If you are not already interested in electronic gaming, you may be surprised by just how big an industry eSports now is. In 2021, the total market value of the eSports industry hit the $1 billion mark. By estimation, it will be worth around $1.62 billion by 2024. It is highly competitive, and there are tournaments offering sizeable prize earnings around the globe. A surprisingly large number of people compete in eSports teams to earn their living.
We have previously discussed the rise of eSports’ influence on brands. Many of the top eSports players are celebrities to Millennial and Generation Y fans. To them, eSports is as legitimate a sport as football and basketball are to the more athletically oriented.
Importantly, eSports are not just some niche fad, likely to become old news by next year. The interest in eSports has hit critical mass, ensuring that there are sufficient high-paying tournaments to justify a competitive full-time lifestyle. It even supports television coverage, for those who still prefer the big screen, rather than livestreaming via Twitch on their tablet or phone.
So who are the big names of eSports? What kinds of money have they been making, and what are the most popular eSports games?
Perhaps the biggest surprise is despite Fortnite being the “name” video game of 2018, it doesn’t appear anywhere near the top of the high-earning tournament games. Indeed the most lucrative game by far is Dota, and variations thereof. Dota2, in particular, appears to be where most of the money is nowadays.Cumulative prizes for Dota 2 nearly reached $50 million in 2021. Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game, played in matches between two teams of five players, with each team occupying and defending their own separate base on the map. Each player independently controls a powerful character, their "hero,” who has a unique ability and a differing style of play.
Here is an interesting visualization of the top 15 Esports Games by Prize Money below
How Do eSports Players Earn Money?
Like traditional sports, esports provides income sources and career opportunities. Winning competitions is arguably the most straightforward way to make money in eSports. Huge prize pools in this industry are common. That said, it's extremely hard to win consistently enough to make eSports a primary source of income.
That is why eSports players stream as well. Viewers of certain streams may donate money to their favorite players. Paid subscriptions are also a great way for streamers to bring in revenue.
Sponsorships help too. Big companies approach teams with bids and contracts when they gain notoriety for their skills and a considerable fan base. Sponsored teams make ads, wear sponsored merch, and share affiliate links with their followers.
When a team or player gets a large enough following, selling merchandise is also a good way to earn extra money.
eSports salaries vary by team and players. Teams must pay each player a minimum of $12,500 for the 28-match season. However, players in winning and well-sponsored teams often receive considerably more than this.
Top 15 eSports Teams, Earnings, and Salaries:
1. Team Liquid
Total Prize Money Earned: $42,095,042.45
Total Tournaments Played: 2,339
Top Games:
- Dota - $24,959,041.10
- Counter-Strike - $5,375,341.35
- StarCraft - $1,679,711.54
Top Players and Their Earnings:
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- Ivan Ivanov (MinD_ContRoL) - $4,462,254.00
- Kuro Takhasomi (KuroKy) - $4,458,754.00
- Maroun Merhej (GH) - $4,082,604.40
Team Liquid began as a gaming community website. They sponsored a Dutch StarCraft: Brood War team in 2010. Over time, the team changed the games they played. They signed their first professional players when they began playing StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in 2010. They recruited their first Dota2 player in 2012.
In 2015, Team Liquid merged with Team Curse, gaining the Team Curse players and management.
Team Liquid became part of the entertainment and sports management company, aXiomatic, in 2016. The Walt Disney Company chose Team Liquid to participate in the 'Disney Accelerator' program in 2017.
Team Liquid has won various tournaments over its life, over a variety of games. Its greatest success, however, was winning The International 2017 (TI17), which brought them $10,862,683.
2. Team OG
Total Prize Money Earned: $37,361,505.19
Total Tournaments Played: 142
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $33,917,126.13
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive -$876,942.10
- VALORANT - $10,570.00
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Johan SundsteinX (N0tail) - $6,953,722.23
- Jesse Vainikka (JerAx) - $6,068,960.20
- Anathan Pham (ana) - $5,976,645.23
European-based Team OG began as the team Monkey Business, which rebranded in October 2015. They’re very much Dota 2 specialists. Their breakthrough came in the Frankfurt Major 2015, where they defeated Evil Geniuses, CDEC Gaming, and Team Secret.
They’re still newbies, as far as this list is concerned, making their winnings from a mere 50 tournaments particularly impressive.
Team OG also won the Manila Major 2016 event, making them the first squad in Dota 2 history to win two major tournaments. Indeed, Team OG won five of the first ten tournaments it entered.
3. Evil Geniuses
Total Prize Money Earned: $26,445,664.94
Total Tournaments Played: 946
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $21,535,682.62
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $1,112,032.00
- StarCraft II - $785,480.90
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Sumail Hassan (SumaiL) - $3,570,225.34
- Saahil Arora (UNiVeRsE) - $2,919,431.58
- Peter Dager (ppd) - $2,600,146.56
Evil Geniuses, aka EG, are a predominantly North American eSports organization, based in San Francisco. Alexander Garfield originally founded the team as a Canadian Counter-Strike team in 1999.
