eSports
25 Most Successful Esports Countries by Prize Money so far in 2020
– United States leads the way winning $7.2m
– Brazilian players most in form this year
– Bulgarian and Danish players win the most prize money per person on average
– Only 60% of tournaments played compared to this time last year
New Unikrn research shows players are winning MORE on average so far in 2020 than 2019 – despite pandemic
Esports players from the top 25 countries are earning more average prize money in 2020 so far than at the same point in 2019, new research shows.
Despite a number of tournaments being cancelled, professional gaming is still thriving during a global pandemic.
So much that despite playing 40% less tournaments than at this point last year, players are earning more money on average per tournament.
World-leading esports bookmakers Unikrn have revealed the finding after analysing the top 25 countries for prize money so far this year.
By the end of June last year, $67million had been won by more than 26,000 players from 2,715 tournaments across the esports circuit.
Whereas by the same time this year, only $38.8m was won by almost 11,000 players in 1,622 tournaments.
The average tournament prize pool was very similar each year – in 2019 it sat at $23,988, compared to $23,920 in 2020.
However, in the first half of 2019, players were only winning on average $2,492 compared to individuals taking home $3,652 in 2020.
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The research also found that like last year the United States leads the way at the halfway point of 2020 with players winning a massive $7.2m in prize money.
Identical to the first six months of 2019, China and Korea make up the top three.
Brazil are the biggest movers in 2020 rising from 9th to 4th in the rankings helped by Magic World Championship XXVI champion PVDDR’s $300k victory.
The highest prize money to player ratio sits with Bulgaria, maybe surprisingly. Their top 5 players including Complexity’s poiz0n are spread across CS:GO, DOTA2 and League of Legends.
The Danish also have a high turnover on prize money with 173 players averaging $9,564.
In 2019, the prize money across esports increased heavily from huge tournaments such as DOTA2’s The International setting a prize pot of $35million and the Fortnite World Cup Finals.
But with both of these tournaments cancelled and many others postponed, total prize money for 2020 is estimated to be considerably lower than 2019.
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Most Successful Countries By Prize Money Won (All Esports)
| 2019 (Jan-July) | 2020 (Jan-July) | |||||||||
| Country | Total Prize Money | Players | Average prize money | Country | Total Prize Money | Players | Average prize money | |||
| 1 | United States | $10,079,707.15 | 5902 | $1,707.85 | 1 | United States | $7,280,222.31 | 1999 | $3,641.93 | |
| 2 | Korea | $5,438,336.48 | 1377 | $3,949.41 | 2 | China | $3,093,705.23 | 379 | $8,162.81 | |
| 3 | China | $4,876,979.55 | 1027 | $4,748.76 | 3 | Korea | $2,356,078.82 | 573 | $4,111.83 | |
| 4 | France | $2,290,981.17 | 1378 | $1,662.54 | 4 | Brazil | $2,284,006.59 | 420 | $5,438.11 | |
| 5 | Denmark | $2,234,162.91 | 652 | $3,426.63 | 5 | Russian Federation | $1,718,361.31 | 454 | $3,784.94 | |
| 6 | Russia | $2,179,829.93 | 855 | $2,549.51 | 6 | France | $1,703,512.13 | 441 | $3,862.84 | |
| 7 | Canada | $2,011,038.76 | 884 | $2,274.93 | 7 | Denmark | $1,654,614.71 | 173 | $9,564.25 | |
