at their chosen game. The more followers a gamer has, the more attractive they will be to potential sponsors.

How to Make Money as an Esports Gamer

Making a living as an esports gamer is not as easy as it may seem. You need to be extremely talented and have a lot of dedication to make it to the top. The top gamers in the world make millions of dollars a year from playing in tournaments, winning sponsorships, and streaming their games on Twitch. If you want to be a professional gamer, you need to put in the time and effort to make it to the top.

Find a Game You’re Good At

If you want to make money as an esports gamer, you need to find a game you’re good at. There are lots of different games you can play, from first-person shooters to real-time strategy games, and it’s important to find one that you’re both good at and enjoy playing. Once you’ve found your game, the next step is to start practicing.

Join or Create a Team

In order to make money as an esports gamer, you will need to join or create a team. There are many professional teams out there that you can try to join, but the competition is fierce. The best teams are usually sponsored by companies who provide the players with salary and tournament winnings. If you are good enough, you can also create your own team and find sponsors yourself. This option is more viable for established gamers with a large following.

Compete in Tournaments

To make a living—or even just some extra spending money—from playing video games, the best way is to compete in tournaments. Nearly every popular game has some sort of competitive scene, and many smaller games do as well. So, if you’re skilled at a particular game, research whether there are any tournaments you can compete in.

Even if you’re not quite good enough to compete at the highest levels, there are usually lower-tier tournaments with smaller prizes that you might be able to win. And, as you get better and start winning more tournaments, you’ll be able to move up the ranks and compete for bigger prizes.

Stream Your Gameplay

One of the primary ways that professional gamers make money is through streaming their gameplay on popular platforms like Twitch and YouTube. If you’re able to build up a large and loyal following, you can generate a significant income through advertising, subscriptions, and donations.

To be successful as a streamer, you need to be entertaining and engaging, as well as have a high level of skill in the game you’re playing. If you can manage all of that, then streaming could be a great way for you to make money as an esports gamer.

Sign with an Esports Organization

The best way to make money through gaming is to join an esports organization, which will help you get sponsored and help you find other players to form a team with. Once you’re in an organization, you can start competing in tournaments and leagues, which typically have prize pools ranging from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. To be the best and make the most money, you’ll need to practice for hours every day and be able to consistently perform at a high level.

Conclusion

It is clear that becoming a professional esports gamer can be a very lucrative career choice. The top players in the world are able to make millions of dollars per year from salaries, sponsorships, and prize money. However, it is important to keep in mind that the vast majority of gamers will never reach this level of success. The average salary for an esports gamer is much lower, and most players will need to supplement their income with other sources of income such as streaming or content creation.