How Many Pro Esports Players Are There?

There are currently over 1,000 professional esports athletes worldwide competing in tournaments for video games. The industry is growing rapidly with more and more organizations and sponsors getting involved.

The Rise of Pro Esports

The growth of competitive gaming

Competitive gaming has come a long way since its humble beginnings in arcades and living rooms around the world. With the rise of online gaming and streaming services like Twitch, professional esports has become a multi-million dollar industry, with many players earning salaries and sponsorships comparable to traditional athletes.

According to a report from Newzoo, there are currently over 1,000 professional esports players across the world, representing a variety of games including League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and more. The majority of these players (60%) are based in Asia-Pacific, with North America and Europe home to 20% and 14% of pros respectively.

While the exact number of pro gamers is difficult to track due to the constantly changing landscape of the industry, it’s clear that esports is on the rise. With more prize money being awarded each year and bigger audiences tuning in to watch live competitions, we can only expect the number of professional gamers to continue to grow in the years to come.

The birth of professional esports

In the early days of esports, competitions were mostly organized by game publishers themselves. The first known esport event was held in 1972 at Stanford University. The event was a Space War tournament with a grand prize of a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.

With the advent of the internet, esports started to gain more traction as people from all over the world could compete against each other online. A key moment in the history of esports occurred in 1998 with the release of Counter-Strike. This popular first-person shooter game featured competitive gameplay that was perfect for tournament play. It wasn’t long before professional teams and leagues started to form around Counter-Strike and other popular games such as Starcraft and Warcraft III.

Today, professional esports is a booming industry with players earning millions of dollars in prize money each year. The global esports economy is expected to grow to $1.1 billion by 2020, according to Newzoo, a gaming market research firm. And there are now over 500 million people worldwide who watch or participate in esports.

The Numbers Game

There are more pro esports players now then ever before. In 2018, there were over 35 million pro esports players worldwide. This is a huge increase from the 20 million pro esports players in 2017. The numbers show that pro esports is continuing to grow at a rapid pace.

How many pro esports players are there?

It’s a difficult question to answer definitively because, as with any professional sport, there are different levels of competition. There are also a lot of professional gamers who don’t necessarily play in organized competitions or tournaments.

That said, a recent report by Newzoo estimates that there are currently around 1.1 million active professional esports players worldwide. This number is expected to grow to 1.8 million by 2022. Of course, this is just an estimate, and the actual number could be higher or lower.

What we do know is that the esports industry is growing rapidly. The prize pools for major tournaments have been increasing exponentially in recent years, and more and more people are tuning in to watch live broadcasts of top-level competitions. With this growth comes more interest from sponsors and investors, which will likely lead to even more opportunities for professional gamers in the future.

The average salary of a pro esports player

The average salary of a pro esports player varies depending on the game, but can range from $10,000 to $15,000 per year. There are a limited number of pro esports players in the world, and the vast majority of them make less than $50,000 per year.

The most popular esport games

The esports industry is growing at a rapid pace with more and more gamers taking up professional gaming as a full-time career. But just how many professional esports players are there in the world? And which games do they play? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

The most popular esport games
There are a number of different games that are played at a professional level in the world of esports. The most popular in terms of player numbers and prize money are:

-League of Legends: There are around 8 million active LoL players and the game has accrued over $1 billion in prize money.
-Counter-Strike: Global Offensive: There are approximately 11 million active CS:GO players and the game has a prize pool of $86 million.
-Dota 2: There are around 13 million Dota 2 players and the game’s prize pool currently stands at $257 million.
-Overwatch: There are approximately 35 million Overwatch players and Blizzard has awarded $144 million in prize money.
-Fortnite: There are 250 million Fortnite players and Epic Games has given out $50 million in prize money.

The Future of Pro Esports

The world of professional esports is still in its infancy, but it is growing at an unprecedented rate. In just a few short years, the industry has ballooned to a multi-billion dollar enterprise with tournaments that sell out massive stadiums and attract sponsorships from some of the biggest companies in the world. With this level of growth, it is only natural to wonder how many professional esports players there are currently in the world.