Their most successful player, Sumail Hassan, began his successful Dota playing days in Pakistan. Sumail’s father gained a job in the USA, and Sumail joined Evil Geniuses in January 2015. The team won the Dota Asia Championships a month later.
Evil Geniuses is a subsidiary of GoodGame Agency, owned by Amazon’s Twitch division.
4. Team Spirit
Total Prize Money Earned: $21,511,255.51
Total Tournaments Played: 177
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $20,210,935.81
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $1,024,251.21
- Hearthstone - $275,968.49
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Magomed Khalilov (Collapse) - $3,973,920.01
- Yaroslav Naidenov (Miposhka) - $3,973,920.01
- Alexander Khertek (TORONTOTOKYO) - $3,973,920.01
Moscow's Team Spirit is a Russian eSports organization founded in 2015. At present, teams from the organization compete in CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Hearthstone.
In December 2015, Team Spirit acquired CIS Rejects and formed their first Dota 2 squad. December 2020 marked Yellow Submarine's lineup. Team Spirit beat PSG.LGD in the Grand Finals of The International 2021, earning more than $18 million, the highest prize ever awarded in eSports. The organization is also the only other Eastern European team to win the prestigious award.
Team Spirit is now stationed in Belgrade, Serbia.
5. Team Secret
Total Prize Money Earned: $19,537,491.01
Total Tournaments Played: 351
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $18,245,004.59
- PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS Mobile - $360,213.42
- Fortnite - $205,425.38
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Clement Ivanov (Puppey) - $3,646,834.25
- Michal Jankowski (Nisha) - $2,257,543.37
- Yazied Jaradat (YapzOr) - $2,254,360.84
Dota 2 is one of the most featured games and also one most eSports teams have made big bucks playing. And for Team Secret, Dota 2 is a staple. When this team was created in 2014, it quickly caught fire. It is also represented by many over 19 countries, making it one of the most diverse teams on the planet.
One of Team Secret’s major accomplishments occurred in 2016 when they welcomed an international female Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. Since then, this team has gone on to expand its gaming roster. Titles include Age of Empires II, Apex Legends, and Fortnite.
6. Natus Vincere
Total Prize Money Earned: $18,844,548.52
Total Tournaments Played: 633
Top Games:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $8,963,079.84
- Dota 2 - $5,087,582.6
- PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS Mobile - $1,042,669.30
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Alexander Kostylev (s1mple) - $1,579,014.91
- Denis Sharipov (electroNic) - $1,452,314.91
- Ilya Zalutskiy (Perfecto) - $1,100,283.33
Natus Vincere was founded in December of 2009. Gamer Murat "Arbalet" Zhumashevich created an open invite for all like-minded players to form a team. While Natus Vincere is now a Dota 2 and World of Tanks team, the outfit banded together to focus on winning Counter-Strike competitions. For gaming and trivia enthusiasts, Natus Vincere is also referred to as “NAVI”, which is borrowed from James Cameron’s blockbuster success Avatar.
7. Fnatic
Total Prize Money Earned: $18,756,945.36
Total Tournaments Played: 1,052
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $5,444,134.95
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $5,039,669.80
- League of Legends - $3,184,564.48
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Djardel Jicko Mampusti (DJ) - $999,647.17
- Freddy Johansson (KRiMZ) - $915,751.82
- Jesper Wecksell (JW) - $886,752.35
Fnatic is London-based, although many of its best players are Swedish. Fnatic has assembled dedicated teams for a range of games, including Dota 2, Hearthstone, and League of Legends.
Sam and Anne Mathews (son and mother) founded Fnatic in 2004, as they saw the potential future for eSports. They chose to build a team of good players from around the world. Their League of Legends team won the first League of Legends World Championship in 2011. It holds the record for the most League of Legends Championship Series split titles in the EU LCS.
Many consider their Counter-Strike team to be one of the best of all-time, having won three CS: GO Majors.
8. Virtus.pro
Total Prize Money Earned: $18,385,456.79
Total Tournaments Played: 591
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $11,743,104.59
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $4,354,671.63
- PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS - $666,213.93
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Vladimir Minenko (No[o]ne) - $1,527,802.14
- Alexei Berezin (Solo) - $1,491,602.14
- Roman Kushnarev (RAMZES666) - $1,466,402.14
Virtus.pro is a Russian eSports team, established in 2003. Since then it has won more than 100 gold, 170 silver and 220 bronze medals in various eSports tournaments.
It has built a series of teams for different games. Virtus.pro has more than 50 players on its roster. These include a woman’s team they added in September 2012.
9. Paris Saint-Germain Esports
Total Prize Money Earned: $18,344,951.55
Total Tournaments Played: 117
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $17,471,883.69
- League of Legends - $275,940.25
- Brawl Stars - $236,152.64
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Wang, Chunyu (Ame) - $3,411,750.12
- Yang, Shenyi (Chalice) - $1,795,503.74
- Xu, Linsen (fy) - $1,795,503.74
Paris Saint-Germain Esports is a French professional eSports brand. Founded in 2016, it’s become home to over 90 gamers from around the globe. While the team made most of its money from Dota 2, Brawl Star, and Rocket League, it also dabbles in League of Legends and has a strong affinity for FIFA ‘17, ‘18, and ‘19.
