The growth of esports in the last two decades has seen a significant rise in revenue and prize pools for tournaments, while also seeing a jump in the number of competitive players aiming to grab a top spot among the best in the world. As esports continues to grow, many players are wondering how much they could make as professionals.
This is a difficult question to answer, because there are so many variables to consider. For example, there can be a substantial difference between someone who is only a professional player, a content creator, or a mix of both, because often the categories may blend into one another, especially with the rise of streaming platforms like Twitch.
Working To Be An Esports Player
Competitors of esports often compete in online or live tournaments, and in the US and other locations, are paid out of a total prize pool based on their overall performance. In this way, competitive gaming is strictly a meritocracy that rewards individuals for their ability to produce. How much one wins depends on the game and the type of tournaments. Small tournaments might win someone a few hundred dollars, whereas the recent Fortnite World Cup Championship awarded the top spot with $3 million USD. If a player is a part of a team, typically for games that require teamwork like League of Legends, prizes are split among the group.
The range in prize money depends on what kind of game is being played. Right now, some of the highest paying games are DOTA 2, League of Legends, and Fortnite, while others may be popular, but with far smaller prize pools and potential to grab a salaried position.
Teams And Sponsorship
There has also been an upswing in professional organizations that recruit and sign players to exclusively represent them. These types of agreements often provide a monthly salary which again can range from $1,000 to $5,000 per month. Once again, this varies since sometimes players are also provided with non-financial benefits such as a place to live, food, and more.
In 2017, the professional gamer salary for Ember players, a North American League of Legends team, disclosed that it paid its players a salary range of $65,000 to $75,000 with the potential for performance bonuses.
With a greater number of parties all interested in making their fortune with esports, there are also cautionary tales to be aware of in the pursuit for a contract with a professional organization. Turner “Tfue” Tenney is one of the best competitive Fortnite players in the world, as well as one of the most popular streamers on Twitch. He has made it clear that his contract with FaZe Clan is nothing short of exploitative, and the two have been back and forth after it was revealed that Turner is on the receiving end of a one-sided deal. Litigation will likely be needed to resolve the issue, and this points to the dangers of young player blindly signing contracts even with well-known organizations.
Lucrative Streaming And Sponsorship Deals
Content creators who are not professional players after have a difficult time grabbing the attention of a large user base, and often need to rely on a large entertainment factor to bring people to their channel. Esports competitors on the other hand, especially if they are skillful and known for their tournament performance, can often jump into streaming with little additional effort and still excel because viewers are more interested in their skill than their personality, though it helps to have skills in both.
The amount that can come from streaming can dwarf that of esports. In 2018, popular Twitch streamer Jeremy ‘DisguisedToast’ Wang revealed exactly how much money he made based on his viewership. He stated with slightly over 800,000 followers and a consistent concurrent viewership of 10,000 in his streamed, his revenue stream averaged about $20,000 per month. This is before considering any additional sponsorship deals, which can be equally as attractive.
In addition, Wang described how else one can earn revenue through YouTube through video views as well, though we need to keep in mind that YouTube has been harsh with its recent streak of demonetization and this may not be as accurate in the future. In total, Twitch streamers can earn money from donations from fans, paid subscriptions, ad revenue, and sponsorship.
Quit Your Day Job?
What one needs to keep in mind when considering a professional career in gaming is that the industry is fierce with competition and the best players in the world often have similar training hours as other traditional sports. Reaching a certain skill level demands a sizable investment of time to practice and learn a game inside and out. Here at TheGamer, we have covered the risks and realities of attempting to become a professional gamer.
Much like any other competitive field, video gaming is one of the purest forms of meritocracies. Regardless of one’s gender or age, if they have the skills to dominate the competition, anyone can shine at the top, but doing so is no easy task.
Source: Tubefilter.com, info.jkcp.com
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