From a specific kind of hobby that started just a few years ago, esports has grown into a massive phenomenon that has fans in millions and billions of dollars in money. However, with the improvement of the industry and its individuals, then the earnings of the best individuals have also improved.
The top-earning gamers in this generation not only amassed money by winning games. They also secured sponsorships and closing contracts with the biggest gaming sites. The achievement is a result of hard work, diligent game-playing, great thinking, and the ability to market the skills to the outside world or other competing gaming firms.
Guess what they have in common? They are all Dota 2 players and former teammates during their tenure.
N0tail (Johan Sundstein)
Total Earnings: $7,184,163. 05
Johan Sundstein, who's best known as 'Notail' is now a free agent, but still, the highest-paid esports player who earned over 7 million dollars.
Hailing from Denmark, he's been consistently dominating tournaments in every game he plays. His best run was with Team OG, which is considered the best Dota 2 team of all time. Through his captainship, the squad was able to record two championships during the International.
Over the course of the years, he transformed from the typical carry position to the hard support role. His hero pool is very vast, therefore one may not understand which heroes should be banned from him.
JerAx (Jesse Vainikka)
Total Earnings: $6,486,623. 98
The second Dota 2 wunderkind is JerAx who has accumulated over 6 million dollars. 5 million. With a high mechanical repertoire enhanced by a superb game sense, JerAx has been instrumental in the success of multiple teams OG included. His instinct to outperform and outdo his adversaries while coming through for his team to win makes him the best soft support globally.
He is mostly remembered for being the best Earth Spirit and Earth Shaker player of that time.
ana (Anathan Pham)
Total Earnings: $6,024,411. 96
One of the best Dota 2 players in playing position 1, Ana is a prodigy who is hard to ignore.. An Australian gamer who is Vietnamese by ethnicity, Pham has earned $6 million in his player career. Nonetheless, ana will always be an example to show that even after taking a long hiatus in competitively playing the game, has left his/her mark on the game.
His real strength is his aggressive and determinative behavior on the field, as well as his ability to score in critical moments, which makes him a dangerous and favorite player.
Who doesn't remember his remarkable Ember and Phantom Lancer plays?
Factors Contributing to High Earnings
Several factors contribute to the astronomical earnings of the top esports players. These include:
- Tournament Winnings: In terms of earnings the most popular for many players is the prize money received from the tournaments. Most games have large pools of cash awards; some one hundred thousand dollars with the winners pocketing millions.
- Endorsements: Esports professionals are a valuable target for such brands because they need to reach out to the gaming industry's consumers. Sponsorships from products such as gaming gear, energy drinks, and many other firms are also good sources of revenue.
- Streaming: Current social platforms such as Twitch and YouTube have provided new ways through which esports players can monetize through streaming. The players should ensure that they are approaching their fans and getting as much traffic as possible to watch the available content since this can be monetized by charging for the content, accepting donations, and ads.
- Investments: It is important to note that some esports players have begun to seek other sources of income by investing in esports teams, organizations, or other related businesses. It can give a regular revenue and, therefore, add more strength to its presence within the market segment.
The esports industry is still relatively dynamic, and it is expected that in the future other gamers will appear who will be able to compete in earnings with the leaders.
Nonetheless, the persons mentioned above have engraved their names in the hall of fame of esports history. Gamers and the associated earnings act as a motivation for upcoming professional gamers all over the globe.