eSports
Top 10 countries with the highest earning prizewinning esports players (Data)
Paxful has analyzed the highest-earning prizewinning esports players from around the world to see which countries have the most esports players per million and where the world’s top gamers are earning more than their country’s average monthly salary.
- China has the highest earning prizewinning esports players in the world compared to salary with gamers earning 1237% of the average wage in the country.
- UK gamers earn on average 225% of the average UK salary.
- Belarus has the most prizewinning esports players per million with 1011.4 esports players per million people in the country.
- The UK has 51.2 prizewinning esports players per million.
- Switzerland is the cheapest country to be a gamer when comparing popular console prices with the average national salary.
The 10 countries with the highest-earning prizewinning esports players
- Prizewinning esports players in China take the lead with the highest earnings compared to the country’s average salary (1237%).
- UK ranks 27 with gamers there earning 225% of the average UK salary.
| Rank | Country | % of average salary |
| 1 | China | 1237% |
| 2 | Philippines | 1145% |
| 3 | Brazil | 1014% |
| 4 | Jordan | 879% |
| 5 | Argentina | 557% |
| 6 | Bulgaria | 534% |
| 7 | Pakistan | 528% |
| 8 | United States | 515% |
| 9 | Lebanon | 501% |
| 10 | Ukraine | 493% |
| 27 | United Kingdom | 225% |
The 10 countries with most prizewinning esports players per million
- We analyzed the number of prizewinning esports players per million against the population of 109 different countries.
- There are more prizewinning esports players in Belarus than anywhere else in the world.
- The UK comes in at number 24 with 51.2 prizewinning esports players per million.
| Rank | Country | gamers per million |
| 1 | Belarus | 1011.4 |
| 2 | Malta | 565.8 |
| 3 | Iceland | 315.8 |
| 4 | Finland | 279.7 |
| 5 | Denmark | 274.7 |
| 6 | Sweden | 258.2 |
| 7 | Norway | 173.4 |
| 8 | Estonia | 156.6 |
| 9 | Latvia | 111.6 |
| 10 | Singapore | 110.7 |
| 24 | United Kingdom | 51.2 |
The 10 cheapest countries in the world to be a gamer
- To calculate how affordable a console is, we measured the retail price of each console against the average monthly salary in each country in this study.
- Switzerland takes the top spot in our affordability ranking.
- The UK comes in at number 20 when comparing the console prices to the national average salary.
| Percentage of salary | |||||
| Rank | Country | Nintendo Switch | iPhone SE | PC | Index |
| 1 | Switzerland | 6.5% | 7.6% | 16.3% | 3 |
| 2 | United States | 8.4% | 11.2% | 28.1% | 6 |
| 3 | Singapore | 9.0% | 13.3% | 30.7% | 9 |
| 4 | Australia | 10.0% | 14.4% | 33.7% | 13 |
| 5 | Japan | 10.7% | 16.2% | 34.7% | 18 |
| 6 | Denmark | 11.2% | 16.6% | 30.9% | 18 |
| 7 | Hong Kong | 10.2% | 15.0% | 44.7% | 25 |
| 8 | Canada | 12.4% | 18.6% | 35.8% | 26 |
| 9 | UAE | 12.7% | 17.7% | 40.8% | 31 |
| 10 | Germany | 13.9% | 20.4% | 37.0% | 35 |
| 20 | United Kingdom | 15.0% | 21.4% | 48.2% | 55 |
Methodology:
- The sample of esports players in our analysis consists of every prizewinning player from countries with $20,000 or more in historic tournament wins.
- Esports earnings are sourced from the top-earning players per country for 2019, with a maximum sample per country of 100 players’ earnings
- The retail prices of the products were gathered from various sources, including official brand websites and regional online stores.
- The cost of the gaming PC in our analysis is based on the cost of a Dell G5 Gaming Desktop with a GTX 1660 graphics card.
- Prices may reflect the retail price for a console that is shipped from an international retailer.
- Average monthly salary data was sourced from Numbeo.
- Index score – Countries ranked as a cumulative price ranking per gaming hardware; a lower score = more affordable country.
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The Esports Awards is set to return in 2026, bringing together the global esports community for its annual celebration of excellence.
Scheduled to take place in North America later this year, the awards will honor the top players, teams, creators, and innovators who defined the past year in competitive gaming. Exact dates and venues will be revealed in the coming months.
Last year marked a major milestone for the Esports Awards, celebrating 10 years of esports achievements at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony recognized industry icons such as Mathieu “Zywoo” Herbaut, iShowSpeed, and Animesh “Thug” Agarwal, while inducting six new members into the Lifetime Achievement in Esports: Class of 2025. Earlier in 2025, the Esports Awards hosted the one-off Decade Awards, which drew a global audience of 36.25 million live viewers.
