Top-Earning Esports Players Made Massive Money In 2019
High-profile sports athletes are known to make a ton of money, with soccer star Lionel Messi notably having 2019’s biggest paycheck with FC Barcelona for $80 million—the deal excluding such huge sponsorships with companies like Adidas, Pepsi, and Mastercard. Professional esports hasn’t quite reached those levels, but considerable growth in recent years has shown such heights are only a matter of time. With that in mind, a recent update from statistics site Esports Earnings indicates that the top-earning players made over $219 million combined.
The post indicates that across multiple titles, last year saw more than $219 million paid out in prize earnings, with Fortnite (~$64 million) and Dota 2 (~$46 million) making up the majority of that amount. The year’s top earner, Johan Sundstein, aka “N0tail,” managed to make a whopping $6.8 million in 2019, with the rest of the top 10 earners totaling anywhere between $6.5 million and $3.5 million. To put these numbers in perspective, the site touts nearly $800 million in total recorded prize money dating as far back as 1998.
What used to be an activity associated with basement-dwellers and children, gaming has become viewed as an entirely different medium in this day and age. Many players, developers, and more have been able to take their passion and turn it into something sustainable and even lucrative when it comes to the competitive side of things. With the involvement of reputable sponsors and colleges offering programs for players hoping to pursue their gaming passions, only the future can tell how esports will evolve later down the road.
What do you think the future holds for gaming and esports? Let us know your thoughts on the insane amount of money players are earning in esports and more in the comments section below. As always don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.
Chris Calles1560 Posts
Known as "Stash" or Yippee Calles. He's a student of everything, avid adrenaline junkie, and creator of random things. When he's not delving into a game, book, or movie - He's out teaching himself new things or taking part in some pretty epic adventures. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.
