12 Esports Athletes Making Serious Bread
You might scoff at professional gamers being called, "athletes", but they are definitely earning "athlete" sized checks
Published 4 years ago in Ftw
Prizes used to range from a few hundred to a couple thousand. $50,000 was considered to be an insane sum of money back when Esports was really gaining popularity.
But now, Esports is bigger than ever, and Esports athletes are making more than ever.
1
Johan “N0tail” Sundstein – $6.9 million - Johan is a Danish, Dota 2 player and he was Esports highest-paid athlete in 2019. He led his teams to victory at the Dota 2 international two years in a row. Notail picked up competitive gaming at the age of 15 and quickly switched to Dota 2 from his original game Heroes of Newerth. After years of competition, he’s earned a reputation as one of the top competitive gamers on the planet, especially in MOBAs.
2
Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka, Dota 2 – $6.5 Million - JerAx recently retired from competing in Dota 2 tournaments, but not before creating a legend for himself and earning over $6.5 million in the process. Playing with various teams over the years he's won multiple championships including the Dota International in 2018 and 2019.
3
Anathan “ana” Pham, Dota 2 – $6 Million - Ana built his name as an elite Dota 2 player while competing as a part of team OG. The team won the Dota International in 2018 and 2019, being one of the few players to be able to win the tournament in back to back years. A testament to his skill given how stiff competition can be. He has won over $6 million through his gaming career.
4
Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf – $3.2 million (Fortnite) - In Fortnite, the go-to battle royale for a new generation, Bugha is king. Fortnite is one of the most played games in the world and the Esports scene for it is huge, as a result, the prize money is as well. Teenaged Bugha ended up winning $3.2 million at the Fortnite World Cup in 2019.
5
Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen – $1.9 million (CS:GO) - CounterStrike is a game often overlooked in a world full of Call of Duty and Battlefield, but it has a large competitive following. CounterStrike players are often some of the best on the planet because of the sheer level of skill it takes to be able to survive the climb up the competitive ladder. Dupreeh is another Danish gamer that used his high level of skill to earn $1.9 million in 2019 and his fourth Valve Major title.
6
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok – $1.3 million (League of Legends) - Who said staying up all night playing League of Legends doesn’t pay? Faker has earned himself $1.3 million on the Esports circuit, playing League of Legends, having won the League world championship in his first season as a pro.
7
Ian “C6” Porter – $1.2 million (Call of Duty) - Call of Duty can get you paid. C6 plays for the Dallas Empire and earned $1.2 million in 2019. Over the course of his career, he’s become the player with the most wins in Call of Duty Esports history. C6 has won three world championships and 37 major tournaments.
8
Ian “C6” Porter – $1.2 million (Call of Duty) - Call of Duty can get you paid. C6 plays for the Dallas Empire and earned $1.2 million in 2019. Over the course of his career, he’s become the player with the most wins in Call of Duty Esports history. C6 has won three world championships and 37 major tournaments.
9
Feg – $1 million (Shadowverse) - Feg has made a name for himself playing Shadowverse, a digital card game similar to Hearthstone or Magic the Gathering. Using his wit and excellent deck-building strategy, the Japanese national was able to make over $1 million in 2019. Going into the year he was a complete unknown and an underdog but no one underestimates him after seeing his high level of play.
10
Cho “Maru” Seong Ju – $889,000 (Starcraft 2) - Starcraft 2 is the gift that keeps on giving. Starcraft has been a fixture of Esports gaming ever since the original game released in the 90s. And ever since, Korean players have dominated the leaderboards, Maru staking his claim among them. He rose to prominence by becoming the youngest player to ever compete and win on the pro circuit at age 13. In 2018 he cemented himself as a household name by winning $200,000 at the World Electronic Sports Games.
11
Park “Loki” Jeong Yeong – $705,000 (PUBG) - Loki set a world record by becoming the highest-paid PUBG player in the world. Loki made a name for himself on the battle royale scene by placing top 3 in major tournaments and winning the PUBG global invitational in 2018.
12
Bradley “Frosty” Bergstrom – $684,000 (Halo) - Halo is still a monster on the Esports scene. In the MLG days, it was popular but after the advent of Twitch, its popularity has exploded. Gamers like Frosty keep the community energized while they wait for Halo Infinite and its gameplay improvements. Frosty has been gaming competitively for years, ever since Halo 2 anniversary released. Winning two world championships in Halo, also competing in Call of Duty from 2018 to 2020. He’s earned over $600,000 on the pro scene.
13
Bradley “Frosty” Bergstrom – $668,000 (Starcraft: Brood War) - Who knew old games could still make you money? Starcraft: Brood War, is still pretty popular in South Korea's Esports scene. It's not just popular, but the competition is also absolutely brutal. The old guard typically dominates and it's been that way ever since the game originally released. Twenty plus years of consistent dominance from the regular names in the gaming space didn't leave much room for improvement. Or it didn’t until Flash came on the scene, playing as the Terrans and carving out a name for himself as a pro gamer, earning $668,000 while he did it. He even ended up becoming the rival of the top star of Brood War’s competitive scene, Jaedong.
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