For the 2026 edition, fan-favorite categories such as Esports Game of the Year, Esports Personality of the Year, Streamer of the Year, and Esports Team of the Year will return, giving fans a direct voice in recognizing the standout moments and figures in esports over the past year. Winners will be determined through a combination of community voting and input from the Esports Awards Panel, which includes seasoned industry veterans, broadcasters, creators, and professional players, ensuring both credibility and integrity.
In addition to the main ceremony, the Esports Awards Golf Invitational will make a comeback, offering a day of networking and friendly competition for industry leaders, creators, and esports competitors ahead of the awards.
Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards, said: “The Esports Awards continues to shine a spotlight on the very best in esports and gaming, and we’re pleased to return for 2026. Following the success of the Decade Awards and our 10th anniversary celebrations, we look forward to recognizing the individuals, teams, and moments that defined the past year in esports.”
Fans are encouraged to follow the Esports Awards’ official X account for updates on venues, dates, nominees, and voting.
The post Esports Awards 2026 Returns for Global Honors appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
- The Esports Awards will return later this year for its 2026 edition, taking place in North America and honouring the outstanding players, teams, creators and innovators of the past year in esports
- Last year marked a major milestone for the Esports Awards, celebrating 10 years of excellence at the HyperX Arena, alongside the one-off Decade Awards, which reached 36.25M live views globally
- The Esports Awards Golf Invitational will also return, bringing together industry leaders, creators and competitors for a day of networking and competition ahead of the main ceremony
- Full details on the venue, date, nominees and voting will be revealed in the coming months
The Esports Awards has announced the return of its annual ceremony for 2026. Bringing together the global esports community under one roof, the Esports Awards will once again recognise the players, teams, creators and innovators who have defined the past year. The ceremony will take place in North America later this year, with exact dates and venue to be revealed in the coming months.
Last year’s edition of the Esports Awards marked a significant milestone, celebrating 10 years of esports excellence at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony honoured some of the industry’s most recognised figures, including Mathieu “Zywoo” Herbaut, iShowSpeed and Animesh “Thug” Agarwal, while welcoming six new inductees into the Lifetime Achievement in Esports: Class of 2025 award. Earlier in the year, the Esports Awards also hosted the one-off Decade Awards in August, presented by Trevor “Quickshot” Henry, Jessica “JessGOAT” Bolden and Barney Banks, reaching 36.25M live views globally.
For the 2026 edition, fan-favourite categories including Esports Game of the Year, Esports Personality of the Year, Streamer of the Year and Esports Team of the Year will return, giving the community a voice in recognising the moments and individuals that shaped the past year in esports.
Winners will be determined through a combination of community voting and input from the Esports Awards Panel, a group of industry veterans, broadcasters, creators and players, ensuring the integrity and credibility of the awards.
In addition to the main ceremony, the Esports Awards Golf Invitational will return, bringing together industry leaders, creators and competitors for a day of networking and competition ahead of the awards.
“The Esports Awards continues to shine a spotlight on the very best in esports and gaming, and we’re pleased to return for 2026” said Michael Ashford, CEO of the Esports Awards. “Following the success of the Decade Awards and our 10th anniversary celebrations, we look forward to recognising the individuals, teams and moments that defined the past year in esports.”
Further updates regarding the venue, date, nominees and voting will be announced in the coming months. Fans are encouraged to follow the Esports Awards’ X account for the latest updates.
The post THE ESPORTS AWARDS RETURNS IN 2026 FOR A CELEBRATION OF ESPORTS EXCELLENCE appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Team Vitality celebrated its first Age of Empires II LAN victory as Hamzah “Hera” El-Baher triumphed in the Red Bull Wololo: Londinium final, defeating teammate Kai “Liereyy” Kallinger 5-4. Held at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, the event drew a packed live audience and thousands of online viewers, transforming the historic venue into a competitive arena for the world’s best players.
Hera dominated the tournament, following up his recent win at the T90 Titans League 5: Platinum League, consolidating his status as one of the top players globally. Team Vitality’s depth was evident, with Liereyy finishing second and Hernan “Hearttt” Pizarro placing sixth.
“Winning at our first LAN on Age of Empires II, and at the Royal Albert Hall no less, is incredible,” said Danny Engels, Team Vitality’s Corporate Director of Global Operations. “A first and second place for our roster reflects our dedication, training, and the support of our fans worldwide.”
This win marks Team Vitality’s successful entry into Age of Empires II, strengthening the French club’s presence in competitive esports. The team will continue its momentum by co-hosting The Garrison 2026 LAN in Hamburg, Germany, from November 25–29, 2026, expected to draw up to 1,000 spectators and become a major fixture on the AoE2 circuit.
The post HERA WINS RED BULL WOLOLO: LONDINIUM AGE OF EMPIRES II appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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