How Much do eSports Players Make

Video games are no longer just a source of entertainment, but also a source of revenue for the most successful players.

22:22 11 June 2020

The eSports industry is on a constant expansion and in 2020 it has set some of the most important milestones. With the traditional sports suspended, punters have turned their attention to video games betting. Professional gamers are the indirect beneficiaries of this trend, as they can win larger amounts when taking part in major tournaments.

 

The great divide between pro gamers

 

There are nearly a dozen video games that have made it as esports and hundreds of tournaments scheduled throughout the year. A lot of money is up for grabs, but there are significant differences between the prize pools, depending on the popularity of the game. Multiplayer online battle arena games such as League of Legends and Dota 2 are at the top of the list, followed by first-person shooters. Counter Strike Global Offensive and Call of Duty pro-players also compete for significant amounts. At the opposite end of the spectrum, less popular esports have smaller prizes and host fewer events.

 

Dota 2 offers the biggest prizes every year at The International, where dozens of millions of dollars are awarded. Even though a team consists of five members, there is still a lot of money to go around and the top-performing players are millionaires. Kuro Takhasomi who plays Dota 2 and Lee ‘Faker’ Sang Hyeok who is widely regarded as the best League of Legends player of all time are in this club. Others have to settle for hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is not something to frown upon.

 

League of Legends tournaments are organized every year in four major regions, where the best players have salaries that consist of six digit figures. The sheer difficulty of staying at the top of your game for many years explains why professional players are under a lot of pressure. In addition to the salaries, esports players also receive bonuses whenever they win major trophies. As sports enthusiasts bet larger amounts on esports, the magnitude of these tournaments will increase and so will the players’ salaries.

 

Streams and sponsors boost income

 

The best eSports players win a lot of money if they play the most popular games, but most professional gamers are not really rich. Some eSports players have sponsorship deals with online casinos and sports betting companies. Most professional players rely heavily on streaming and the most successful ones have developed a large group of followers. These people pay for subscriptions that allow them to watch everything that is being broadcasted online by their favorite gamers. The amounts are relatively low, but together, they generate a lot of money for Esports players and help them supplement their gaming income.

 

Sponsors are also an important source of revenue for players and an important safety net when things don’t go as planned. Many online casinos and gambling firms like PlayUK pay eSports starts million dollar sponsorship deals. In between tournaments and whenever professionals fail to make deep runs in important competitions, the sponsorship deals keep them afloat. Overall, the Esports industry is profitable for the best players but only a handful truly wins huge amounts every year.