eSports

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

Published

4 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.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

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

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

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

Asia

8Bit Creatives partners with NODWIN Gaming as the exclusive talent partner for DreamHack India

Published

2 weeks ago

November 7, 2024

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

8Bit Creatives, India’s leading esports consulting and talent management agency, has announced its partnership with NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, as the exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024.

With this partnership, 8Bit Creatives will leverage its significant reach in the Indian gaming, esports and youth communities through its prominent and talented roster of creators. These creators will create content leading up to the festival and also host meet-and-greet sessions.

India’s biggest gaming festival, DreamHack India, is set to take place from 15th to 17th November at the Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, marking its fifth edition. For half a decade, the India edition of the global festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the Indian gaming ecosystem. Bringing together a plethora of events, including esports tournaments, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) events, cosplay competitions, music concerts, and stand-up comedy, DreamHack India is the celebration of gaming, esports, pop-culture, and entertainment.

8Bit Creatives, CEO and founder Animesh Agarwal said “DreamHack India is one of the most prominent events in the Indian gaming and esports calendar and we’re proud to be the exclusive talent partners for it. This is further recognition of 8Bit Creatives’ ability to meaningfully engage the gaming and youth audiences across the country. Our belief in working with the right creators who create experiences that resonate with the youth audiences distinguishes our offerings and we can’t wait to share what we have in store for DreamHack India 2024 with our audiences!”

This is not the first time that 8Bit Creatives will partner with DreamHack India. The organisation was also the talent partner for the event in 2022.

Commenting on the partnership, NODWIN Gaming, Co-founder and MD Akshat Rathee said “Our vision at NODWIN Gaming is to create unforgettable experiences for the youth, and DreamHack has proven to be the ultimate platform to realise that vision, bringing together gaming, entertainment, and community in an immersive celebration. We’re thrilled to have 8Bit Creatives as our exclusive Talent Partner for DreamHack India 2024. It’s especially exciting to welcome iconic creators like Mortal, who joined us in our very first edition, back for this landmark fifth year, alongside fan favourites like Snax, Kaashvi, Thug, and Payal. These creators bring a unique energy that connects deeply with our fans and elevates every moment. Their presence underscores our commitment to crafting electrifying experiences year after year, building on the momentum of events like BGMS and past DreamHack editions. Together with 8Bit and this powerhouse lineup, we’re setting the stage for an unforgettable event that will bring fans and creators closer than ever before!”

8Bit Creatives’s content and esports division S8UL became the only organisation in the year to win ‘Content Group of the Year’ award for the third consecutive year at the Esports Awards 2024. Additionally, they are the only organisation from India to ever win an Esports Award in any category. Earlier this year, gaming content creators from 8Bit Creatives including Naman Mathur, Payal Dhare and Animesh “Thug” Agarwal were invited for a meet and greet session with the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The organisation has been at the forefront of India’s gaming and content ecosystem with its extensive range of services, including talent management, campaign curation and execution, brand activations and more.

The post 8Bit Creatives partners with NODWIN Gaming as the exclusive talent partner for DreamHack India appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Doubles Esports Turnover in Q3 2024

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Wladimir P.

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

1 November 2024 – Esports has experienced explosive growth in Q3 2024, doubling turnover compared to the previous quarter. The average bet on cybersports increased by 17.6% quarter-on-quarter. SOFTSWISS, a global tech expert with over 15 years of experience providing innovative iGaming solutions, shares the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Q3 2024 report.

The top five sports by Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) remain consistent: Football, Tennis, Basketball, Table Tennis, and eFootball. For the second consecutive quarter, eFootball has outperformed Counter-Strike 2, indicating a shifting interest within the esports sector. Nevertheless, football continues to dominate, contributing nearly half of the total GGR.

The average live bet grew by 10% quarter-on-quarter, a positive development for operators as live bets hold 78.6% of turnover. The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook team is actively enhancing the live betting experience, aiming to capitalise on this trend and provide operators with even greater revenue opportunities.

