How Much Do Esports Organizations Pay Players?
Contents
Esports organizations vary in how much they pay their players, with some of the biggest names in the industry shelling out big bucks to those at the top of their game.
Salaries by Game
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game that was released in 2013. The game is free to play, but there are in-game purchases that can be made. The game is popular in Europe and North America.
Esports organizations will typically pay their Dota 2 players a salary, as well as a portion of any tournament winnings. Salaries will vary based on the organization, as well as the player’s skill level and experience. A recent study showed that the average salary for a Dota 2 player in North America was $3,500 per month.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
While player salaries in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive vary depending on the organization, there is a general range that most players fall into. The average salary for a professional player is between $3,000 and $5,000 per month. However, some players make significantly more than this, with top tier players making up to $10,000 or more per month. Salaries also vary based on whether a player is on a full-time or part-time contract. Full-time players will typically make more than part-time players.
League of Legends
In League of Legends, the average salary for a pro player is $5,000 per month. The top earners bring in nearly $11,000 per month. In South Korea, the best players can make over $200,000 per year!
Salaries by Region
North America
There is a big range in salaries for North American teams. For example, the average salary for players on Cloud9 is $5,035 USD per month while the average player on Team Liquid earns $10,874 USD per month. These are just averages, and many players earn more or less than these amounts. Also, note that these figures don’t include tournament winnings or other forms of compensation such as sponsorships.
Average monthly salaries for North American teams:
-Cloud9: $5,035
-Team Liquid: $10,874
-NRG Esports: $7,385
-Counter Logic Gaming: $6,875
-OpTic Gaming: $6,385
Europe
In Europe, the average salary for an esports player is $39,000. The highest earners in Europe take home $62,500 per year while the lowest earning 10% make $21,250 annually.
Asia
The average salary for an esports player in Asia is $5,928.62, with a range of $2,760.17-$9,087.50 per month. The median salary is $6,000 per month.
Bonuses and Incentives
Like traditional sports, esports organizations often give their players bonuses and incentives. These can come in the form of win bonuses, which are given to players who help their team win a match or tournament. Bonuses and incentives can also be given for things like good performance, good attitude, and meeting team goals.
Tournament Winnings
There are many ways for professional gamers to make money. The most common and well-known is through tournament winnings. Major gaming tournaments have large prize pools, often in the millions of dollars. For example, The International, a yearly Dota 2 tournament, had a prize pool of over $34 million in 2019. Players receive a portion of this prize money based on how their teams placed in the tournament. The higher they place, the more money they earn. For example, first place might earn each player $1 million while last place earns each player $50,000.
Sponsorship Deals
The amount of money that an esports player can earn from sponsorships varies widely. Some top-tier professional players bring in millions of dollars per year from these deals, while lower-ranked amateurs may only earn a few thousand.
The most important factor in determining how much an esports player can earn from sponsorships is their ranking. The higher a player’s ranking, the more likely they are to be signed by an organization and to receive a large sponsorship deal. For example, Faker, a professional League of Legends player, is reportedly paid $2.5 million per year by his team, SK Telecom T1. In contrast, a lower-ranked amateur player may only earn a few thousand dollars per year from their sponsors.
Another important factor in determining sponsorship earnings is the game that the player is competing in. Generally speaking, the more popular and well-established a game is, the more money there is to be made from sponsorships. For example, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular esports games, and as such its top players can command high sponsorship deals. Players in less popular games may still be able to find sponsorships, but they will likely be smaller in scale.
Endorsement Deals
In addition to their base salaries, many professional gamers also receive income from sponsorship and endorsement deals. This is especially common among players who are successful in multiple games, as their increased name recognition makes them more attractive to brands. For example, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who is one of the most popular streamers in the world, has deals with Red Bull, Nissan and Adidas, among others. These companies pay him to promote their products and wear their clothing while he streams.
Many of these deals are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, and some celebrities like Blevins have been able to command deals worth millions. However, it’s important to remember that most professional gamers are not nearly as popular as Blevins, and therefore do not have the same earning potential. In general, endorsement deals tend to make up a relatively small portion of a professional gamer’s overall income.
