eSports

Esports earnings: Top 25 Highest Paid Players in 2020 So Far

Published

6 years ago

June 16, 2020

Reading Time: 4 minutes

> Five teenagers, including a 15-year-old, among the best
> Two chess players make the list
> No League of Legends players in top 25

2020 has hit a lot of industries very hard – but not esports.

The lockdown has brought huge growth in viewers to professional gaming as millions flock to watch the world’s best players in action.

This new level of interest will only help the industry grow, along with the pay packets of the gamers themselves.

But, how much do they earn?

New research by esports bookmakers Unikrn shows just how much the top 25 players have been winning in tournament prize money so far this year.

In 2019, there was a total prize pool of $227m shared between over 25,000 players playing in 5,000 tournaments.

Six months into 2020 and there’s still been $32.5m in prize money – despite the cancellation and postponement of many events.

Of that pot, the highest earning player has taken home $300,000 so far.

Brazilian Paulo Damo Da Rosa, known as PVDDR, won Magic: The Gathering Arena’s, Magic World Championship XXVI in February – pocketing the huge fee in one lump sum.

The five members of Spacestation Gaming’s Rainbow Six Siege team – Bosco, Rampy, Thinkingnade, Fultz and Canadian – also feature in the top 10.

Their victories in this year’s Six Invitational 2020 and Pro League Season 11 have earned them $210,000 each.

With a combined age of 47, teenagers Wolfiez, Furious and JannisZ are in the top 16 for their big Fortnite wins.

The UK’s Wolfiez, 16, has taken home $130,000 so far this year from two tournaments coming second in both FNCS Invitationals: Europe last month.

JannisZ, 15, from Germany, won one of those tournaments, while American 16-year-old Furious secured victory in the FNCS Grand Finals in North America – both earning $120,000+.

Among the top 25, Chess24 stars Hikaru Nakamura and grandmaster Magnus Carlsen have also taken home over $100,000 each in prize money.

STATISTICS

The average age of the top 25 earning players so far in 2020 is 24 years old.

So far this year, the top country for earning prize money is the United States with players making over $6million between 1,870 of them.

However, the best average prize winner per country belongs to Jordan.

Six players earned an average of $33,000 each – made up mostly by Doha 2 players Yapzor and Miracle-, who claimed $175,000 of the total $200,000.

Bear in mind all of these earnings do not include their sponsorships, bonuses or salaries – some of which are rumoured to be around the $500,000 mark.

So there will be players easily taking home close to $1,000,000 a year.

The highest earning esports player of all-time is Danish Dota 2 player Johan Sundstein.

Going by player ID N0tail, the 26-year-old has amassed $6.9m in prize money from 117 tournaments and been a winner at the International 2018 and 2019.

Ryan Jurado, esports analyst with the industry juggernaut Unikrn, said: “As impressive as the prize earnings are in esports, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

“In reality, thousands of players around the world make additional income by building their brand and fan bases with non-competition activities such as gaming streams, earn income with sponsorship deals and receive a salary to play as part of an organized team.

“Amazon’s Twitch alone has 22,000 partnered streamers, most of whom are playing games and earning cash outside of tournaments. When you add in Microsoft’s Mixr, Google’s YouTube, Facebook, plus non-American platforms like Huya, plus thousands of yearly video game tournaments, the number of players making some form of income by gaming is likely well over 100,000 worldwide. For most, this is a paying hobby rather than a career, but some players do reach multi-millionaire status before they even graduate high school.”

Top 25 Highest Paid Esports Players in 2020 (By Prize Money)