The average bet grew by 9.7% quarter-on-quarter in Q3 2024, and the number of bets increased by 18.7%. GGR saw a modest growth of 1.5% quarter-on-quarter.

Despite the large number of projects launched for the UEFA Euro 2024, month-on-month statistics show that with the right promotional strategies, projects continue to operate successfully even after such massive events.

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, adds: “Aligning a launch with a major sporting event can be a successful strategy, but football is not the only sport that can be leveraged in this way. The growth of cybersports presents new opportunities; for specialised projects targeting specific audiences, esports events can also serve as an effective starting point.

We continuously focus on product growth and development, enhancing features and user experience to drive further engagement and profitability for our partners.”

The SOFTSWISS Sportsbook is expanding its global presence. The product team is on track to secure certification in Brazil, conducted by an authorised testing laboratory. Furthermore, for the South African market, the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook has recently integrated a Horse Racing Module. This addition offers operators new business opportunities by covering over 2,400 international and local races monthly. The solution engages players with race cards, silks, and multiple bet types while providing operators unique skins and configurations to align with various brand identities.

The SOFTSWISS team is working on The iGaming Trends Report 2025, which offers a deep dive into key industry developments based on over 50,000 media headlines and insights from industry experts. Covering areas like regulation, marketing, technology, and business growth, this report provides a data-driven perspective on the trends shaping the upcoming year. The SOFTSWISS team shares the possibility of joining the waiting list.

All SOFTSWISS products will be showcased at the final major industry event, SiGMA Europe, at stand 2145.

The post SOFTSWISS Sportsbook Doubles Esports Turnover in Q3 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

BLAST Announces Landmark Expanded Partnership as Blacklyte Becomes Global Chair & Desk Partner Across Five Esports Titles in 2025

Published

3 weeks ago

October 30, 2024

George Miller

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Esport entertainment company BLAST has announced an expanded Global Partnership with Blacklyte for 2025. The landmark partnership marks a significant milestone in esports history, being the first of its kind to encompass five leading esports titles.

As a Global Chair & Desk Partner, Blacklyte will play a pivotal role in supporting the world’s best esports players by providing custom-made esports desks and chairs for the competitive landscape across these five popular esports titles: Rainbow Six Esports (Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege), BLAST Premier (Counter-Strike), BLAST Slam (Dota), RLCS (Rocket League Championship Series), and FNCS (Fortnite Championship Series).

This partnership not only showcases Blacklyte’s commitment to the esports community but also emphasises its dedication to elevating the industry by providing players with the best equipment possible to compete at the elite level.

Last month, BLAST announced Blacklyte as the first commercial partner for Fortnite Competitive for the FNCS Global Championship 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States.

The expansion of the partnership means Blacklyte will cover all esports titles BLAST operates in 2025. The partnership will focus on delivering unique and immersive experiences for fans and players alike. Alongside Blacklyte’s products being used by streamers and players across more than ten arena events and many more studio events in 2025. Blacklyte will also be integrated physically into these events and within broadcasts.

Blacklyte produces desks that set a new standard for quality and durability. These state-of-the-art desks are designed to withstand everything. They will be showcased at the BLAST Premier World Final in Singapore for the first time.

Alexander Lewin, SVP of Commercial Revenue for BLAST, said: “We are proud to expand our partnership with Blacklyte to encompass all five of our esports titles heading into 2025. This marks a landmark moment for BLAST. We work across a number of leading esports ecosystems, which gives us the ability to leverage these different communities and tournaments. This partnership is testament to harnessing that network to create best-in-class partnerships.”

Alexander Liu, CEO at Blacklyte, said: “We are excited to enter into this unprecedented partnership with BLAST, which will enable us to reach a broader audience and create a lasting impact across multiple titles. This collaboration signifies a new era for esports, where we can unify diverse gaming communities under one strategic initiative, providing equipment to help esports players compete at the top level.”

The post BLAST Announces Landmark Expanded Partnership as Blacklyte Becomes Global Chair & Desk Partner Across Five Esports Titles in 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.