Being able to play games for money used to be a dream that many thought would be unimaginable at one point in time.
Of course, it is still one of the hardest professions to get involved with as so many look to try and make one of their ultimate dreams become a reality. Especially with the amount of money that is associated with the esports industry in particular.
Esports continues to boom
Although the concept of esports has been around for a while, the vast amount of money that can be made from playing online games competitively has only further increased, with many of the events that take place having been able to attract audiences from all corners of the world. Indeed, betting and gambling on the action that takes place has become as popular as sports betting for many.
Games such as Fortnite and CounterSrike: Global Offensive – which is widely known as CS: GO – have become huge hits in the esports scene and have continued to attract audiences that hit their millions and let players play live games for real money. Due to their popularity, a number of teams have since been formed with some of the best esports players from around the globe having all been acquired to compete for them in an attempt to obtain the prize money that is available.
Astronomical sums of money can be earned
Prize money can vary depending on the size and nature of the tournament, although some of the biggest can reward players with millions of dollars when they win the overall competition. Indeed, players that compete in these types of tournaments will be able to earn salaries that can be worth between $3,000 and $5,000 a month for those who are good enough.
Naturally, these salaries are not just handed out to the best players for nothing, as each player will likely be required to undergo a strict training program that requires them to perfect their skills for a huge number of hours each day. Of course, many of these players will already have been snapped up by a team franchise, with teams such as Team Liquid, OG, Evil Geniuses and Fnatic just some of the best to have featured. However, esports is so big that professional sports teams also have their own esports sides representing them as well.
Live streaming on Twitch
Other ways players are able to make money, though, and in particular, the ones that might not be signed to an esport team is via platforms such as Twitch. Twitch is an online video streaming service that allows gamers to live stream the game that they are playing with people who want to watch.
Those that watch will have subscribed to the gamer’s profile for a price that has been set, with a portion of the money going to the player each month they have a subscription, whilst Twitch will also take a cut for their own costs and revenues.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are another revenue stream that can be used from gaming, as players will be able to receive sponsorships from big companies either to wear their logo on a shirt, or by using product placement, for example, to try and generate further income. For instance, an energy drink manufacturer may pay a player to drink their drinks or have it visible during a gaming session, which may then attract viewers to buy one as soon as they can.
Gamers who are able to make the most of these options available to them will be rewarded rather well, but as mentioned, it is an incredibly competitive industry and only a lucky few are able to make the astronomical amounts of money available.