Real name	Player name	Game	Nationality	Age	Prize Money 2020	Tournaments	Prize Money (Overall)
Paulo Damo da Rosa	PVDDR	Magic: The Gathering Arena	Brazil	32	$300,000.00	1	$337,800.00
Troy Jaroslawski	Canadian	Rainbow Six Siege	Canada	23	$210,000.00	2	$317,628.57
Dylan Bosco	Bosco	Rainbow Six Siege	United States	25	$210,000.00	2	$275,750.00
Nathanial Duvall	Rampy	Rainbow Six Siege	United States		$210,000.00	2	$261,060.00
Javier Escamila	Thinkingnade	Rainbow Six Siege	El Salvador	21	$210,000.00	2	$261,030.00
Alec Fultz	Fultz	Rainbow Six Siege	American		$210,000.00	2	$238,966.67
Lee, Byung Ryul	Rogue	Starcraft II	Korea	26	$155,128.20	9	$832,543.20
Marcio Carvalho	Marcio Carvalho	Magic The Gathering Arena	Portugal	34	$150,000.00	1	$214,900.00
Jaden Ashman	Wolfiez	Fortnite	UK	16	$130,000.00	2	$1,300,026.67
Lasse Urpalainen	Matumbaman	Dota 2	Finland	25	$122,413.40	7	$3,684,194.44
Clement Ivanov	Puppey	Dota 2	Estonia	30	$122,413.40	7	$2,783,899.63
Ludwig Wåhlberg	Zai	Dota 2	Sweden	22	$122,413.40	7	$2,443,054.42
Yazied Jaradat	YapzOr	Dota 2	Jordan	25	$122,413.40	7	$1,452,524.07
Michał Jankowski	Nisha	Dota 2	Poland	19	$122,413.40	7	$852,679.11
	Furious	Fortnite	United States	16	$121,500.00	3	$122,400.00
	JannisZ	Fortnite	Germany	15	$120,000.00	1	$131,362.42
Asger Larsen	AcilioN	CS:GO	Denmark	23	$117,688.05	6	$205,471.35
Lucas Andersen	Bubzki	CS:GO	Denmark	21	$113,800.00	5	$186,770.86
Frederik Gyldstrand	acoR	CS:GO	Denmark	22	$113,800.00	5	$183,034.72
Rasmus Beck	sjuush	CS:GO	Denmark	21	$113,800.00	5	$178,613.09
Fredrik Jørgensen	roejJ	CS:GO	Denmark		$113,800.00	5	$167,242.03
Hikaru Nakamura	Hikaru	Chess24	Japan	32	$102,632.19	10	$148,117.61
Sven Magnus Carlsen	DrNykterstein	Chess24	Norway	29	$101,170.48	7	$130,928.92
Seth Manfield	Seth Manfield	Magic: The Gathering Arena	United States	29	$100,000.00	1	$141,900.00
David Wang	Aqua	Fortnite	Austria	18	$98,750.00	4	$1,868,341.23

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Top 10 Highest Earning Countries in 2020 (By Prize Money)

Country	Prize Money	Players	Average per
United States	$6,340,646.89	1870	$3,390.72
China	$2,918,944.04	340	$8,585.13
Brazil	$2,161,506.14	401	$5,390.29
Korea, Republic of	$2,067,293.52	455	$4,543.50
France	$1,516,403.65	419	$3,619.10
Russian Federation	$1,495,117.67	440	$3,397.99
Denmark	$1,472,041.31	173	$8,508.91
Germany	$1,262,670.52	483	$2,614.22
United Kingdom	$1,255,641.62	333	$3,770.70
Canada	$1,170,591.49	308	$3,800.62

Highest Earning Players of All Time (By Prize Money)

Real name	Player name	Game	Nationality	Age	Prize Money Overall	Tournaments
Johan Sundstein	N0tail	Dota 2	Denmark	26	$6,895,040.18	117
Jesse Vainikka	JerAx	Dota 2	Finland	28	$6,470,000.02	65
Anathan Pham	ana	Dota 2	Australia	20	$6,000,411.96	24
Sébastien Debs	Ceb	Dota 2	France	28	$5,501,233.01	54
Topias Taavitsainen	Topson	Dota 2	Finland	22	$5,415,046.17	21
Kuro Takhasomi	KuroKy	Dota 2	Germany	27	$5,177,764.81	110
Amer Al-Barkawi	Miracle-	Dota 2	Jordan	22	$4,743,118.88	57
Ivan Ivanov	MinD_ContRoL	Dota 2	Bulgaria	25	$4,534,193.36	67
Maroun Merhej	GH	Dota 2	Lebanon	24	$4,137,126.44	44
Lasse Urpalainen	Matumbaman	Dota 2	Finland	25	$3,674,181.04	69

**Stats taken from www.esportsearnings.com and do not include salaries, bonuses or sponsorships

Brazilian Carnival

Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience

Published

7 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

esportes-da-sorte-transforms-carnival-2026-into-a-nationwide-immersive-experience

Leading Brazilian iGaming company Esportes da Sorte has transformed Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience, activating urban art installations, hydration stations and large‑scale attractions across nine cities in Brazil. As part of its expanded cultural engagement strategy, the brand is serving as an official sponsor in key Carnival locations and delivering experiential initiatives designed for revelers in the streets and major public spaces.

Esportes da Sorte’s nationwide platform builds on its history of investing in popular culture and public events, moving beyond traditional branding to create meaningful on‑site activations that enhance the urban environment and respond to the unique character of each city’s Carnival celebrations.

In Rio de Janeiro, the company’s efforts focus on the street Carnival experience with hydration points, cool zones and shaded areas in high‑traffic celebration routes. São Paulo’s megabloc circuits feature water trucks, hydration stations and on‑site urban support.

In Recife Antigo, one of Carnival’s cultural centers, Esportes da Sorte installed a standout Ferris wheel at Marco Zero, offering panoramic views of the festivities and historic landscape. Urban transformations like video mapping on iconic buildings and aerial installations along Rua Marquês de Olinda further blend public space with the Carnival experience.

Other cities such as Olinda and Salvador also feature tailored activations, including sensory design, refreshment tunnels and themed artistic displays that align with local traditions and festival dynamics.

