25 Most Successful Esports Countries by Prize Money so far in 2020

Published

6 years ago

July 15, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

– 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

BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events

Published

14 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

blast-partners-with-match-on-premium-fan-travel-for-2026-27-events

Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.

BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.

BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”

MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”

BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.

The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Counter-strike

Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major

Published

18 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-opens-v.hub-fan-zone-for-iem-cologne-major

Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.

Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.

The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.

Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.

Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.

The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eSports

Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers

Published

3 days ago

June 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

esports-world-cup-2026-opens-registration-for-last-chance-qualifiers

The Esports Foundation (EF) announced the official lineup and details for the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) tournaments that will award the final spots in eight different competitions at this year’s Esports World Cup, set to be hosted in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23.

The programme forms the final stage of qualification for EWC 2026, concluding a global Road to EWC that spans more than 230 tournaments and qualification events worldwide and is expected to engage more than 350,000 competitors across publisher ecosystems, regional leagues and official circuits.

The Last Chance Qualifier series consists of eight open tournaments across Counter-Strike 2, EA FC, Rocket League, TEKKEN 8, Chess, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves and Street Fighter 6.

Held in Paris between July 5 and August 10, the events will award the final qualification spots for 37 solo competitors and six Clubs at the Esports World Cup 2026, including four Clubs in Counter-Strike 2 and one Club each in Rocket League and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. EA FC qualifiers will advance to the Play-Ins stage, while all other LCQ winners will qualify directly for the main event.

LCQ Schedule and Qualification Slots

• Street Fighter 6 (July 5): 4 players qualify

• Chess (July 9-11): 14 players qualify

• EA FC (July 24-26): 6 players qualify for Play-Ins

• TEKKEN 8 (July 31-August 2): 4 players qualify

• Rocket League (July 31-August 2): 1 Club qualifies

• FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (August 4-6): 4 players qualify

• Counter-Strike 2 (August 7-9): 4 Clubs qualify

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (August 8-10): 1 Club qualifies

Some of the most remarkable moments in EWC’s history have come as a result of the LCQ. In 2024, EA FC pro João “JafonsogV” Vasconcellos battled through the LCQ before going on to claim the championship, etching his name into esports history. His performance inspired the creation of the Jafonso Award, which is awarded to teams or players that win an EWC championship after qualifying through the LCQ.

In 2025, Team Falcons’ Overwatch roster pulled off that feat to not only claim the first Jafonso Award and the OWCS Midseason Championship, but win what would turn out to be a crucial tournament victory that cemented Falcons’ second straight Club Championship. In the same year, Chess Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Levon Aronian both reached the playoffs after qualifying for the first EWC Chess main event through the LCQ.

The Esports World Cup 2026 will be hosted at Paris Expo Port de Versailles, in Paris, France, from July 6 through August 23, bringing together more than 2000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games for a record-breaking $75 million+ prize pool.

The post Esports World Cup 2026 Opens Registration for Last Chance Qualifiers appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.