10. Vici Gaming
Total Prize Money Earned: $15,731,970.21
Total Tournaments Played: 285
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $12,872,391.47
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $807,676.96
- CrossFire - $717,810.86
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Lu, Chao (Fenrir) - $1,180,116.59
- Zeng, Jiaoyang - $1,144,410.89
- Xu, Linsen - $1,035,138.58
Vici Gaming began operations in October 2012. They handpicked skilled players who were highly ranked on the Chinese Dota ladder at the time. They initially focused on the original Dota, although they have since expanded to Dota 2. The team finished second at The International 2014.
They also have teams playing other games, including League of Legends, StarCraft II, WarCraft III, FIFA, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
11. Invictus Gaming
Total Prize Money Earned: $14,826,331.73
Total Tournaments Played: 589
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $9,209,806.57
- League of Legends - $4,189,145.93
- StarCraft II - $645,637.17
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Zhou, Yi (Emo) - $669,655.74
- Chan, Chon Kien (Oli) - $666,355.14
- Thiay, Jun Wen (JT-) - $660,416.51
Invictus Gaming was launched by businessman Wang Sicong. It’s a multi-game eSports outfit with over 90 players, most of which are from China. Invictus Gaming burst onto the scene in 2011 with its win of the 2011 World Cyber Games. More recently, the team bagged the 2018 Demacia Cup Winter and came in at second place in the 2019 Spring Split regular season.
12. Newbee
Total Prize Money Earned: $14,228,223.11
Total Tournaments Played: 231
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $13,524,826.33
- StarCraft II - $197,689.43
- League of Legends - $112,151.40
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Hu, Liangzhi (KaKa) - $1,352,240.37
- Damien Chok (kpii) - $1,349,865.33
- Zhang, Pan (Mu) - $1,319,624.03
Newbee is a Chinese e-Sports team. It plays a wider range of games than many other teams. It has dedicated teams for Dota 2, Hearthstone, and League of Legends.
The team gained fame for winning The International 2014 (TI14). This resulted in winnings of $5 million, giving it the Guinness World Record for most prize earnings at the time.
13. FaZe Clan
Total Prize Money Earned: $13,985,354.03
Total Tournaments Played: 564
Top Games:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - $5,574,778.94
- Fortnite - $2,317,843.79
- PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS - $1,734,167.00
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Håvard Nygaard (rain) - $1,103,395.87
- Finn Andersen (karrigan) - $895,942.54
- Nikola Kovač (NiKo) - $666,234.54
FaZe Clan is a popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gaming team. Alongside Fortnite and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive accounts for over 60% of its earnings. Founded in 2010, this team has exploded from a group of teens with video cams and a love for video gaming and into a multinational army of gamers. FaZe Clan also plays Rainbow Six Siege, COD: WWII, and Valorant, and are the 2021 Call of Duty League Champions.
14. LGD Gaming
Total Prize Money Earned: $13,380,506.62
Total Tournaments Played: 181
Top Games:
- Dota 2 - $10,091,974.49
- PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS Mobile - $1,488,676.55
- League of Legends - $512,324.15
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Lu Yao (Somnus丶M) - $1,184,271.67
- Yao, Zhengzheng (Yao) - $1,176,225.71
- Liang, Fa Ming (DDC) - $856,141.41
LGD Gaming is a Chinese multi-gaming team sponsored by Guizhou Laogandie Food. The team’s base is in Hangzhou, China.
It has separate teams of players playing Dota and League of Legends. The first Dota team grew out of the team For The Dream, which LGD sponsored in 2009. That team came third in The International 2012.
LGD then created another Dota squad, which they called LGD.int. It disbanded in 2014, but LGD signed up a replacement squad, which they called LGD CDEC, later rebranded CDEC Gaming.
In April 2018, LGD partnered with French football giants Paris Saint-Germain to create a squad called PSG.LGD.
15. T1
Total Prize Money Earned: $12,818,294.20
Total Tournaments Played: 445
Top Games:
- League of Legends - $8,103,278.71
- Dota 2 - $1,506,668.68
- StarCraft II - $1,139,756.90
Top Players and Their Earnings:
- Lee, Sang Hyeok (Faker) - $1,434,271.15
- Lee, Jae Wan (Wolf) - $908,949.92
- Bae, Jun Sik (Bang) - $907,269.07
T1 is one of the older eSports teams around. Launched in 2003, the team was then known as SK Telecom or SKT T1. It’s a South Korean team with reach into Seoul, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. T1 is widely known for its participation in League of Legends, Fortnite, Dota 2, PUBG, Super Smash Bros., Hearthstone, and Apex Legends gaming competitions. Notable performances include winning 2013, 2015, and 2016 League of Legends World Championships.
