Playing video games for a living is no longer a dream, but a very palpable reality for many professional gamers. These are people who started out playing video games casually and ended up exceeding expectations. This prompted them to move to the next level and entered the highly competitive esports arena where the big money can be made. Not all of them are millionaires, but the most successful ones are living the good life while doing something they truly enjoy.
Some eSports Simply Pay Better
The main reason why some professional gamers are paid better than their counterparts is that their game of choice is simply more popular. League of Legends and Dota 2 are currently the most played multiplayer online battle arena games and the ones with the highest paying tournaments. Not surprisingly, their star players are those who reap the most generous rewards when they prevail in these events.
Counter Strike Global Offensive and Call of Duty have plenty of enthusiastic players on casual level and the best of them have ascended to esports. There are just as many tournaments dedicated to these first-person shooters, but the net amounts are slightly lower. Meanwhile, those who have chosen less popular esports will be paid less because the sheer payouts of the corresponding tournaments are smaller.
The International is the highest paying tournament of the year, which explains why Dota 2 professional players have won some of the largest amount. At the top of the food chain, names such as Kuro Takhasomi 2 and Lee ‘Faker’ Sang Hyeok have a significant advantage over equally successful players who have chosen different games. These two players, as well as their teammates have won millions, but all the best League of Legends and Dota 2 are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Alternate Revenue Streams for Progamers
Esports players prepare intensely according to PlayUK.com for the major tournaments and rely on the prizes up for grabs to cover their living expenses. In anticipation of these competitions, they train online and many choose to broadcast the games in real-time. Streaming platforms have emerged as important sources of revenue for these pro-gamers, who have developed a solid fan base. Those who want to watch their streams will pay for subscriptions and this enables players to make a steady income when no tournaments are scheduled.
Depending on the popularity of the game and the prominence of the eight teams, e-sports players also enjoy the financial support of generous sponsors. Gaming companies are the main sponsors of progamers, which makes perfect sense as they target a very specific audience. The growing popularity of e-sports has prompted major brands who were previously unaffiliated to video games to sponsor the industry.
The bottom line is that the amounts made by e-sports players can range from a few thousand dollars per month to millions. League of Legends and Dota 2 professional gamers are at the top of the list, followed by Counter Strike Global Offensive and Call of Duty players. Other games pay less, but thanks to streaming subscriptions and sponsorship deals, pro-gamers enjoy other revenue streams.
