Featured image: Microsoft Copilot
Over the years esports has shown the possibilities of earning a living through live streaming, merchandise, and competitions. Below are some of the highest paid esports players, counting from 5 to 1:
- Topson: Topias “Topson '' Taavitsainen is a Finnish professional esports player who is prominent in the Dota 2 community and known for his contributions and success in Dota 2. He started playing lower-tier teams in his early career till he joined SFTe-sports in 2017, and then entered the ranks of top-tier competitive gaming. Topson’s performance in European region streaming got him recruited by OG in 2018, where he attained top matchmaking ranking (MMR — determines in-game skill level of players against players who share the same skill). And it was with OG where he had his big break, joining him to have his first major LAN experience at The International 2018, after OG had lost three of his key players, rendering them ineligible for an invite to The International. He and OG made their way from open qualifiers to ultimately winning the tournament, with an $11,000,000+ prize money. They went on to win the championship again at The International 2019, earning Topson the title of MVP. He is currently with the Tundra, with overall earnings of $5,726,841.20 and revered for his selfless gameplay.
- Ceb: Sebastien “Ceb” Debs is a French professional esports player who is known for his contributions in the Dota 2 team OG. Ceb started his esports journey in the year 2011, where he met some ups and downs in his career, but ended up winning championships at The International 2018, and 2019 with team OG, earning him a legendary status in the Dota 2 community. He retired as a player, and returned to develop team OG as a coach, and is making for himself a notable comeback. Ceb’s overall earnings are about $5,900,842.73.
- ana: Anathan “ana” Pham is an Australian professional esports player known in the Dota 2 community to have made a huge impact in the esports scene with his skills in tournaments held at The International. He left highschool to join the Invictus Gaming in-house league in 2016, and then left for OG after The International 2016. After taking a break from Dota 2, he returned in 2019 to help OG win The International 2019. He took another hiatus after the victory and came back to do some more competitive gaming before announcing his retirement in 2021. He returned however in 2022 to play pro, making him one of the notable players taking extended breaks in the community; something very uncommon. His overall earnings are $6,024,411.96 and he is now a free agent.
- JerAx: Jesse “JerAx” Vainikka is a professional esports player from Finland, celebrated for his role in Dota 2 and significant contributions to his team. His name rose to the ranks of legendary esports players after winning The International 2018 and 2019 back-to-back with team OG. Starting off from Heroes of Newerth was where he got his recognition before entering Dota 2 officially in 2013. He went on to join Team Liquid and later OG to which he won championships with in 2018 and 2019 at The International. Beyond being notable in the Dota 2 community, he has become a versatile figure for tech-savvy campaigns, game enthusiasts and individuals looking for success stories in the digital age. His overall earnings to date are $6,486,623.98 and is now a free agent.
- N0tail: Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is a professional esports player from Denmark, known for his strategic gameplay and leadership in the Dota 2 community, and is ranked #1 as the highest paid esports player with overall earnings of $7,184,163.05. From passionate gamer to esports icon, his journey presents a compelling narrative for brand associations. He made his transition from Heroes of Newerth to Dota 2 with the team Fnatic, earning him a win at the Thor Open LAN. He went on to co-found Team Secret, joined Cloud9 later and then formed (monkey) Business which is now OG. His most celebrated career feats include his consecutive wins at The International in the years 2018 and 2019 with the team OG, earning him a spot in the Forbes 30 under 30 at 25 years old.
Conclusion
Photo Credit: Microsoft Copilot
Esports continues to show viability with a handful of possibilities of earning and earning high; getting the bigger bucks means you will have to put in the work — consistency is the key to getting there with high income streams, but more importantly bettering your skills and being a formidable player is what will solidify your name in the esports scene.
Esports has helped create jobs for lots of people. Interested in knowing about the business side of esports? Listen to the Gamers Change Lives Podcast! We get experienced guests from all around the world featuring.
Written by Jeffrey Osei-Agyeman
