ESports as a whole can be a very, very lucrative career. And this has been proven numerous times by the industry's sky-high, multi-million-dollar prize pools for international competitions, massive endorsement deals, and all other streams of income for several of the pro gaming circuit's best players.
French video game player Hans Sama from the team Misfits Gaming competes in final of the "LCS", the first European division of the video game "League of Legends", between Misfits Gaming and G2 Esports at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on September 3, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON
But just how much do the world's best eSportas athletes really earn? Well, here are the best of the best at earning the big bucks in professional gaming - and why you'll need to work harder than you've ever been to even try to match what they earn even on a slow day.
Jonathan 'N0tail' Sundstein (DOTA 2)
When it comes to simply earning the most out of everyone else, that honor goes to DOTA 2 legend Johan Sundstein (aka N0tail). He became the top earner in all of eSports back in 2019 after winning the DOTA 2 The International as a member of OG, writes DotESports.
His estimated net worth as of 2022 as of BossNetWorth sits at $9 million. This net worth (alongside his long, storied pro gaming career) was actually enough to earn him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list - an insane accomplishment for someone whose literal job is to play video games all day. Not bad, huh?
Kyle 'Bugha' Giersdorf (Fortnite)
Kyle Giersdorf aka Bugha burst onto the international pro gaming scene when he won $3.2 million at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup. He was only 19 when he won the tournament - one of the biggest eSports tournaments at the time - due to his unparalleled skill.
As of this year, ESportsBets estimates Bugha's net worth at around $4 million with much of his fortune coming from his Fortnite World Cup victory. This doesn't count any other potential income streams he might have, such as his YouTube channel which boasts 4.26 million subscribers at the time of this writing.
Read Also: Building Your Online Gaming Career: Important Tips, Top eSports Games You Can Start With
Lee 'Faker' Sang-Hyeok (League of Legends)
The so-called "Unkillable Demon King" is perhaps the absolute greatest League of Legends player the world has ever seen - or will ever see. As a result, he is among the highest-paid pro gamers in the world, and is perhaps the most celebrated and well-known eSports athlete of all time.
While not having earned nearly as much as the other pros in this list in terms of actual tournament winnings, his overall earnings are still tough to contend with due to his other income streams. According to Foreign Policy, Faker's net worth as of 2021 is estimated at around $4 million.
Peter 'dupreeh' Rasmussen (CS:GO)
Considered as one of the greatest players in CS:GO history, dupreeh has already earned a total of $1.9 million for his enture career, according to data from ESportsEarnings. Perhaps his biggest payday was during the heyday of his CS:GO team, Astralis, who dominated the game's major competitions starting from the late 2010s.
Play Big To Earn Big
All of the players you see on this list are only a handful of the highest-earning folks in the world. But if you want to try and attempt to earn as much as them as a pro gamer, you'll need to practice. A lot.
Here's a video which shows just how far above a pro gamer's skill level is compared to more casual gamers:
Here's another video explaining just how pro gamers can pull off insanely quick moves with amazing accuracy and efficiency. Long story short: their mind and muscle coordination are top-notch, honed from years of constant practice and high level competition. In other words, their brains have been trained to process visual information way faster than that of a casual gamer's:
So, do you want to earn big bucks in pro gaming? Literally just git gud. Practice as much as you possibly can. Compete against other players. Tough it out, and your skill level will improve.
Related: Do You Need A Gaming Coach For eSports Training?
Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
