The last decade was marked by the fact that a serious competitor appeared in the environment of traditional sports, which is constantly increasing the number of its supporters, enjoying incredible popularity in different countries of the world. We are talking about eSports, which used to be considered entertainment for young people, but today it is an industry with multi-million revenues. The earnings of modern professional cyber-athletes are also impressive, which have long exceeded the earnings of athletes in many types of sports disciplines.
Earnings in League of Legends
League of Legends (LoL) is one of the most popular eSports disciplines in the world. It has a huge player and fan base that provides significant prize pools and earnings for top players. Statistics indicate that their income can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. For example, one of the most famous players in this type of competition - Faker, earned more than a million dollars during his career (just from the prize money). It is also worth emphasizing that participants receive stable salaries from their teams, which can vary from 50 thousand to 300 thousand dollars per year (for top players). No less important role is played by sponsorship contracts and advertising agreements, which add a significant share to the total income.
It should be noted that not all athletes earn such large sums. Many amateurs and lower-level beginners earn significantly less. Their income usually consists of modest tournament prizes and relatively small salaries paid to them according to the signed contracts. Therefore, it is safe to say that the higher the class and skill level of an e-sportsman, the higher his income.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is another extremely popular game that is known for its incredible prize pools. Tournaments in this discipline, such as "The International", delight participants with solid payouts reaching tens of millions of dollars. Players who perform at the highest level can earn millions of dollars. Their income consists not only of tournament prizes, but also official team salaries, which can reach 100-500 thousand dollars per year. Sponsorship contracts and streaming revenue also play an important role in the overall revenue.
Income of players in CS
Counter-Strike: Global Offensiv e is one of the most popular eSports disciplines with a large audience and incredible budgets, the size of which increases every year. For example, Team Astralis, one of the most successful teams in CS history, earned over $8 million in prize money alone. Salaries of players in top teams can vary from 200 thousand to 400 thousand per year. It is worth noting that only those players who demonstrate phenomenal form for a long time and prove their incredible playing qualities in the most important moments manage to get into the cohort of the main team.
And what about Hearthstone?
Hearthstone is a digital card game from Blizzard Entertainment that also has its fans and many professional eSports players. Although the prize pools in Hearthstone are not as large as in other disciplines. Top users in this discipline can earn from 50 thousand to 200 thousand dollars per year. For example, Thijs, one of the most successful Hearthstone players, has earned over 500k in prize money alone during his career.
Rainbow Six: What can be said about the earnings of professional players?
Rainbow Six Siege is a tactical shooter from Ubisoft that also has its eSports history. The prize pools in Rainbow Six Siege are growing every year, which provides a significant incentive for most participants to develop and improve their gaming skills.
Top Rainbow Six Siege players can earn anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 a year. For example, the players of G2 Esports, one of the most successful teams in the discipline, have earned significant sums thanks to their victories in major tournaments. But as for the players of a lower level, they will not earn so much and they have someone to look up to.
In addition to the aforementioned games, there are other eSports disciplines where players can earn significant sums. For example, in Fortnite, thanks to large prize funds from Epic Games, players can earn millions of dollars.
PUBG and PUBG Mobile also have large tournaments with prize pools that allow players to earn significant amounts. For example, teams that win international tournaments can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It's also worth mentioning Overwatch, where top players can earn from $100,000 to $300,000 a year thanks to team salaries, prize money, and sponsorship contracts.
Player earnings can be impressive, especially in the most popular disciplines. From hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per year. But it is worth emphasizing that such incomes are available to top professionals (income consists of many criteria). However, not all athletes can boast of solid prizes. Amateurs and lower-level users earn significantly less, relying on prize money from smaller tournaments and modest salaries from teams. But what is certain is that eSports is becoming more and more popular and profitable, and this trend looks set to continue in the future.