How Pro Esports Players Earn Money

The money plays in their hands. The world of esports has been getting bigger as it steadily rises into popularity. What is commonly known as a hobby made a shift as it opens opportunities for a professional career. With this, more people have been intrigued with the details of being a pro Esports player. Among the questions they have is, “How pro esports players earn money?” 

Salaries: The Foundation of Earnings

Like every other traditional career, salaries serve as the primary source of income for these platers. These professional gamers are signing contracts with organizations that secure them a fixed monthly or yearly income. However, the salaries vary based on different factors, such as the game popularity, the player skill level, and the geographic region. 

The North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) is one of the biggest events in the region or even the entire LoL community. It reported an average salary of a player to be around $410,000 for 2020. This is possible due to the popularity of the game in the region. For instance, there are contracts that are even higher and reach millions of dollars per year.

Tournament Winnings: The Big Paydays

Tournament winnings feel like winning the jackpot ball in the lotto. Although salaries secure the players financially, these winnings offer a much bigger reward for the players. Throughout the years, some of the major esports showed growth in their prize pool as they attracted communities. Among the notable events is the Dota 2 International, or TI, that featured prize pools exceeding $40 million in recent years. 

While players cannot solely claim the tournament winnings, it remains a huge amount of money after splitting among the team. With this, some individual players may even retire after the competition as they earn millions from a single event. Johan “N0tail” Sundstein has a spectacular pro-playing career in Dota 2, as he earned over $7.1 million from winning competitions. 

Sponsorships and Endorsements

With esports gaining mainstream recognition, the partnership offers from global brands with popular players have increased as well. In these deals, the players are often asked to wear the branded gear for the tournaments or make appearances in advertisements. Sometimes, the contract also includes the promotion of products on their social media accounts. 

Currently, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok stands out as the most popular player in the LoL esports world. His stellar performances bagged him multiple achievements that established his status and popularity. Due to this, several major brands within and outside the gaming industry were partnering with him to boost their earnings. 

Streaming and Content Creation

Another way for professional players to earn is to stream their contents on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. These professional players often have an established fanbase that supports them in their activities. By broadcasting their gameplay or simply sharing insights and engaging with the fans, they were able to earn money through donations and subscriptions. Streaming also has ad revenue and affiliate marketing that contributes to their earnings. 

There are some players that transitioned into full-time content creation after resigning or retiring from the professional esports scene. Michael ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek and Félix ‘xQc’ Lengyel were among the successful players that found a career in streaming. 

Merchandise Sales

Fans are no strangers with merchandise. Organizations typically capitalize on the support given by their fan community to sell branded stuff like apparel, gaming peripherals, and collectibles. The bigger the fanbase is, the larger the merchandise sales will be, which adds to their revenue stream. 

In-game Items and Signature Skins

For some games, the developers give popular pro players their signature in-game items, or skins. Upon the sales of these, the featured pro player receives a portion of the sales. It shows how significant fan bases are in the popularity surge of the esports world.

Coaching and Consultation

Aside from streaming and professional gaming, some players offer extensive coaching services. With their experience in the league, they render help to improve the aspiring gamers. Beside that, it has been easier to conduct coaching sessions due to the availability of platforms like GamerSensei and Metafy. 

Team Bonuses and Benefits

Beyond salaries and tournament winnings, the team bonuses and benefits also bring huge differences in the pro players’ revenues. For esports organizations, the performance determines the total of the players’ bonus. If the team were able to qualify for major tournaments and achieve in-game milestones, it is likely they will receive a generous amount of bonus. 

Conclusion

The recent years have opened up to people that indeed, there are financial opportunities available in esports. With the steady growth of the community, these players were able to earn millions from playing games. It reached the point that some salaries and tournament rewards can rival some of the traditional sports scene. Additionally, sponsorships, content creation, and merchandise are also contributing largely to their revenues. 

It just shows how diverse the revenue stream in the esports world is. However, it is not guaranteed that every aspiring gamer will get to earn their millions in time. Yet, they can explore these multiple paths to reach a successful career.