Published by Programme B
Most people enjoyed playing video games when they were children. Likewise, few parents didn’t miss a chance to tell children to stop playing video games and focus on something else that they could make a living from in the future. Little did they know how esports would develop in the following years.
Today, if you are a successful esports player, you could earn a real fortune. As eSports grew, the prizes grew as well, and so did the revenues for teams and individual players.
According to the interesting infographic below created by NJ Games, the total prize pool for the International 2018: DOTA 2 Championships was $25.5 million. Compare that to 2005 when the total prize pool for the year-long CPL World Tour was “only” $1 million, and you will quickly realize how fast this industry is growing.
Top ranking esports players can definitely make a living from playing video games and prove their parents they were wrong. The three most notable ones are Kuro Takhasomi (KUROKY), who is worth around $4 million, Johan Sundstein (N0TAIL), and Amer Al-Barkawi (MIRACLE-), worth around $3,5 million each.
The team earnings are much higher. The three most popular and most high-earning teams today are Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, and Team OG. So far, they have earned $24 million, $20.6 million, and $17.5 million, respectively. Even though not all of that money goes to the players since the team has numerous additional expenses, players’ revenue is still breathtakingly high.
The prize pools and the revenues are only expected to increase in the future since esports are expected to become an Olympic sport. Moreover, the major sports leagues and organizations have recognized the potential of this industry and are investing in it. The most generous ones are NBA, NFL, NHL, and ESPN.
If you’re considering a career in eSports but you’re still unsure whether you could make living playing video games, check out the infographic below to find out.
image: Photo by Jamie McInall from Pexels