The rise of female pro esports players

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of female pro esports players. This is due in part to the growing popularity of esports among women, as well as the increasing number of opportunities for women to compete at the professional level.

According to a report from Newzoo, 26% of all esports fans are women, and this number is growing. In addition, nearly half of all Twitch users are women. And while the majority of pro gamers are still men, the number of women competing at the highest levels is on the rise.

There are a number of reasons for this trend. First, more women are playing video games than ever before. In fact, 45% of all gamers are now women. And as the gaming industry continues to grow, so too does the opportunity for women to enter into professional gaming competitions.

Second, there are a growing number of organizations and events that support female gamers. For example, the Women’s Gaming League provides a competitive environment for women to play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and The International 2018 slated a $1 million prize pool specifically for female teams in Dota 2. These types of initiatives help to foster a more inclusive environment for female gamers and provide them with more opportunities to compete at a high level.

Finally, some of the most successful professional gamers in the world are now women. One prime example is Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn, who is considered one of the best StarCraft II players in history. Her story is an inspiration to other aspiring female professional gamers and helps to break down barriers in what has been traditionally a male-dominated industry.

As the esports industry continues to grow, we can expect to see even more female pro gamers emerge onto the scene. This is good news not only for equality in gaming, but also for the future of professional gaming as a whole.

The growth of pro esports in Asia

The growth of professional esports in Asia has been nothing short of meteoric. In just a few short years, the region has gone from being a relative blip on the pro gaming radar to becoming a major player in the global esports scene.

This is largely due to the fact that Asian countries have some of the most passionate and dedicated gaming communities in the world. Combine that with large populations and burgeoning economies, and you have all the ingredients for a recipe for success.

One of the most notable examples of this is South Korea, which has been at the forefront of the pro gaming boom. The country is home to some of the world’s most successful teams and players, as well as some of the largest and most prestigious tournaments.

The popularity of esports in Asia is only set to continue grow in the years to come, with more and more people getting involved in both playing and watching competitive gaming.

The future of pro esports

The global esports market is forecast to grow from $1.1 billion in 2019 to $1.8 billion by 2022, according to Newzoo’s Global Esports Market Report. This rapid growth is being propelled by increasing investment from game publishers, brands, and media companies, as well as the continued expansion of the competitive gaming ecosystem—including the introduction of new games, leagues, and tournaments.

With this influx of interest and investment comes a question that is top of mind for those within and outside of the competitive gaming world: How many professional esports players are there?

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The number of professional esports athletes varies depending on the game, region, and level of competition. For example, League of Legends—one of the most popular esport titles in the world—boasts over 1,000 professional players across multiple regions (including North America, Europe, China, South Korea, and more), while Overwatch—another top esport—has just over 300 professionals globally.

Similarly, the number of esports athletes also fluctuates based on the level of competition. For example, while there may be 1,000 professional League of Legends players in total, only a fraction of those (usually around 10-20%) will be considered “Tier 1” or “Top Talent” athletes who compete at the highest levels— such as in Riot Games’ premier global league, the League Championship Series (LCS).

All that being said, we can make some generalizations about the number of professional esports athletes across different games and regions. Based on our research at Newzoo Esports Intelligence , we estimate that there are currently around 7,000 pro gamers across all games and regions combined . Of course, this is just an estimate—the actual number may be higher or lower depending on the definition used (more on that below).

To put this into perspective , let’s compare it to some other well-known sports leagues around the world. For example , Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US has around 1,200 professional athletes , while France’s Ligue 1 football league has around 4500 . While it’s difficult to make a direct comparison between traditional sports and esports due to their inherent differences , it’s safe to say that the professional competitive gaming space is still relatively small — but growing rapidly.

It’s also important to note that many aspiring pro gamers never actually make it to the “professional” level . In fact , for every one professional esports athlete , there are thought to be hundreds or even thousands more semi-professional or amateur competitors striving to reach that same level . So while there may only be 7 000 or so pro gamers in the world , there are likely millions more who aspire to be professionals one day .