How Much Do Professional Esports Players Make?

A look at the earnings of professional esports athletes from around the world.

Introduction

Over the past few years, professional esports has grown rapidly in popularity, with more and more people tuning in to watch their favorite players compete. But how much do professional esports players actually make?

In general, the top tier of professional esports players can earn staggering sums of money, with the very best players taking home millions of dollars per year. However, even lower-ranked players can still earn a decent living from playing esports, with many earning six-figure salaries.

Of course, as with any profession, there is a lot of variation in earnings among professional esports players. The amount a player earns depends on factors such as their ranking, the games they play, and how often they compete. In addition, some players may also earn income from sponsorships and other sources outside of prize money.

That said, if you’re curious about how much professional esports players make, here is a look at some numbers to give you an idea.

Salaries of Professional Esports Players

The world of competitive gaming has grown exponentially in recent years, with players now able to make a living from playing their favourite games. But just how much do professional esports players make? Salaries for professional esports players can vary widely, depending on the game, the organisation they play for, and their results. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest salaries in the world of professional esports.

The Highest-Paid Esports Players

Forbes has released its list of the highest-paid esports players in the world, with Justin Wong taking the top spot.

Wong, who plays fighting games for Evil Geniuses, earned $1.3 million last year. That includes his winnings ($120,849) and salary/sponsorships ($1.18 million).

Fellow EG fighting game player Pyo “PJ” Nam-joo came in second place with earnings of $1.09 million. Sponsorships and salaries made up the vast majority of his earnings, with only $40,849 coming from tournament winnings.

Rounding out the top five were Lee “Infiltration” Seon-woo (who earned a total of $906,135), as well as Chen “Hao” Zhihao and Zang “LuCian” Chengdong of Chinese Dota 2 team Newbee (who both earned $889,714).

Here is the full list of the top 10 highest-paid esports players in the world:

1. Justin Wong – $1,300,849
2. Pyo “PJ” Nam-joo – $1,090,449
3. Lee “Infiltration” Seon-woo – $906,135
4. Chen “Hao” Zhihao – $889,714
5. Zang “LuCian” Chengdong – $889,714
6. Wong Hock Chuan – $745,449
7. Jang Min Chul – $730,135
8.Lee Sang Hyeok – 714 814$ USD

9) Denis Kostin – 689 135 USD10) Dmitriy Nikolich – 620 135 USD

The Average Salary of an Esports Player

The average salary for an esports player is $60,000, according to a report by Bloomberg. The top tier of players can make upwards of $200,000. The salaries are determined by a number of factors, including team performance, tournament winnings, and individual sponsorships.

Income of Professional Esports Players

The earning potential for professional gamers has never been higher. With the rise of online streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, as well as the growing popularity of competitive gaming, more and more gamers are able to make a living off of their passion. So, how much do professional esports players make?

Tournament Winnings

One of the biggest income sources for esports players comes from tournament winnings. Of course, not every player makes it to the big leagues and the big tournaments. In order for a player to make a consistent income from tournament winnings, they need to be good enough to compete at the highest levels. The prize pools for these tournaments can range from a few thousand dollars all the way up to millions of dollars. For example, The International, which is a Dota 2 tournament that is put on by Valve Corporation every year, had a prize pool of over $25 million in 2019. That means that the first-place team took home over $10 million. Obviously, not every esports tournament is going to have prize pools that are anywhere near that size, but it does show what is possible.

The reason that prize pools can vary so much is because they are largely dependent on two things: the game that is being played and how popular the tournament is. Games like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive have large player bases and are popular among spectators, so their tournaments tend to have bigger prize pools. On the other hand, games like Overwatch and Rocket League don’t have as large of a following, so their prize pools are smaller as a result. It should also be noted that some games, like Fortnite Battle Royale, don’t have any large-scale tournaments with big prize pools yet because they are relatively new and their competitive scenes are still developing.

Salary vs. Tournament Winnings

Income for professional esports players comes from a few different sources. The most obvious is salary, which is paid out by the organization that the player is signed to. For example, a League of Legends player on Cloud9 might make a base salary of $50,000 per year. In addition to salary, many (but not all) organizations will give their players a bonus based on how well they perform in tournaments. So, if that same Cloud9 player helped his team win the Summoner’s Cup at Worlds, he might receive an additional $100,000 as a bonus.

Finally, many professional esports players also make income from sponsorships and Twitch stream donations. The best players in the world can easily make six-figure incomes from these sources alone. For example, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins reportedly made $10 million in 2018 from Twitch donations and sponsorships.

Conclusion

In conclusion, professional esports players can make a significant amount of money, depending on their skill level, the game they play, and whether or not they are part of a professional team. The best way to maximize earnings is to compete at the highest level possible and to win tournaments with large prize pools.