| 8 | Sweden | $1,933,771.15 | 712 | $2,715.97 | 8 | United Kingdom | $1,327,882.15 | 348 | $3,815.75 | |
| 9 | Brazil | $1,861,949.00 | 989 | $1,882.66 | 9 | Canada | $1,307,092.60 | 319 | $4,097.47 | |
| 10 | Germany | $1,824,623.63 | 1032 | $1,768.05 | 10 | Germany | $1,304,784.38 | 500 | $2,609.57 | |
| 11 | Finland | $1,672,037.47 | 405 | $4,128.49 | 11 | Sweden | $1,176,960.10 | 215 | $5,474.23 | |
| 12 | United Kingdom | $1,438,156.76 | 915 | $1,571.76 | 12 | Australia | $891,602.63 | 359 | $2,483.57 | |
| 13 | Australia | $1,278,719.22 | 838 | $1,525.92 | 13 | Thailand | $826,835.23 | 314 | $2,633.23 | |
| 14 | Poland | $1,158,065.87 | 624 | $1,855.87 | 14 | Finland | $792,457.03 | 96 | $8,254.76 | |
| 15 | Philippines | $1,106,753.39 | 200 | $5,533.77 | 15 | Poland | $596,336.18 | 221 | $2,698.35 | |
| 16 | Japan | $973,735.09 | 406 | $2,398.36 | 16 | Ukraine | $574,589.16 | 112 | $5,130.26 | |
| 17 | Thailand | $882,805.98 | 350 | $2,522.30 | 17 | Norway | $439,630.18 | 67 | $6,561.64 | |
| 18 | Bulgaria | $860,229.50 | 118 | $7,290.08 | 18 | Netherlands | $399,067.54 | 150 | $2,660.45 | |
| 19 | Norway | $714,775.28 | 225 | $3,176.78 | 19 | Japan | $325,085.28 | 223 | $1,457.78 | |
| 20 | Spain | $625,412.64 | 392 | $1,595.44 | 20 | Bulgaria | $310,401.72 | 24 | $12,933.41 | |
| 21 | Ukraine | $623,458.01 | 278 | $2,242.65 | 21 | Philippines | $290,771.52 | 71 | $4,095.37 | |
| 22 | Taiwan | $600,532.10 | 211 | $2,846.12 | 22 | Turkey | $281,767.76 | 128 | $2,201.31 | |
| 23 | Netherlands | $519,272.80 | 451 | $1,151.38 | 23 | Malaysia | $252,612.81 | 43 | $5,874.72 | |
| 24 | Italy | $490,560.54 | 137 | $3,580.73 | 24 | Argentina | $251,784.40 | 79 | $3,187.14 | |
| 25 | Malaysia | $463,826.66 | 175 | $2,650.44 | 25 | Estonia | $240,863.04 | 37 | $6,509.81 |
Total Prize Money, Tournaments and Players (All Esports)
| 2019 (Jan-July) | 2020 (Jan – July) | |||
| Total Prize Money | $66,992,940.50 | Total Prize Money | $38,798,059.63 | |
| Total Tournaments | 2715 | Total Tournaments | 1622 | |
| Total Players | 26141 | Total Players | 10625 | |
| Average tournament prize pool | $23,987.94 | Average tournament prize pool | $23,919.89 | |
| Average player prize money | $2,492.18 | Average player prize money | $3,651.58 |
Best Countries By Average Player Prize Money
| Country | Average prize money per player |
| Bulgaria | $12,933.41 |
| Denmark | $9,564.25 |
| Finland | $8,254.76 |
| China | $8,162.81 |
| Norway | $6,561.64 |
| Estonia | $6,509.81 |
| Malaysia | $5,874.72 |
| Sweden | $5,474.23 |
| Brazil | $5,438.11 |
| Ukraine | $5,130.26 |
**Stats from www.esportsearnings.com – does not include information about salaries, bonuses or sponsorships
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AMD Ryzen and Radeon hardware will be used across S8UL’s esports, streaming and creator workflows as the Indian org ramps up its EWC push.
S8UL has signed a strategic partnership with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ahead of its Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 campaign, as the Indian esports and gaming content organization targets further international expansion.
Under the agreement, AMD will equip S8UL’s players and creators with AMD Ryzen
AI 400 Series processor-based PCs, AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors, and AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards for gaming, streaming, content creation and general productivity.
