Sports are a core component in entertainment. Not only are there all kinds of international competitions and events to celebrate various sports, but there are also all kinds of all-star athletes that are treated like A-list celebrities. Sports like basketball, volleyball, baseball, and football are also common to us.
However, with the rise in technology, the sports scene has evolved into not only accepting physical sports but also ones done online. The competitive nature of particular video games has encouraged people to invest in a field called E-sports. E-sports is a branch of sports where professional gamers are able to compete with each other online. Games such as HALO, DOTA, League of Legends, and Valorant are examples of games that have earned hundreds of millions of dollars for their professional gamers.
Some may roll their eyes or underestimate the significance of E-sports in today’s day and age. However, there is more to E-sports, and competitive E-sports at that, than mindlessly playing on computers for hours on end. It involves all kinds of intense strategy and intelligence, which is why professional gamers are highly in demand.
In this article, we’ll be discussing how much money do pro gamers make, and how gamers can also enter the professional competitive scene.
How much money do professional gamers make
Professional gamers can earn a salary from $19,000 to $50,000. Professional gamers are often scouted and employed by different companies that specialize in Esports competitions. Notorious and highly successful e-sports gamers can make over $100,000 to $1,000,000 depending on what they advertise and are contracted under.
The amount of money an aspiring pro gamer can earn highly depends on different factors. The first is what game they’re playing in the first place. Newer games like VALORANT are in demand because of their freshness and rising popularity. If more people are interested in the game as a sport, then more sponsors and businesses will want to invest in players and prize pools for promotion.
However, older games like DOTA that remain relevant until today are the most lucrative. There are prize pools that go up to $20,000,000 for one game. This is why it is common for some professional players to switch to other games that they find more profitable compared to staying in a declining one.
The second factor that comes into play for a professional gamer’s salary is their obvious level and skill. In esports, both technical skill and strategic knowledge is needed for one to have a chance as a pro gamer. It is not enough for a player to know how to play the game mechanically well, such as aiming or using abilities properly. It is important that they also understand how certain team strategies can show up during a game, and how they can outplay them.
There are other factors that are considered by companies such as what positions the gamer likes playing for a certain game, their age, what they currently do for a living, and if they consistently stream online. However, the most important factor is being one of the best in the game they play.
How do professional gamers make money?
Professional gamers earn their money in different ways. The first is through both local and international competitions. For local competitions, competitive teams often play against other local teams for a certain sum of prize money. International competitions are lengthier and have more stages to go through compared to local competitions. International competitions involve representative teams from different countries going head to head against each other in their assigned game. Before this, local teams need to compete against each other first to determine who will represent their country or region.
Now that the world has adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more competitions are shifting to the LAN setup. This is the term used for physical tournaments, where competitive teams play together with a live audience.
A lot of professional gamers also use their free time to stream on platforms like Twitch or to upload videos of their content on YouTube. This is a way for them to continue making use of their skills outside of competitive play while growing their audience and supporters. Besides this, it’s a way to earn money.
On YouTube, videos can be monetized by placing advertisements throughout the video, and by earning brand deals for the creator. On Twitch, the way creators make money is different. Dedicated viewers can choose to subscribe to their favorite streamers and players for a small price per month. There are also options to buy extra virtual features or donate money to these gamers.
How do you become a professional gamer?
To become a professional gamer, you first have to get recognized as one of the best players in your game. Games that are used for competitive play often have levels or tiers that put players with similar skill levels against each other. Esports companies will only scout players who are in the highest ranks and have consistently shown that they can stay there.
You can also participate in local tournaments in your city or organizations to grab the attention of other professionals who can vouch for your skill.
