How Much Does The Average Esports Player Make?
Contents
A lot of people are interested in esports and how much the average player makes. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the different factors that affect esports player salaries.
The Average Salary of an Esports Player
The Highest-Paying Games
The highest-paying game of 2019 was Fortnite, with its players earning a total of $146 million. In second place was Dota 2, with its players taking home $129 million, followed by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at $41 million. The average salary for an esports player across all games and all regions was $61,000, up from $49,000 the year before.
esports is a form of competitive video gaming in which players from all over the world compete in online tournaments for prize money. The industry is growing rapidly, with more and more people tuning in to watch professional gamers battle it out on streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
With the popularity of esports on the rise, so too is the amount of prize money up for grabs. In 2019, the total amount of prize money awarded in esports tournaments reached a staggering $865 million. This figure is expected to rise to $1.1 billion by 2020.
The majority of this prize money is awarded in four main games: Fortnite, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), and League of Legends (LoL). These four games accounted for 87% of all prize money awarded in 2019. Let’s take a look at each game in turn to see how much the average esports player could expect to earn.
The Highest-Paying Tournaments
The pro gaming industry is still relatively new, but it’s already surpassed many traditional sports in terms of prize money. In 2018, the total prize pool for all esports tournaments was $865 million. And that number is only going to grow in the coming years.
While there are many smaller tournaments with smaller prize pools, the biggest and most popular tournaments offer the largest payouts. Here are some of the highest-paying esports tournaments of 2018:
The International: This annual Dota 2 tournament has a current prize pool of $25.5 million. The largest tournament in esports history, The International has a total prize pool of over $200 million since it began in 2011.
Fortnite World Cup: This is the first ever Fortnite tournament with a prize pool of $30 million. The competition will take place in New York City from July 26-28.
HCS Vegas: Halo Championship Series is one of the longest running esports leagues and their Vegas tournament had a prize pool of $250,000.
League of Legends World Championship: Another annual tournament, this League of Legends competition had a prize pool of $6.4 million in 2018.
The Average Prize Money of an Esports Player
The prize money in esports has been on the rise in recent years. In 2018, the average prize money for an esports player was $61,143. This number has been steadily increasing since 2013, when the average prize money was $26,470.
The Highest-Paying Games
There are many misconception about how much professional gamers make. Some people believe that all esports athletes are millionaires, while others think that they only make a few hundred dollars a month. The truth is somewhere in between. While some esports athletes do make millions of dollars a year, the average esports player earns a salary of $60,000. This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that the top tier players make up a very small portion of the professional gaming population.
The Highest-Paying Tournaments
The top tournaments in the world of esports offer huge prize pools that attract the best players from around the globe. Here are some of the biggest and most lucrative events in the industry:
The International (Dota 2): $25.5 million (2017)
The International is an annual tournament organized by Valve, the developers of Dota 2. It is by far the biggest and most prestigious event in the world of Dota 2, with a prize pool that has grown exponentially over the years. In 2017, it reached a record-breaking $25.5 million, making it the largest ever for an esports tournament.
League of Legends World Championship: $5 million (2017)
The League of Legends World Championship is an annual tournament organized by developer Riot Games. It is one of the most watched esports events in the world, with a huge global audience tuning in to watch the best teams from around the world compete for the title. The prize pool for 2017 was $5 million.
Hearthstone World Championship: $1 million (2016)
Hearthstone is a popular online card game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The Hearthstone World Championship is an annual tournament that attracts some of the best players from around the world. The prize pool for 2016 was $1 million.
The Average Sponsorship Deals of an Esports Player
The esports industry is a rapidly growing one and with that, the earnings of professional gamers are on the rise as well. Tournament winnings and online streaming sites like Twitch.tv have helped many players achieve financial stability, with some even becoming millionaires. But what about the average player? How much can they expect to make from sponsorships and other earnings?
The Highest-Paying Games
League of Legends
The highest paying game for esports players is League of Legends. The game has distributed over $140 million in prize money to date, with the largest share going to teams from China and South Korea. The average salary for a League of Legends player is $5,000 per month.
Dota 2
The second highest paying game is Dota 2. While the prize money isn’t as high as that of League of Legends, the top players can still earn a decent living. The average salary for a Dota 2 player is $3,000 per month.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The third highest paying game is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The average salary for a CS:GO player is $2,500 per month.
The Highest-Paying Tournaments
There are many factors that affect how much an esports player can earn from tournament winnings. The size of the prize pool, the number of players competing, and the player’s share of the winnings all play a role.
The largest prize pool in esports history is The International 8, which had a prize pool of over $25 million. The first-place team, OG, took home over $11 million of that.
While most tournaments don’t come close to that level of prize money, there are still plenty of ways for professional gamers to make a solid living. These are some of the highest-paying tournaments in esports.
The International: $25+ million
Fortnite World Cup: $30 million
League of Legends World Championship: $5 million
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships: $1 million
The Average Streaming Income of an Esports Player
Many professional gamers treat esports as a full-time job. The average esports player salary is quite reasonable, and many players are able to make a living off of tournament winnings and sponsorships. However, the top earners in esports are able to make significantly more than the average player.
The Highest-Paying Games
There are a few different games that bring in the big bucks for esports players. The game with the highest average earnings is Dota 2, with players earning an average of $2.5 million per year. Other high-paying games include Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ($1.5 million), League of Legends ($1 million), and Overwatch ($915,000).
The Highest-Paying Tournaments
While most esports earnings come from salaries, tournament prize pools are a significant source of income for professional gamers. The amount of money up for grabs has been on the rise in recent years, thanks in part to the popularity of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
The most recent Dota 2 tournament, The International 7, had a prize pool of over $24 million. The first-place team took home over $10 million, while the second-place team earned nearly $4 million.
Other major tournaments with large prize pools include the League of Legends World Championship ($5 million), the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championship ($1 million), and the Heroes of the Storm World Championship ($500,000).