The deal lands as S8UL prepares for EWC 2026 after being selected for the Esports World Cup Foundation’s Club Partner Program for a second consecutive year. The organization said it has already secured qualification spots in Apex Legends, Chess, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, and Trackmania, while continuing to pursue additional slots in other titles. The partnership also follows S8UL onboarding Campa Energy as the Title Sponsor for its EWC 2026 campaign.
“S8UL has always focused on both competitive success and content creation. As we prepare for the Esports World Cup, AMD’s technology will support our players and creators across competition, streaming and content production. We’re excited to work together as we continue to grow our presence globally,” said Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, S8UL.
“India’s gaming ecosystem is expanding beyond competition, with creators playing an increasingly important role in how communities connect and grow,” said Vinay Sinha, Managing Director, Sales, AMD India. “Organizations like S8UL are helping shape that evolution, and we’re excited to support their players and creators with AMD technology as they continue to engage gaming and creators’ communities in India and around the world.”
EWC 2026 is scheduled for July 6 to August 23, with the Esports World Cup organisers stating it will feature more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.
The post S8UL partners with AMD ahead of Esports World Cup 2026 campaign appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Esports Awards and the Esports Foundation (EF) on June 18, 2026, announced a three-year extension of their partnership through 2028 and introduced a new player-voted honor, the EWC Players’ Choice Award. The announcement was made in London, with voting tied to Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris.
The EWC Players’ Choice Award will be decided exclusively by professional esports players. According to the announcement, competitors attending EWC 2026 will vote in person, while a secure digital voting platform hosted by the Esports Awards will allow participation from additional eligible players and clubs.
Eligibility requires players to have competed in at least one qualifying S, A or B-Tier tournament during the official competitive season. Players will not be able to vote for themselves or teammates, with the Esports Awards overseeing the process.
“The talent and innovation of our sector should be getting the exposure it deserves.,” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “The Esports Foundation has done an incredible job in generating mainstream attention, and industry exposure outside of the standard circuit. Our partnership has enabled us to expand our operations and footprint and it’s through our continued collaboration that I hope we can bring the Esports Awards to the global community, and provide the industry with better visibility all year round.”
The Esports Awards also confirmed its 2026 ceremony will take place in the United States, starting what it described as a rotating host city model featuring “previously unvisited destinations.” The event previously staged its 2024 awards ceremony and the 2025 Decade Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Esports World Cup program.
EWC 2026 is scheduled for Paris from July 06 through August 23, 2026, with more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries set to compete in 25 tournaments across 24 games. Voting for the EWC Players’ Choice Award will run from July 1 through August 18, 2026, with the winner to be revealed during the Esports Awards ceremony later this year. The Esports Awards said additional details about its 2026 event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The post Esports Awards adds player-voted EWC Players’ Choice Award, extends Esports Foundation deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has completed the online regional qualifiers for the Chess tournament at the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), scheduled to debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2-29, 2026.
EF said the 128-player chess field is now largely set. 64 players from 64 countries and territories received direct invitations via official Champions Chess Tour (CCT) rankings at the end of May, while 61 players qualified through online regional events operated by Chess.com across North America, South America, Africa, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East/India/Central Asia, and East Asia/Southeast Asia/Oceania.
A further slot was awarded to Amani Alazmi (Kuwait) via the Host Region Wildcard as the next highest-placing competitor from the host region. Two Wildcard Solidarity slots for underrepresented regions remain and will be announced at the end of August after all ENC qualifiers are completed. With qualifiers concluded, EF said at least 82 countries and territories will be represented in chess at ENC 2026.
EF highlighted that Jamaica, Paraguay, Singapore, South Africa, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Turkmenistan each secured two qualifying slots despite not receiving a direct invitation. Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Jordan, Australia, and New Zealand secured one slot each.
The chess competition runs November 2-8. EF said the event will open with a round-robin group stage featuring 16 groups of eight players, before moving to a 64-player single-elimination playoff bracket. The full list of qualified players and nations is available on the ENC website’s chess page.
The post ENC 2026 chess qualifiers wrap as 82 nations and territories make the field appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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