How Much Do Esports Players Make?
Contents
A look into the earnings of professional esports players and how they compare to traditional athletes.
The Big Picture
The answer to how much do esports players make is a bit complicated. On one hand, there are a few professional gamers who are earning millions of dollars per year. On the other hand, there are a lot of amateur gamers who are only earning a few hundred dollars per year. The truth is, it all depends on the level of success that an esports player has.
What is esports?
es·port/ˈesˌpôrt/noun
competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers.
“an international esports federation”
synonyms: competitive gaming, pro gaming; More
Esports (also known as electronic sports, e-sports, or eSports) is a form of competition using video games. Most commonly, esports takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players. Although organized online and offline competitions have long been a part of video game culture, these were largely between amateurs until the late 2000s when participation by professional gamers and spectatorship in these events saw a large surge in popularity. By the 2010s, esports was a significant factor in the video game industry, with many game developers actively designing and providing funding for esports events.
The most common video game genres associated with esports are real-time strategy (RTS), first-person shooter (FPS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and battle royale. Popular individual games include Overwatch, League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. although other genres are also represented, including card games such as Hearthstone and fighting games such as Super Smash Bros., Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V.
How much do esports players make?
In 2018, the top 12% of esports players earned more than $860,000, while the average player earned $39,000. The median (middle) salary was $11,000. These figures are based on data from Esports Charts and represent earnings from tournaments, sponsorships, and other sources.
The top earners in esports come from a variety of games, but the majority of them are professionals in first-person shooter (FPS) games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Overwatch. FPS games tend to have the biggest prize pools and attract the most viewers. The best CS:GO players can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per year from tournaments and other competitions.
Dota 2 is another popular game with large prize pools. Players in Dota 2 teams can earn a share of over $30 million if they win The International, an annual tournament that is the biggest in esports. Players who finish in second place can still walk away with over $4 million.
While most esports players earn relatively modest salaries, there is potential to make a lot of money if you are among the best in the world at your chosen game. If you are serious about becoming an esports player, you should consider working with a team or organization so you can start building up your reputation and skill level.
The Top Players
Who are the top esports players?
There are many top esports players in the world, but who are the highest-earning ones? The majority of the top earning esports players come from South Korea, which is not surprising given the country’s passion for gaming and esports. The top 10 highest-paid players in esports are all from South Korea, with a few from Sweden and China.
1. Lee Sang-hyeok (aka “Faker”) – $2.5 million
2. Kim Jong-hyun (aka “Mvp”) – $1.6 million
3. Jang Min-chul (aka “MC”) – $1.5 million
4. Moon Hong-jun (aka “Munchkin”) – $1.4 million
5. Koo Jong-woo (a.k.a “sOs”) – $1 million
6. Jo Yoon-yeong (aka “Last”) – $986,428
7. Song Byung-goo (AKA “Buu”) – $977,461
8 . Wang Zhiyuan (aka “ǝlăoɹɟEɯſnoʎobʇlǝƆ) -$644,063
9 . Kwak Ji-hun (AKA”Glaive” ) – $602,206
10 . Ou Yang Hao Sioux (Aka”zzy” ) $520,439
How much do they make?
While SaltyMakeItRain may only be a household name in the Twitch chat of his most-watched stream, he is one of the highest-earning players in all of professional esports. Salty, whose real name is Michael Schmalz, is a 27-year-old Canadian who plays Call of Duty for Team Envy. And while he doesn’t have any championship titles to his name, he’s still managed to rake in $1.5 million in prize money over the course of his career.
Salty isn’t alone at the top of the earners list. In fact, there are many professional gamers who have managed to amass sizable fortunes by playing video games for a living. The following is a list of the 20 highest-earning esports players from around the world, according to esportsearnings.com.
1. Johan Sundstein (NVP) – $6.89 million
2. Anathan Pham (OG) – $6.8 million
3. Amer Al-Barkawi (TSM) – $6 million
4. Ivan Ivanov (OG) – $5.1 million
5. Topias Taavitsainen (OG) – $5 million
6. Jesse Vainikka (OG) – $4.6 million
7. Janne Mikkonen (OG) – $4.47 million
8. Lasse Urpalainen (OG) -$4 million
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The Future of Esports
Though it is still in its infancy, esports is becoming increasingly popular and attracting more viewers every year. With the prize pools for tournaments getting bigger and bigger, it’s no wonder that people are wondering how much esports players make. In this article, we’ll take a look at the future of esports and how much players can expect to make.
What is the future of esports?
The esports industry is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. With more and more traditional sports organizations getting involved in the space, it’s becoming increasingly clear that esports is here to stay. But what does the future of esports look like?
There are a few key trends that are shaping the future of esports. First, there is a continued push for larger prize pools and more big-name sponsorships. This is resulting in more and more money flowing into the industry, which is good news for professional players.
Second, we’re seeing a continued growth in the number of people who are playing and watching esports. This is thanks in part to the growing popularity of mobile gaming and the rise of live streaming platforms like Twitch.
Finally, we’re also seeing a greater focus on diversity and inclusion in the future of esports. This is evident in the growing number of women’s Professional players has as well as initiatives by some organizations to create programs for minority groups.
All these trends point to one thing: the future of esports is looking very bright.
How much will esports players make in the future?
Esports is a rapidly growing industry with no signs of slowing down. As the popularity of competitive gaming increases, so does the prize money and salaries for professional players. So, how much will esports players make in the future?
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many variables involved. The prize money for each tournament varies depending on the game, the size of the event, and the sponsor. Additionally, players’ salaries can range widely, from a few hundred dollars per month to tens of thousands of dollars per year.
However, one thing is certain: as esports continues to grow in popularity, the prize money and salaries for professional players will continue to rise. So if you’re thinking about becoming a professional esports player, there has never been a better time to get started!