In addition to physical structures, the initiative includes a robust communications strategy, sensory activations, public well‑being supports and content campaigns that amplify the carnival‑street experience across digital and traditional media.

According to Germana Casal, Production Coordinator at the Esportes Gaming Brasil Group, the goal is to “be present in a meaningful way at the country’s biggest popular celebration,” respecting each city’s identity and delivering initiatives that improve the Carnival experience for participants.

Esportes da Sorte’s Carnival 2026 project builds on the brand’s presence at more than 100 Carnival parties and street blocos in 2025, reinforcing its leadership role in Brazil’s largest cultural event and deepening its connection with urban celebration culture nationwide.

The post Esportes da Sorte transforms Carnival 2026 into a nationwide immersive experience appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

chess esports

Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner

Published

7 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-announces-e.leclerc-as-new-main-partner

Team Vitality, one of France’s leading esports organizations, has announced a strategic new partnership with French retail giant E.Leclerc, naming the supermarket chain as the club’s Main Partner for 2026.

Under the agreement, E.Leclerc’s logo will feature prominently on Team Vitality’s international team jerseys, including rosters for League of Legends (LEC and LFL), Valorant (VCT EMEA), Rocket League, Rising Bees and Chess.

Shared Values and Fan Initiatives

The partnership aims to promote accessibility, wellness, and nutrition within the esports community, while bringing gaming culture into E.Leclerc retail spaces through immersive experiences, tournaments and activations designed to engage fans across France.

Team Vitality’s holistic wellbeing program, KARE, which supports performance, nutrition and mental health, aligns closely with E.Leclerc’s focus on responsible lifestyle initiatives. Together, they plan to champion inclusivity, provide unique gaming opportunities, and celebrate esports culture in both digital and physical environments.

With a global audience exceeding 10 million followers, Team Vitality’s influence in competitive gaming makes this partnership a landmark moment for both brands. E.Leclerc’s commitment to youth engagement and cultural connection positions the retailer as a significant non‑endemic supporter of the growing esports ecosystem.

Nicolas Maurer, CEO and Co‑Founder of Team Vitality, described the alliance as a historic milestone that will broaden esports’ reach across everyday life in France and reinforce its cultural legitimacy.

The post Team Vitality announces E.Leclerc as new Main Partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI chatbot esports

G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami

Published

7 days ago

February 17, 2026

Wladimir P.

g2-esports-and-theta-labs-launch-ai-agent-sami

G2 Esports has partnered with Theta Labs to launch “Sami,” a next-generation AI agent designed to enhance fan engagement across multiple competitive esports titles.

The AI-powered assistant will provide G2’s global fanbase with instant access to match schedules, player stats, team rosters, tournament standings, and real-time competitive updates. Sami supports major titles including League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Call of Duty.

Accessible via the official G2 website and Discord starting February 17, Sami is built to deliver accurate, always-on responses to fan queries in natural language. From tournament updates to player performance metrics and G2-specific trivia, the AI agent reflects the organization’s unique brand voice and competitive culture.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement at Scale

Sami is trained and deployed using Theta EdgeCloud’s hybrid cloud-edge infrastructure, which integrates over 30,000 distributed edge nodes with cloud services from Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. The system delivers approximately 80 PetaFLOPS of GPU compute power, enabling real-time processing and analysis at significantly reduced costs compared to traditional centralized cloud platforms.

The AI infrastructure dynamically assigns workloads to high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA A100 and H100 cloud GPUs, as well as RTX 3090 and 4090 desktop GPUs, optimizing performance and cost efficiency. This decentralized architecture allows G2 to scale fan engagement globally while maintaining low latency and high reliability.

Strengthening Esports AI Innovation

Theta Labs has rapidly expanded its presence in the esports industry, powering AI-driven fan experiences for organizations such as Cloud9, FlyQuest, Evil Geniuses, NRG, Gen.G, Dignitas, 100 Thieves, Method, and Team Heretics.

According to Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, esports fans increasingly demand instant access to team data and competitive updates. AI agents like Sami enable organizations to provide 24/7 automated engagement while maintaining a unique community personality.

Sabrina Ratih, COO of G2 Esports, emphasized that Sami is more than a standard chatbot. Built to reflect G2’s playful and competitive tone, the AI assistant combines advanced machine learning with brand-driven communication to deliver both entertainment and functionality.

The Future of AI in Esports

The launch of Sami positions G2 Esports at the forefront of AI-driven fan engagement in competitive gaming. By leveraging decentralized GPU infrastructure and blockchain-powered cloud computing, the partnership with Theta Labs signals a broader industry shift toward scalable, cost-efficient AI solutions for esports organizations.

As AI integration becomes a competitive differentiator in esports, solutions like Sami are expected to redefine how teams interact with their global communities in real time.

The post G2 Esports and Theta Labs Launch AI Agent Sami appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.