Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein has made over $7 million playing as an esports pro (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).
Anyone who doubts that esports have made the grade as a legitimate, big-time sporting endeavor is simply living in denial.
Esports is generating massive amounts of revenue. Research shows that in 2021, the various esports combine to generate $1.38 billion in revenue. That total is anticipated to increase to $1.87 billion by 2025.
Not only that, but esports are also gaining mainstream access from the gambling world. Check any leading sports betting app and you’ll find odds on esports like Dota 2, League of Legends and CS:GO right there alongside the latest betting lines for the NFL, NBA and MLB.
The superstars of esports might not yet be household names in North America like LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani or Patrick Mahomes. But believe us when we tell you that they are also making big bank.
And if you don’t believe us, well, just read on and discover exactly how much cash is being raked in by these gaming legends.
Dota 2: Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein ($7,184,183)
The Danish-Faroese player has twice been Dota 2 champion of The International (2018, 2019). He’s also won four major Dota 2 events in Frankfurt, Manila, Boston and Kiev.
Sundstein turned pro at the age of 15, originally playing Heroes of Newerth prior to making the switch to the more lucrative Dota 2 competitions.
Fortnite: Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf ($3,692,425)
Best known for his success as a player on Fortnite Battle Royale, American-born Giersdorf, 21, won the Fortnite World Cup in 2019.
He’s won three other major Fortnite championships since and posted top-10 finishes in 13 different events. Giersdorf was voted the top esports athlete at The Game Awards in 2019.
CS:GO: Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen ($2,181,164)
Peter ‘dupreeh’ Rasmussen is the only five-time CS:GO Major champion (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license).
Another prominent esports star from Denmark, Rasmussen plays Counter Strike: Global Offensive for Team Falcons. He’s the only player to have participated in every CS:GO major ever staged.
Rasmussen, 31, is a five-time CS;GO Major champion (Atlanta 2017 London 2018, Katowice 2019, Berlin 2019, Paris 2023). He’s the only player with five major wins, including taking an unprecedented three consecutive majors. He was also the Season 1 champion of the IEM Grand Slam.
League of Legends: Sang Hyeok ‘Faker’ Lee ($1,718,369)
When it comes to League of Legends, South Korea’s Lee is in a league of his own. He’s been referred to as the Michael Jordan of esports due to his utter dominance of this gaming platform.
Lee has won a record four League of Legends world titles. He’s also earned an unequaled 10 LCK titles in his homeland.
Arena of Valor: Siyuan ‘HuaHai’ Luo ($1,676,829)
China’s Luo won the Honor of Kings Champions Cup in 2019, the Honor of Kings Challenge Cup in 2021 and 2022 and the Honor of Kings International Championship (2022). He’s also earned multiple victories in King Pro League events. Luo is the all-time leader in kills in King Pro League competition, with more than 2600 kills.
Call of Duty: Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris ($1,581,950)
Playing for the Atlanta FaZe, American-born Pharris, 24, was the Call of Duty world champion and MVP in 2019 and 2021. He’s one of only two players to appear in four consecutive Call of Duty World Championship finals.
Pharris was selected to the Call of Duty League 2021 SCUF Team of the Year. He was also chosen as a first team all-star in the CDL in 2023.
StarCraft II: Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala ($1,503,291)
In 2018 Finland’s Sotala became the first non-Korean to win the StarCraft II World Championship Series. He won every non-Korean tournament that year, including the Global StarCraft II League (GSL) title. The Finn is also a two-time IEM champion in 2022 and 2024.
Turning pro in 2012 at the age of 14, Sotala would earn his first major title in 2017, winning the StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS) qualifier at Jonkoping, Sweden.
PUBG: Jung Young ‘Loki’ Park ($1,229,651)
Another South Korean esports star, Park, 25, is considered the best PUBG player on the planet. He’s won four world titles and eight overall major championships.
His finest year of competition came in 2019, when Park earned in excess of $550,000. Along with winning the global championship, that year also saw the South Korean victorious in the PUBG Korea League (Phase 2) and the MET Asian Series PUBG Classic.
Rocket League: Evan ‘M0nkey M00n’ Rogez ($728,445)
From France, Rogez is already a massive Rocket League star at the age of 21. He won the Rocket League World Championship in 2021-22. That title is among six major event wins by the French player.
Rainbow Six Siege: Stephan ‘Shaiiko’ Lebleu ($609,499)
France’s Lebleu won the European Rainbow Six Siege titles in 2021 and 2022. Overall, he’s earned victories in six major events. However, he’s not without controversy. Lebleu was banned from competition for two years after an investigation determined that he’d used macros in a Pro League match. His ban was lifted after sitting out an 18-month sentence.
Overwatch: Nam Joo ‘Striker’ Kwon ($499,876)
South Korea’s Kwon won back-to-back Overwatch League championships in 2019 and 2020. He was named the most valuable player of the 2020 Grand Finals. Kwon announced his retirement from Overwatch play in 2021. However, he soon ended that retirement and made it to the Grand Finals again in 2022.
VALORANT: Ethan ‘Ethan’ Arnold ($288,266)
Just like a Brazilian soccer star, American Valorant player Arnold is simply known by his first name of Ethan in esports circles. Playing for NRG, he won the $1 million Valorant championship in 2023. Considered an outstanding team player, Ethanholds the record for the most assists in the VCT Americas League, accumulating a total of 367 assists.
