3 of the highest earning eSports players
Looking back, did any of us ever believe that playing computer games could earn us an income? Not just any kind of income. We’re talking about life-changing sums of money. Well, that is exactly what has happened. Once upon a time, those into eSports were competing for tiny prizes. Nowadays, they are playing for millions of dollars at a time.
Something that has really helped eSports grow and become about serious money is the fact that it has become so popular to gamble on. The gambling industry is huge and fans of eSports have found that placing bets on the games that they love has added an extra level of enjoyment. In particular, Bitcasino eSports betting is now huge.
It’s not just eSports betting that has led to the industry growing. Another factor is how Twitch has taken off and become a home to those playing eSports as well as fans. As the viewing figures have increased, which they have year on year, so does the prize money at stake.
To see just how much eSports players are now earning, it is worth looking at 2021 as a whole. This year alone has seen over $144 million in prizes being won. This has been awarded during almost 3,000 tournaments. Looking back to 2012, the winnings were around $14 million. That shows just how significant the growth has been.
If you’ve ever wondered who the lucky ones are pocketing all of these prizes, here’s a look at three of the top-earning players in eSports.
Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein
This Danish player has done more than just okay for himself in the world of eSports. His game of choice is Dota 2 and his results back in 2019 saw him becoming one of the biggest earners ever. Dota 2 alone saw him pocketing an impressive $7.2 million.When you look at Sundstein’s success, in terms of earnings, you will find that he has something in common with some of the other biggest earners in eSports - his choice of game. Dota 2 is a huge favourite and one that gives some of the very best rewards.
Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf
Whether you're into the eSports scene or just have a teenager, you’re bound to have heard of a game called Fortnite. This is a title that game from the developer Epic and it exploded in popularity back in 2017. It was soon after this that eSports cottoned on to this and it became a firm fixture. For Giersdorf, this saw him banking a cool $3.2 million.Fornite had long been considered a child-friendly game and this meant that its audience base was huge. When the developers saw the potential of eSports, they pumped millions of dollars into this. It was determined to ensure that any tournaments featuring this game were amongst the best and offered some of the very best prize funds. This certainly worked out well for Giersdorf.
Peter ‘Dupreeh’ Rasmussen
Rasmussen won big on one of the games that all games fans have heard of: Counter-Strike. Although there have been several versions of this classic, it is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that has captured the attention of eSports fans the world over. This was a game that just had to make the transition over to eSports as it just made sense.The game saw Rasmussen net just shy of $2 million in 2019. It is largely accepted that this win came off the back of his team being the greatest of all time. Rasmussen certainly played his part and it was his efforts that pushed his team on to success.
