For people with a passion for gaming, watching the likes of Mr Beast play games on YouTube and listening to leading gaming podcasts like the Giant Bombcast are understandable, and tuning in for some competitive eSports gaming action is a natural next step. In fact, it’s absolutely massive these days.
A growing industry, eSports revenues are projected to reach around $1.86 billion at the end of the year. As a result, the professional players fans adore are now earning even more money than before. While not every product is suitable for an eSports event, be it games of chance like McLuck live roulette or classic puzzle releases like Candy Crush Saga, other titles certainly are, particularly games that offer a team aspect or epic gun-filled battles. As such, with global audiences tuning in and huge sponsors getting behind leading events, it’s now big business.
However, as with certain athletes, eSports players’ earnings vary. With that in mind, below is a lowdown on some of the wealthiest eSports players ever, with some players still competing today and others moving into other areas in the eSports arena, such as founding a team of their own.
Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen
With estimated earnings of around $2.2 million, Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen has clearly done well for himself in the professional gaming ranks. His career highlights include becoming a five-time CS:GO Major champion, with Rasmussen being deemed a truly formidable opponent. The likeable Dane has been striking fear into his rivals since turning professional in 2012, with his longevity in eSports highlighting just how talented he is.
Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf
A game you’ve undoubtedly heard of, Fortnite has taken the world by storm. It gained further prominence in 2019 when 16-year-old Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf won the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Solo Finals. As a result of his shock triumph, the youngster won $3 million and became a much-loved figure in the professional gaming category as a result. Since then, Bugha has gone on to reign supreme in a number of other huge events, making him Fortnite royalty.
Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok
League of Legends is perfect for eSports given how ruthless it can be, and while numerous players have come and gone after failing to stay at the top, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok has remained a dominant force for years. When people think of the game, the Korean legend immediately springs to mind. Not only has he become a League of Legends World Champion five times, but Faker is also a part-owner of T1.
Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein
Dota 2 players tend to earn the most amount of money given how popular the game is in the eSports sphere. However, nobody beats Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein when it comes to career highlights and the earnings that come with them. With around $7.18 million to his name, his biggest accomplishments include becoming a two-time TI champion and a four-time Major winner. These days, N0tail is putting a lot of his time into the team he co-founded, Team OG, but when you speak to fans of eSports, he’s quite clearly an icon.
Luo ‘HuaHai’ Siyuan
Honor of Kings is an excellent game in its own right, but not everyone who plays it is aware of Luo ‘HuaHai’ Siyuan’s undeniable skill. The Chinese superstar has almost won it all, resulting in staggering earnings of around $1.94 million at the time of writing. After debuting in 2019, Luo ‘HuaHai’ Siyuan has cemented himself as a firm fan favorite, particularly after he was crowned the FMVP for his stellar performance in the grand finals. For many Honor of Kings fans, HuaHai is their hero.